Cuticular Structure Proteomics in the Pea Aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum Reveals New Plant Virus Receptor Candidates at the Tip of Maxillary Stylets.

Aphids are phloem-feeding insects known as major pests in agriculture that are able to transmit hundreds of plant viruses. The majority of these viruses, classified as noncirculative, are retained and transported on the inner surface of the cuticle of the needle-like mouthparts while the aphids move from plant to plant. Identification of receptors of viruses within insect vectors is a key challenge because they are promising targets for alternative control strategies. The acrostyle, an organ discovered earlier within the common food/salivary canal at the tip of aphid maxillary stylets, displays proteins at the cuticle-fluid interface, some of which are receptors of noncirculative viruses. To assess the presence of stylet- and acrostyle-specific proteins and identify putative receptors, we have developed a comprehensive comparative analysis of the proteomes of four cuticular anatomical structures of the pea aphid, stylets, antennae, legs, and wings. In addition, we performed systematic immunolabeling detection of the cuticular proteins identified by mass spectrometry in dissected stylets. We thereby establish the first proteome of stylets of an insect and determine the minimal repertoire of the cuticular proteins composing the acrostyle. Most importantly, we propose a short list of plant virus receptor candidates, among which RR-1 proteins are remarkably predominant. The data are available via ProteomeXchange (PXD016517).

MALDI-MS Profiling to Address Honey Bee Health Status under Bacterial Challenge through Computational Modeling.

Honey bees play a critical role in the maintenance of plant biodiversity and sustainability of food webs. In the past few decades, bees have been subjected to biotic and abiotic threats causing various colony disorders. Therefore, monitoring solutions to help beekeepers to improve bee health are necessary. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) profiling has emerged within this decade as a powerful tool to identify in routine micro-organisms and is currently used in real-time clinical diagnosis. MALDI BeeTyping is developed to monitor significant hemolymph molecular changes in honey bees upon infection with a series of entomopathogenic Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. A Serratia marcescens strain isolated from one naturally infected honey bee collected from the field is also considered. A series of hemolymph molecular mass fingerprints is individually recorded and to the authors' knowledge, the first computational model harboring a predictive score of 97.92% and made of nine molecular signatures that discriminate and classify the honey bees' systemic response to the bacteria is built. Hence, the model is challenged by classifying a training set of hemolymphs and an overall recognition of 91.93% is obtained. Through this work, a novel, time and cost saving high-throughput strategy that addresses honey bee health on an individual scale is introduced.

Comparative Proteomics Studies of Insect Cuticle by Tandem Mass Spectrometry: Application of a Novel Proteomics Approach to the Pea Aphid Cuticular Proteins.

The cuticle is a biological composite material consisting principally of N-acetylglucosamine polymer embedded in cuticular proteins (CPs). CPs have been studied and characterized by mass spectrometry in several cuticular structures and in many arthropods. Such analyses were carried out by protein extraction using SDS followed by electrophoresis, allowing detection and identification of numerous CPs. To build a repertoire of cuticular structures from Bombyx mori, Apis mellifera and Anopheles gambiae the use of SDS and electrophoresis was avoided. Using the combination of hexafluoroisopropanol and of a surfactant compatible with MS, a high number of CPs was identified in An. gambiae wings, legs and antennae, and in the thoracic integument cuticle of Ap. mellifera pupae. The exoskeleton analysis of B. mori larvae allowed to identify 85 CPs from a single larva. Finally, the novel proteomics approach was tested on cuticles left behind after the molt from the fourth instar of Acyrthosiphon pisum. Analysis of these cast cuticles allowed to identify 100 Ac. pisum CPs as authentic cuticle constituents. These correspond to 68% of the total putative CPs previously annotated for this pea aphid. While this paper analyzes only the recovered cuticular proteins, peptides from many other proteins were also detected.

