Structure and expression of sulfatase and sulfatase modifying factor genes in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), uses sulfatases (SULF) to counteract the glucosinolate-myrosinase defensive system that cruciferous plants have evolved to deter insect feeding. Sulfatase activity is regulated by post-translational modification of a cysteine residue by sulfatase modifying factor 1 (SUMF1). We identified 12 SULF genes (PxylSulfs) and two SUMF1 genes (PxylSumf1s) in the P. xylostella genome. Phylogenetic analysis of SULFs and SUMFs from P. xylostella, Bombyx mori, Manduca sexta, Heliconius melpomene, Danaus plexippus, Drosophila melanogaster, Tetranychus urticae and Homo sapiens showed that the SULFs were clustered into five groups, and the SUMFs could be divided into two groups. Profiling of the expression of PxylSulfs and PxylSumfs by RNA-seq and by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that two glucosinolate sulfatase genes (GSS), PxylSulf2 and PxylSulf3, were primarily expressed in the midgut of 3rd- and 4th-instar larvae. Moreover, expression of sulfatases PxylSulf2, PxylSulf3 and PxylSulf4 were correlated with expression of the sulfatases modifying factor PxylSumf1a. The findings from this study provide new insights into the structure and expression of SUMF1 and PxylSulf genes that are considered to be key factors for the evolutionary success of P. xylostella as a specialist herbivore of cruciferous plants.

Molecular characterisation of two α-esterase genes involving chlorpyrifos detoxification in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella

BACKGROUND

Carboxylesterases (CarEs) are involved in metabolic detoxification of dietary and environmental xenobiotics in insects. However, owing to the complexity of the protein family, the involvement of CarEs in insecticide metabolism in Plutella xylostella has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to characterise two CarE genes and assess their potential roles in response to chlorpyrifos in P. xylostella.

RESULTS

Synergistic tests showed that triphenyl phosphate decreased the resistance of the third-instar larvae to chlorpyrifos. The treatment of the third-instar larvae with chlorpyrifos at the LC₃₀ dose led to a significant increase in CarE activity. Two CarE cDNAs (Pxae18 and Pxae28) were subsequently sequenced and characterised. Both genes were expressed predominantly in the larval midgut. Most importantly, two CarE genes showed significantly higher expression in the chlorpyrifos-resistant strain than in the susceptible strain. RNAi knockdown of Pxae18 and Pxae28 significantly increased the mortality to chlorpyrifos from 40% in the control to 73.8 and 63.3% respectively.

CONCLUSION

RNAi knockdown of Pxae18 and Pxae28 significantly inhibited detoxification ability and increased the mortality in P. xylostella. The results indicate that these two CarE genes play important roles in the detoxification of chlorpyrifos in P. xylostella. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Association of Helicobacter pylori infection with gastric adenocarcinoma

Gastric adenocarcinoma is the most prevalent cancer in South Korea, and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is also common. This study was performed to examine the association between H. pylori infection and gastric cancer, taking into account various other factors. To investigate the association between gastric adenocarcinoma and H. pylori infection, determined by urease-positive reaction in the CLO test, a total of 175 paired specimens (175 tumor and 175 tissues adjacent to tumor) of stomach cancer patients and a total of 113 control specimens were obtained. The positive H. pylori infection rates were 78.9% (138/175) among the patients in specimens of tumor or tissues adjacent to the tumor and 41.6% (47/113) among controls in the CLO test. A positive correlation between H. pylori infection and gastric cancer was observed (age-adjusted odds ratio, 7.0; MH chi2=34.5 with P<0.0005). These data suggest that stomach cancer patients in Korea have high infection rates of H. pylori regardless of site specificity, and this infection might be causally associated with stomach cancer.

[Surgical treatment of pituitary adenoma]

Seventy-four patients with pituitary adenoma were treated by surgery, including 51 transsphenoidal and 23 transcranial approaches, without death, postoperative leakage of CSF and early-period intracranial infection. Many patients had a transient diabetes insipidus after operation. In discussion we attended the difference of attacking age of pituitary adenoma between male and female, the significances of CT and MRI as well as the indication and the important points of various approaches.

The effect of transposition of pedicled omentum to spinal cord ischemia segments. An animal experiment

This animal experiment was in succession to the research on paraplegia caused by spinal cord local ischemia in an animal model. Immediately after the operative production of local spinal cord ischemia, pedicled omentum spinal transposition onto the ischemic segments of spinal cord was performed. The animals recovered from paraplegia around two months afterwards. Spinal cord specimens showed adhesion of omentum to the spinal cord without compression. Omental vessels grew into the cord. Gross sections of specimen stained with Nissl method revealed that normal structure of nerve cells were preserved but number of nerve cell decreased.

[Indirubin in the treatment of chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML)--estimation of labelling index of bone marrow cells by 3H-TdR]

Using 3H-TdR labelling radioautography in vitro, labelling index (LI) of the bone marrow cells from patients with CML was estimated before and after treatment by indirubin, and compared with myleran. The results showed that LI of the bone marrow cells was prone to decline after treatment by indirubin or myleran, and it was most marked on the myelocyte and polychromatophilic erythroblast. The LI reduction was less by indirubin than myleran. It suggests that the inhibition of indirubin on the bone marrow cells be weaker than that of myleran. However, long-term administration of indirubin would inhibit not only the granulocytic series but also the red cell series to a certain degree.