Cocoon-Spinning Behavior and 20-Hydroxyecdysone Regulation of Fibroin Genes in Plutella xylostella.

The diamondback moth Plutella xylostella is a serious pest of crucifers. It has high reproductive potential and is resistant to many insecticides. Typically, the last-instar larvae of P. xylostella, before pupation, move to the lower or outer plant leaves to make a loose silk cocoon and pupate inside for adult formation. To better understand this pivotal stage we studied the cocoon-spinning behavior of P. xylostella and measured three successive phases by video-recording, namely the selection of a pupation site, spinning a loose cocoon and padding the scaffold cocoon. Subsequently, we cloned three fibroin genes related to cocoon production, i.e., fibroin light chain (Fib-L), fibroin heavy chain (Fib-H), and glycoprotein P25. A spatio-temporal study of these three fibroin genes confirmed a high expression in the silk glands during the final larval instar silk-producing stage. In parallel, we did an exogenous treatment of the insect molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), and this suppressed fibroin gene expression, reduced the normal time needed for cocoon spinning, and we also observed a looser cocoon structure under the scanning electron microscope. Hence, we demonstrated that the expression levels of key genes related to the synthesis of 20E [the three Halloween genes Spook (Spo), Shadow (Sad), and Shade (Shd)] decreased significantly during spinning, the expression of the 20E receptor (EcR and USP) was significantly lower during spinning than before spinning, and that the expression levels of CYP18-A1 related to 20E degradation were significantly up-regulated during spinning. The significance of the cocoon and the effects of 20E on the cocoon-spinning behavior of P. xylostella are discussed.

Behavioural patterns and functional responses of a generalist predator revealed using automated video tracking.

BACKGROUND: Tracking predator-prey interactions using automated image recording systems provides insights into novel patterns and mechanisms of predator-prey dynamics, thus these systems have the potential to evaluate biological control agents effectively. Using an automated video tracking system, we aimed to quantify the behavioural patterns of a generalist predator Harmonia axyridis in response to changing prey density. The effect of intraspecific interactions on foraging efficiency was evaluated. In addition, functional response parameters were compared between the observations and model predictions. RESULTS: The associated behavioural component of prey consumption by H. axyridis was modified by prey density, especially for dual predator trials. Both individual and paired H. axyridis exhibited type II functional responses and a consistent cycle of behaviour. Interestingly, intra-specific interference did not affect overall prey consumption. Divergence between estimated and calculated functional response parameters was observed, which might due to the difficulty of separating foraging and non-foraging activity. CONCLUSIONS: Interference interactions between H. axyridis conspecifics might alter their foraging patterns; however, the outcome of prey consumption was not affected by this behaviour. In conclusion, automated video tracking systems may be used to expose the detailed foraging behaviour of predators and could be used to evaluate a wide range of natural enemies. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Tripartite interactions of Barley yellow dwarf virus, Sitobion avenae and wheat varieties.

The tripartite interactions in a pathosystem involving wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), the Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), and the BYDV vector aphid Sitobion avenae were studied under field conditions to determine the impact of these interactions on aphid populations, virus pathology and grain yield. Wheat varietal resistance to BYDV and aphids varied among the three wheat varieties studied over two consecutive years. The results demonstrated that (1) aphid peak number (APN) in the aphid + BYDV (viruliferous aphid) treatment was greater and occurred earlier than that in the non-viruliferous aphid treatment. The APN and the area under the curve of population dynamics (AUC) on a S. avenae-resistant variety 98-10-30 was significantly lower than on two aphid-susceptible varieties Tam200(13)G and Xiaoyan6. (2) The production of alatae (PA) was greater on the variety 98-10-30 than on the other varieties, and PA was greater in the aphid + BYDV treatment on 98-10-30 than in the non-viruliferous aphid treatment, but this trend was reversed on Tam200(13)G and Xiaoyan6. (3) The BYDV disease incidence (DIC) on the variety 98-10-30 was greater than that on the other two varieties in 2012, and the disease index (DID) on Tam200(13)G was lower than on the other varieties in the aphid + BYDV and BYDV treatments in 2012, but not in 2011 when aphid vector numbers were generally lower. (4) Yield loss in the aphid + BYDV treatment tended to be greater than that in the aphid or BYDV alone treatments across varieties and years. We suggested that aphid population development and BYDV transmission tend to promote each other under field conditions. The aphids + BYDV treatment caused greater yield reductions than non-viruliferous aphids or virus treatment. Wheat varietal resistance in 98-10-30 affects the aphid dispersal, virus transmission and wheat yield loss though inhibits aphid populations from increasing.

The resistance and correlation analysis to three species of cereal aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on 10 wheat varieties or lines.

