Silencing NlFAR7 destroyed the pore canals and related structures of the brown planthopper.

Fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) is one of the key enzymes, which catalyses the conversion of fatty acyl-CoA to the corresponding alcohols. Among the FAR family members in the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens), NlFAR7 plays a pivotal role in both the synthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons and the waterproofing of the cuticle. However, the precise mechanism by which NlFAR7 influences the formation of the cuticle structure in N. lugens remains unclear. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impact of NlFAR7 through RNA interference, transmission electron microscope, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and lipidomics analysis. FIB-SEM is employed to reconstruct the three-dimensional (3D) architecture of the pore canals and related cuticle structures in N. lugens subjected to dsNlFAR7 and dsGFP treatments, enabling a comprehensive assessment of changes in the cuticle structures. The results reveal a reduction in the thickness of the cuticle and disruptions in the spiral structure of pore canals, accompanied by widened base and middle diameters. Furthermore, the lipidomics comparison analysis between dsNlFAR7- and dsGFP-treated N. lugens demonstrated that there were 25 metabolites involved in cuticular lipid layer synthesis, including 7 triacylglycerols (TGs), 5 phosphatidylcholines (PCs), 3 phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) and 2 diacylglycerols (DGs) decreased, and 4 triacylglycerols (TGs) and 4 PEs increased. In conclusion, silencing NlFAR7 disrupts the synthesis of overall lipids and destroys the cuticular pore canals and related structures, thereby disrupting the secretion of cuticular lipids, thus affecting the cuticular waterproofing of N. lugens. These findings give significant attention with reference to further biochemical researches on the substrate specificity of FAR protein, and the molecular regulation mechanisms during N. lugens life cycle.

The MoLfa1 Protein Regulates Fungal Development and Septin Ring Formation in Magnaporthe oryzae.

Septins play a key regulatory role in cell division, cytokinesis, and cell polar growth of the rice blast fungus (Magnaporthe oryzae). We found that the organization of the septin ring, which is essential for appressorium-mediated infection in M. oryzae, requires long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), which act as mediators of septin organization at membrane interfaces. However, it is unclear how septin ring formation and LCFAs regulate the pathogenicity of the rice blast fungus. In this study, a novel protein was named MoLfa1 because of its role in LCFAs utilization. MoLfa1 affects the utilization of LCFAs, lipid metabolism, and the formation of the septin ring by binding with phosphatidylinositol phosphates (PIPs), thereby participating in the construction of penetration pegs of M. oryzae. In addition, MoLfa1 is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and interacts with the ER-related protein MoMip11 to affect the phosphorylation level of Mps1. (Mps1 is the core protein in the MPS1-MAPK pathway.) In conclusion, MoLfa1 affects conidia morphology, appressorium formation, lipid metabolism, LCFAs utilization, septin ring formation, and the Mps1-MAPK pathway of M. oryzae, influencing pathogenicity.

Transposon-based identification of genes involved in the rimocidin biosynthesis in Streptomyces rimosus M527.

The transposon mutagenesis strategy has been employed to generate random insertion mutants and analyze the correlation between genes and secondary metabolites in the genus Streptomyces. In this study, our primary objective was to identify an unknown gene involved in rimocidin biosynthesis and elucidate its role in rimocidin production in Streptomyces rimosus M527. To achieve this, we established a random mutant library of S. rimosus M527 using a Tn5 transposon-mediated random mutagenesis strategy. Among the 137 isolated mutants, M527-G10 and M527-W5 exhibited the most significant variations in antagonistic activity against the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum. Specifically, M527-G10 displayed a 72.93% reduction, while M527-W5 showed a 49.8% increase in rimocidin production compared to the wild-type (WT) strain S. rimosus M527. Subsequently, we employed a plasmid rescue strategy to identify the insertion loci of the transposon in the genomes of mutants M527-G10 and M527-W5, revealing a response regulator transcription factor (rrt) and a hypothetical protein (hyp), respectively. The roles of rrt and hyp in rimocidin biosynthesis were determined through gene deletion, overexpression in the WT strain, and complemented expression in the transposon mutants. Notably, the gene-deletion mutants M527-ΔRRT and M527-ΔHYP exhibited similar behavior in rimocidin production compared to the corresponding transposon mutants M527-G10 and M527-W5, suggesting that transposon insertions in genes rrt and hyp led to alterations in rimocidin production. Furthermore, both gene deletion and overexpression of rrt and hyp had no discernible effects on cell growth. These results reveal that genes rrt and hyp have positive and negative impacts on rimocidin production in S. rimosus M527, respectively.

