Integrated Omics Analysis Reveals Key Pathways in Cotton Defense against Mirid Bug (Adelphocoris suturalis Jakovlev) Feeding.

The recent dominance of Adelphocoris suturalis Jakovlev as the primary cotton field pest in Bt-cotton-cultivated areas has generated significant interest in cotton pest control research. This study addresses the limited understanding of cotton defense mechanisms triggered by A. suturalis feeding. Utilizing LC-QTOF-MS, we analyzed cotton metabolomic changes induced by A. suturalis, and identified 496 differential positive ions (374 upregulated, 122 downregulated) across 11 categories, such as terpenoids, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, isoflavones, etc. Subsequent iTRAQ-LC-MS/MS analysis of the cotton proteome revealed 1569 differential proteins enriched in 35 metabolic pathways. Integrated metabolome and proteome analysis highlighted significant upregulation of 17 (89%) proteases in the α-linolenic acid (ALA) metabolism pathway, concomitant with a significant increase in 14 (88%) associated metabolites. Conversely, 19 (73%) proteases in the fructose and mannose biosynthesis pathway were downregulated, with 7 (27%) upregulated proteases corresponding to the downregulation of 8 pathway-associated metabolites. Expression analysis of key regulators in the ALA pathway, including allene oxidase synthase (AOS), phospholipase A (PLA), allene oxidative cyclase (AOC), and 12-oxophytodienoate reductase3 (OPR3), demonstrated significant responses to A. suturalis feeding. Finally, this study pioneers the exploration of molecular mechanisms in the plant-insect relationship, thereby offering insights into potential novel control strategies against this cotton pest.

Effect of Metabolic Changes in Aphis gossypii-Damaged Cotton Plants on Oviposition Preference and Larval Development of Subsequent Helicoverpa armigera.

Aphis gossypii and Helicoverpa armigera are two important agricultural pests in cotton plants. However, whether early colonization of A. gossypii affects subsequent H. armigera is unknown. We implemented ecological experiments to reveal that A. gossypii-damaged cotton plants [Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and non-Bt] had a significant avoidance effect on the oviposition preference of H. armigera adults. However, A. gossypii-damaged cotton plants (non-Bt) increased the weight and pupation rate and reduced the mortality of H. armigera larvae. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses showed that 13 and 9 genes were significantly upregulated to be involved in salicylic acid (SA) and indole acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis, and SA and IAA contents were significantly increased, respectively. However, 15 genes involved in jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis were significantly downregulated as a result of the antagonism of SA and JA. Moreover, there was significant upregulation in multiple genes involved in the biosynthesis of l-histidine, fructose, maltotetraose, melezitose, lecithin, stearidonic acid, and mannitol, in which metabolites were confirmed to promote the growth and development of H. armigera. Our study is a reference for investigating the evolutionary relationships and provides insights into implementing effective insect biocontrol between H. armigera and A. gossypii.

Helicoverpa armigera herbivory negatively impacts Aphis gossypii populations via inducible metabolic changes.

BACKGROUND: Helicoverpa armigera and Aphis gossypii are two important insect species that feed on cotton plants. These insects have distinct abilities to induce plant resistance and tolerate plant toxins, which results in interspecific competition imbalance that may be fatal to the low-tolerance A. gossypii and force these insects to develop avoidance behaviors and subsequently separate from their niche. We implemented ecological experiments to test the effects of H. armigera-induced plant resistance and behavioral avoidance in A. gossypii, and employed transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses to reveal changes in resistance genes and metabolites in plants. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that cotton plants induced by H. armigera cause significant inhibitory and avoidance effects on A. gossypii insect populations. Electrical penetration graph (EPG) analysis showed changes in plant resistance induced by H. armigera leading to a decreased feeding efficiency of A. gossypii. In addition, genes associated with jasmonic acid and ethylene signaling pathways were significantly up-regulated in cotton plants after H. armigera induction, which led to a significant up-regulation of metabolites inducing plant resistance. These observations were corroborated by bioactivity analysis on metabolites, which showed that jasmonic acid, gossypol and tannins have significant inhibitory effects on A. gossypii populations. In contrast, methylparaben is associated with avoidance behaviors on A. gossypii populations. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that the differences in the ability to induce plant resistance and tolerance between two non-predatory insects were lethal to low-tolerance A. gossypii insects, which might be a major factor determining their niche differentiation. This was further demonstrated by screening anti-insect and bio-hormonal metabolites. Our study provides a reference for investigating the evolutionary relationship between non-predatory insects and insights to implement effective insect biocontrol. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Transcriptomic analysis of salivary gland and proteomic analysis of oral secretion in Helicoverpa armigera under cotton plant leaves, gossypol, and tannin stresses.

Gossypol and tannin are involved in important chemical defense processes in cotton plants. In this study, we used transcriptomics and proteomics to explore the changes in salivary gland functional genes and oral secretion (OS) proteins after feeding with artificial diet (containing gossypols and tannins) and cotton plant leaves. We found that dietary cotton plant leaves, gossypols and tannins exerted adverse impacts on the genes that regulated the functions of peptidase, GTPase, glycosyl hydrolases in the salivary glands of the Helicoverpa armigera (H. armigera). However, GST, UGT, hydrolases, and lipase genes were up-regulated to participate in the detoxification and digestive of H. armigera. The oral secretory proteins of H. armigera were significantly inhibited under the stress of gossypol and tannin, such as enzyme activity, but some proteins (such as PZC71358.1) were up-regulated and involved in immune and digestive functions. The combined analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics showed a weak correlation, and the genes and proteins involved were mainly in digestive enzyme activities. Our work clarifies the deleterious physiological impacts of gossypols and tannins on H. armigera and reveals the mechanism by which H. armigera effectively mitigate the phytotoxic effects through detoxification and immune systems.