Winter wheat resistance is an efficient and environmentally friendly means to controlling aphids. By using principal component analysis and correlation analysis, we evaluated the resistance of 10 winter wheat varieties or lines from three countries to the following three aphid species: Sitobion avenae, Rhopalosiphum padi, and Schizaphis graminum. The data show that Batis was susceptible to Si. avenae and R. padi, but had adverse effect on the development of Sc. graminum; Astron was advantageous to WG and r(m) of Si. avenae and R. padi, but not to Sc. graminum; Amigo was resistant to Sc. graminum and R. padi, but susceptible to Si. avenae; 98-10-35 was resistant to Si. avenae and R. padi, but not to Sc. graminum; 98-10-30 was adverse to growth and fecundity of Si. avenae, but better for Sc. graminum and R. padi; Xiaoyan22 was susceptible to Sc. graminum, but not to R. padi; Ww2730 were resistant to Si. avenae, but susceptible to Sc. graminum; 186tm was susceptible to R. padi, but caused high mortality for Si. avenae and Sc. graminum. Correlation analysis suggests the wheat varieties or lines that were resistant to Si. avenae were always resistant to R. padi, but susceptible to Sc. graminum. However, the overall similarities in resistance classifications were not because of the same phenotypic characters of the wheat varieties or lines. We conclude that the wheat varieties or lines had specific different resistances to the three aphid species, and the resistant traits (antibiosis) can be defined at two or more hierarchical levels. There was even a stronger "trade-off" for the comparison of Si. avenae versus Sc. graminum and R. padi versus Sc. graminum.

Pre-feeding of a glycolipid binding protein LEC-8 from Caenorhabditis elegans revealed enhanced tolerance to Cry1Ac toxin in Helicoverpa armigera.

Crystal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis bind to glycolipids and glycoproteins using two different lectin domains in the toxin protein. Our previous observations suggested that the sequestration of crystal toxin depends on the functional interaction of a toxin lectin with glycolipids. Given the finding that competition of a galectin LEC-8 with Cry5B for binding to glycolipids resulting in reduced Bt toxicity in nematode, it is interesting to explore the role of LEC-8 in insects. Here, we reported that the LEC-8 can also be exploited by insect for their survival when they were fed with Bt toxin food. Bioassay with LEC-8 showed that pre-feeding of Helicoverpa armigera larvae reduced the Cry1Ac susceptibility. Both LEC-8 and Cry1Ac bind to the midgut glycolipid in a similar way. Further ELISA indicated that LEC-8 interacts with glycolipid from insect midgut, thus reduce Cry1Ac binding to glycolipid. This in turn enhances insect tolerance to Cry1Ac toxin. The sugar determinants of LEC-8 were studied by using haemagglutination (HA) and haemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay. It was suggested that the terminal sugar of LEC-8 has multiple sugar binding property.

Relative importance of hypertension compared with hypervolemia for increasing cerebral oxygenation in patients with cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECT: Hypervolemia and hypertension therapy is routinely used for prophylaxis and treatment of symptomatic cerebral vasospasm at many institutions. Nevertheless, there is an ongoing debate about the preferred modality (hypervolemia, hypertension, or both), the degree of therapy (moderate or aggressive), and the risk or benefit of hypervolemia, moderate hypertension, and aggressive hypertension in patients following subarachnoid hemorrhage. METHODS: Monitoring data and patient charts for 45 patients were retrospectively searched to identify periods of hypervolemia, moderate hypertension, or aggressive hypertension. Measurements of central venous pressure, fluid input, urine output, arterial blood pressure, intracranial pressure, and oxygen partial pressure (PO2) in the brain tissue were extracted from periods ranging from 1 hour to 24 hours. For these periods, the change in brain tissue PO2 and the incidence of complications were analyzed. During the 55 periods of moderate hypertension, an increase in brain tissue PO2 was found in 50 cases (90%), with complications occurring in three patients (8%). During the 25 periods of hypervolemia, an increase in brain oxygenation was found during three intervals (12%), with complications occurring in nine patients (53%). During the 10 periods of aggressive hypervolemic hypertension, an increase in brain oxygenation was found during six of the intervals (60%), with complications in five patients (50%). CONCLUSIONS: When hypervolemia treatment is applied as in this study, it may be associated with increased risks. Note, however, that further studies are needed to determine the role of this therapeutic modality in the care of patients with cerebral vasospasm. In poor-grade patients, moderate hypertension (cerebral perfusion pressure 80-120 mm Hg) in a normovolemic, hemodiluted patient is an effective method of improving cerebral oxygenation and is associated with a lower complication rate compared with hypervolemia or aggressive hypertension therapy.