Airborne host-plant manipulation by whiteflies via an inducible blend of plant volatiles.

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is one of the world's most important invasive crop pests, possibly because it manipulates plant defense signaling. Upon infestation by whiteflies, plants mobilize salicylic acid (SA)-dependent defenses, which mainly target pathogens. In contrast, jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent defenses are gradually suppressed in whitefly-infested plants. The down-regulation of JA defenses make plants more susceptible to insects, including whiteflies. Here, we report that this host-plant manipulation extends to neighboring plants via airborne signals. Plants respond to insect attack with the release of a blend of inducible volatiles. Perception of these volatiles by neighboring plants usually primes them to prepare for an imminent attack. Here, however, we show that whitefly-induced tomato plant volatiles prime SA-dependent defenses and suppress JA-dependent defenses, thus rendering neighboring tomato plants more susceptible to whiteflies. Experiments with volatiles from caterpillar-damaged and pathogen-infected plants, as well as with synthetic volatiles, confirm that whiteflies modify the quality of neighboring plants for their offspring via whitefly-inducible plant volatiles.

The gut bacterial flora associated with brown planthopper is affected by host rice varieties.

Gut microbiota plays vital roles in the development, evolution and environmental adaptation of the host insects. The brown planthopper (BPH) is one of the most destructive pests of rice, but little is known about its gut microbiota. In this study, we investigated the gut bacterial communities in two BPH populations feeding on susceptible and resistant rice varieties by high-throughput amplicon sequencing. Our results revealed that the gut bacterial communities in BPH were species diverse. A total of 29 phyla and 367 genera were captured, with Proteobacteria and Acinetobacter being the most prominent phylum and genus, respectively. Comparative analysis showed that significant differences in the profile of gut bacterial communities existed between the two BPH populations. The species richness detected in the population feeding on the resistant rice variety was significantly higher than that in the population rearing on the susceptible rice variety. Although the most dominant gut bacteria at all taxonomic levels showed no significant differences between the two BPH populations, the relative abundances of two subdominant phyla (Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes) and two subdominant classes (Bacteroidia and Clostridia) were significantly different. FAPROTAX analysis further indicated that host rice varieties might induce changes of the gut bacterial flora in BPH, as significant differences in five metabolism-related functional categories (fermentation, methylotrophy, xylanolysis, nitrate reduction and ureolysis) were detected between the two BPH populations. Our results are informative for studies which focused on the interactions between BPH and its symbiotic microbes and could also provide the basis of future BPH biological management.

Complete mitochodrial genome of the crab spider Ebrechtella tricuspidata (Araneae: Thomisidae): A novel tRNA rearrangement and phylogenetic implications for Araneae.

Mitochondrial genomes are widely used for phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses among arthropods, but there is a lack of sufficient mitochondrial genome sequence data for spiders. Herein, we sequenced and characterized the complete mitochondrial genome of a crab spider Ebrechtella tricuspidata (Araneae: Thomisidae). The circular mitochondrial genome is 14,352 bp long, including a standard set of 37 genes and an A + T-rich region. Nucleotide composition is highly biased toward A + T nucleotides (77.3%). A novel gene order rearrangement is detected by a tRNA (trnL1) translocation. Tandem repeats are not identified in the A + T-rich region. Most of the tRNAs are greatly reduced in size and cannot be folded into typical cloverleaf-shaped secondary structures. The phylogenetic analysis confirms that the mitochondrial genome sequences are useful in resolving higher-level relationship of Araneae. Overall, our data present in this study will elevate our knowledge on the architecture and evolution of spider mitochondrial genome.