Comparison between OPD-scan results and contrast sensitivity of three intraocular lenses: spheric AcrySof SN60AT, aspheric AcrySof SN60WF and multifocal AcrySof Restor lens / Estudo comparativo da análise de frente de onda e sensibilidade ao contraste entre as lentes intra-oculares multifocal AcrySof Restor SN60D3, monofocal AcrySof SN60WF asférica e a monofocal SN60AT esférica

Purpose: Compare the OPD-scan results and the contrast sensitivity in patients who had implantation of the AcrySof SN60D3 multifocal IOL, the AcrySof SA60AT spheric monofocal IOL and the AcrySof SN60AT aspheric monofocal IOL. Methods: Thirty-two eyes received the multifocal IOL, 32 eyes received the spheric monofocal IOL and 32 eyes received the aspheric monofocal IOL. They were closely paired in age, sex, pre-operative wavefront analysis and contrast sensitivity. All patients was tested with the OPD-scan aberrometer, ETDRS chart at 100 percent and 9% contrasts and contrast sensitivity. Results: Statistically significant differences were detected more total aberration in SN60AT group (KW = 9.42; p=0.009) when compared to SN60D3 group (p=0.016) and SN60WF group (p=0.0047). The SN60AT group (KW = 16.20; p=0.0003) showed with high spherical aberration values compared to the SN60WF (p=0.00046) and SN60D3 (p=0.0014) group. No significant differences were found between groups in far-distance VA measured using ETDRS at 100% and 9% contrast. The SN60D3 group compared to SN60AT group (p=0.016) had low contrast sensitivity (log units) with statistical difference in 6.0 cpd (KW = 7.84; p=0.0199), but no statistical difference between SN60WF and SN60AT group (p=0.91) and SN60WF and SN60D3 group (p=0.051). The SN60D3 group had low contrast sensitivity performed under mesopic conditions (KW = 10.79; p=0,0045) in 6cpd spatial frequency compared to the SN60AT group (p=0.011) and to the SN60WF group (p=0.007) with statistical significant differences. Conclusion: In all analyzed parameters of OPD-scan aberrometry the aspheric and the multifocal IOLs provided less total and spherical aberrations than spheric IOLs. All IOLs provided an excellent high and low contrasts vision, the multifocal IOL was as good as the spheric and aspheric monofocal IOLs.

Objetivo: Comparar a sensibilidade ao contraste e análise de "wavefront" com OPD-scan em pacientes submetidos a cirurgia de facoemulsificação com implantes de lentes intraoculares AcrySof SN60D3 multifocal, AcrySof SN60WF monofocal asférica e AcrySof SA60AT monofocal esférica. Métodos: Trinta e dois olhos com a lente intraocular multifocal, 32 olhos com a lente intraocular monofocal asférica e 32 olhos com a lente intraocular monofocal esférica. A avaliação oftalmológica foi realizada no primeiro, terceiro, sétimo, e nonagésimo dia pós-operatório. Todos os exames foram padronizados, realizada por um único examinador sob condições controladas de luminosidade fotópicas estabelecidas em 85 cd/m², medida por meio de tabelas de ETDRS, sensibilidade ao contraste e análise de aberrometria com OPD-Scan. Resultados: As médias de aberração total foi superior no grupo SN60AT (KW = 9.42; p=0.009) quando comparada com o grupo SN60D3 (p=0.016) e o grupo SN60WF (p=0.0047). O grupo SN60AT (KW = 16.20; p=0.0003) apresentou superioridade nas medias de aberração esférica comparada com o grupo SN60WF (p=0.00046) e o grupo SN60D3 (p=0.0014). Nenhuma diferença significante foi encontrada na acuidade visual para longe com e sem correção óptica com a tabela de ETDRS a 100% e 9% de contraste. O grupo SN60D3 comparada a SN60AT (p=0.016) apresentou baixa sensibilidade ao contraste em condições fotópicas com diferença estatística a 6.0 cpg (KW = 7.84; p=0.0199), mas sem diferença estatística entre os grupos SN60WF e SN60AT (p=0.91) e entre os grupos SN60WF e SN60D3 (p=0.051). O grupo SN60D3 apresentou baixa sensibilidade ao contraste em condições mesópicas (KW = 10.79; p=0,0045) a 6cpg quando comparada com o grupos SN60AT (p=0.011) e SN60WF (p=0.007). Conclusão: As lentes intraoculares multifocais e asféricas apresentaram menos aberração esférica quando comparadas à lente intraocular esférica, além da prevista multifocalidade sem correção para ...