A novel clinical multidimensional transcriptome signature predicts prognosis in bladder cancer.

A number of studies has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs) and protein coding genes (PCGs) are involved in various pathophysiological processes and can be used as prognostic biomarkers in cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to find a multidimensional transcriptome signature to predict clinical outcomes in bladder cancer. Using Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis and the random survival forest algorithm, we mined the expression profile data of 239 bladder cancer patients derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) public database. A signature comprised of two PCGs (ACADS and C1QTNF9B), two lncRNAs (RP11­60L3.1 and CTD­3195I5.3) and two microRNAs (has­miR­3913­1 and has­miR­891a) with highest accuracy prediction (AUC=0.79 in the training dataset and 0.64 in the test dataset) was selected. The signature had an ability to stratify patients into high­ and low­risk groups with significantly different survival rates (median 16.9 vs. 54.9 months, log­rank test P<0.001) in the training dataset, and its performance was validated for risk stratification in the test dataset (median 18.2 vs. 58.9 months, log­rank test P=0.002). Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that the signature was an independent prognostic factor for patients with bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA). A comparison of tumour node metastasis (TNM) stage and the signature indicated that the signature had better survival prediction power (AUCsignature=0.79/0.64 vs. AUCTNM=0.67/0.60, P<0.05). Functional analyses indicated that these prognostic genes from the signature may be involved in tumourigenesis­related biological processes and pathways. In conclusion, the multidimensional PCG­lncRNA­microRNA signature can be a novel prognostic marker to predict the survival of bladder cancer patients.

Bacillus endozanthoxylicus sp. nov., an endophytic bacterium isolated from Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim leaves.

A Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped, motile bacterium, designated as 1404T, was isolated from leaves of Chinese red pepper (Huajiao) (Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim) collected from Gansu, north-west China. Spores were not observed under a range of conditions. Strain 1404T was observed to grow at 15-45 °C and pH 6.0-10.0 and in presence of 0-5 % (w/v) NaCl concentration. The cell wall of strain 1404T was found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid, and the predominant respiratory quinone was identified as MK-7. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified phospholipid as well as three unidentified polar lipids. The major fatty acids profile of strain 1404T consisted of iso-C15 : 0 (25.6 %), anteiso-C15 : 0 (18.4 %) and iso-C14 : 0 (12.1 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain 1404T was affiliated to the genus Bacillus and was closely related to Bacillusoryzisoli 1DS3-10T, Bacillusbenzoevorans DSM 5391T and Bacilluscirculans DSM 11T with sequence similarity of 98.3, 98.2 and 96.9 %, respectively. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was determined to be 39.4 mol%. DNA-DNA hybridization values indicated that relatedness between strain 1404T and the type strains of closely related species of the genus Bacillus was below 41 %. Therefore, on the basis of the data from the polyphasic taxonomic study presented, strain 1404T represents a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name proposed is Bacillus endozanthoxylicus sp. nov. The type strain is 1404T (=CCTCC AB 2017021T=KCTC 33827T).

RNA Interference in Moths: Mechanisms, Applications, and Progress.

The vast majority of lepidopterans, about 90%, are moths. Some moths, particularly their caterpillars, are major agricultural and forestry pests in many parts of the world. However, some other members of moths, such as the silkworm Bombyx mori, are famous for their economic value. Fire et al. in 1998 initially found that exogenous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) can silence the homolog endogenous mRNA in organisms, which is called RNA interference (RNAi). Soon after, the RNAi technique proved to be very promising not only in gene function determination but also in pest control. However, later studies demonstrate that performing RNAi in moths is not as straightforward as shown in other insect taxa. Nevertheless, since 2007, especially after 2010, an increasing number of reports have been published that describe successful RNAi experiments in different moth species either on gene function analysis or on pest management exploration. So far, more than 100 peer-reviewed papers have reported successful RNAi experiments in moths, covering 10 families and 25 species. By using classic and novel dsRNA delivery methods, these studies effectively silence the expression of various target genes and determine their function in larval development, reproduction, immunology, resistance against chemicals, and other biological processes. In addition, a number of laboratory and field trials have demonstrated that RNAi is also a potential strategy for moth pest management. In this review, therefore, we summarize and discuss the mechanisms and applications of the RNAi technique in moths by focusing on recent progresses.

The Mechanisms of Pharmacological Activities of Ophiocordyceps sinensis Fungi.

The entomopathogenic fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis, formerly known as Cordyceps sinensis, has long been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of many illnesses. In recent years its usage has increased dramatically because of the improvement of people's living standard and the emphasis on health. Such demands have resulted in over-harvesting of this fungus in the wild. Fortunately, scientists have demonstrated that artificially cultured and fermented mycelial products of O. sinensis have similar pharmacological activities to wild O. sinensis. The availability of laboratory cultures will likely to further expand its usage for the treatment of various illnesses. In this review, we summarize recent results on the pharmacological activities of the components of O. sinensis and their putative mechanisms of actions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.