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of fatty pancreas in Yangzhou, China: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of fatty pancreas in Yangzhou, China. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Initially, 2093 subjects were included in the study. After the exclusion of 865 subjects based on incomplete information, a total of 1228 subjects were selected for further analysis. The subjects were stratified into two groups (the fatty pancreas group and the non-fatty pancreas group) based on the results. Anthropometric and biochemical findings were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Among the 2093 study subjects, 56 (2.7%) had fatty pancreas. Overall, 53 out of 1228 subjects were diagnosed with fatty pancreas and included into the fatty pancreas group. Univariate analysis showed significant differences in age and the prevalence of general obesity, central obesity, alcohol consumption, metabolic syndrome and fatty liver between the two groups (all p < 0.01). The fatty pancreas group had higher levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, serum uric acid, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein, and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein than did the non-fatty pancreas group (all p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (p = 0.007), central obesity (p = 0.002) and fatty liver (p = 0.006) were independent risk factors for fatty pancreas, with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.034 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.009-1.059), 5.364 (95% CI: 1.890-15.227), and 2.666 (95% CI: 1.332-5.338), respectively. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of fatty pancreas in the examined population is approximately 2.7%. Increased age, central obesity and fatty liver disease are independent risk factors for fatty pancreas.

A Cripavirus in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens.

A Cripavirus-like long unique sequence was identified during transcriptome sequencing of the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens. This unique sequence demonstrated high similarity with the whole-genome sequence of cricket paralysis virus, including 5' and 3' untranslated regions; thus we considered it the whole genome of a new virus. We propose that the virus be named Nilaparvata lugens C virus (NlCV). The plus-strand RNA genome spanned 9144 nt, excluding a 3' poly(A) tail with two large ORFs encoding structural and non-structural proteins, respectively. Detection of NlCV in BPH honeydew raised the hypothesis of horizontal transmission of the virus. Honeydew from viruliferous BPHs was used to feed non-viruliferous insects, the results of which indicated that the BPH could acquire NlCV through feeding and that the virus could multiply in the insect body. A tissue-specific distribution test using real-time quantitative PCR demonstrated that NlCV was mainly present in the reproductive organs, and the virus was detected in eggs laid by viruliferous female insects using nested PCR, indicating the possibility of vertical transmission as well. As no significant symptom was detected in the viruliferous BPH, NlCV is considered a new commensal virus of BPH. Interestingly, this virus was also detected in two other hemipteran insects, the white-backed planthopper and the horned gall aphid, indicating that NlCV might be present in many other hemipteran insects and have a wide host range.

The complete mitogenome of a jumping spider Carrhotus xanthogramma (Araneae: Salticidae) and comparative analysis in four salticid mitogenomes.

The complete mitogenome of the jumping spider Carrhotus xanthogramma was determined and comparative analysis among four salticid mitogenomes was conducted. The circular genome is 14,563 bp in size and contains a complete set of genes that usually present in the metazoa. All of the 13 protein-coding genes begin with a typical ATN codon and stop with the canonical stop codons, except for ND4 and ND4L genes with an incomplete stop codon T. All of the tRNAs cannot be formed the fully paired acceptor stems and seven out of them cannot be folded into the typical cloverleaf-shaped secondary structures. The tRNA Glu gene translocates its position as compared to the mitogenomes of other three determined jumping spiders. The A+T content of the majority strand and the A+T-rich region are 75.1 and 80%, respectively. The phylogenetic relationships based on concatenated nucleotide and amino acid sequences of 13 protein-coding genes using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference methods indicated that mitogenome sequences were useful in resolving higher-level relationship of Araneae.

ATP phosphoribosyltransferase from symbiont Entomomyces delphacidicola invovled in histidine biosynthesis of Nilaparvata lugens (Stål).

Histidine is an essential amino acid assumed to be synthesized by an obligatory yeast-like symbiont (Entomomyces delphacidicola str. NLU) in Nilaparvata lugens, an important rice pest. The adenosine-triphosphate phosphoribosyltransferase (ATP-PRTase) facilities the committed first step of the histidine biosynthesis pathway. In the current study, a putative ATP-PRTase was cloned and verified to be of E. delphacidicola origin (EdePRTase). The expression of the gene was spatial and temporal universal with a profile that matched the distribution of the fungal symbiont. RNA interference aided the knockdown of the EdePRTase-suppressed EdePRTase expression by 32-48 %. Hemolymph histidine level was also reduced followed by significant reduction of adult body weight. However, other performance characters including nymph development, survival, and adult sex ratio were not adversely affected by the knockdown. Furthermore, forced histidine exposure (through injection or feeding) significantly inhibited the EdePRTase mRNA levels at higher concentrations, but significantly increased EdePRTase expression levels at lower concentrations (feeding only). The significance of these findings support that the EdePRTase is from symbiont E. delphacidicola, and its involvement in histidine biosynthesis of N. lugens was discussed. The results provide a better understanding of EdePRTase and the encoded functional ATP-PRTase enzyme regulation in N. lugens and insects in general.

Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Diffusion Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Differentiation Between Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Lymphoma at the Primary Site.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the utility of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) for differentiating nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) from lymphoma. METHODS: Intravoxel incoherent motion-based parameters including the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), pure diffusion coefficient (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*), perfusion fraction (f), and fD* (the product of D* and f) were retrospectively compared between 102 patients (82 with NPC, 20 with lymphoma) who received pretreatment IVIM DWI. RESULTS: Compared with lymphoma, NPC exhibited higher ADC, D, D*, fD* values (P < 0.001) and f value (P = 0.047). The optimal cutoff values (area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity, respectively) for distinguishing the 2 tumors were as follows: ADC value of 0.761 × 10 mm/s (0.781, 93.90%, 55.00%); D, 0.66 × 10 mm/s (0.802, 54.88%, 100.00%); D*, 7.89 × 10 mm/s (0.898, 82.93%, 85.00%); f, 0.29 (0.644, 41.46%, 95.00%); and fD*, 1.99 × 10 mm/s (0.960, 85.37%, 100.00%). CONCLUSIONS: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma exhibits different IVIM-based imaging features from lymphoma. Intravoxel incoherent motion DWI is useful for differentiating lymphoma from NPC.

Effects of fungicides on the yeast-like symbiotes and their host, Nilaparvata lugens Stål (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

Yeast-like symbiotes (YLS) are endosymbionts that are closely related to the growth, development and reproduction of their host, the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens Stål (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). In order to understand the relationship between the population of YLS in BPH cells and the survival rate of BPH, eight different fungicides were applied to rice plants infested by BPH, and the number of YLS and mortality of BPH were determined. Three of the fungicides, 27% toyocamycin & tetramycin P & tetrin B & tetramycin A, 0.01% trichodermin, and 75% trifloxystrobin & tebuconazole WG, were found to significantly reduce the number of YLS in BPH, subsequently causing a high mortality of BPH. The three fungicides were each mixed with a commonly used insecticide-imidacloprid, and the fungicide/insecticide mixtures could cause a marked reduction in YLS number in BPH, resulting in a significantly higher mortality of BPH than did the imidacloprid alone. The mixture of 27% toyocamycin & tetramycin P & tetrin B & tetramycin A with imidacloprid showed the best inhibitory effect on BPH population. Our study demonstrated a high dependence of the BPH survival rate on the number of YLS harbored in BPH fat-body cells. It implies that using specific fungicides as an additive to imidacloprid for controlling BPH could be a novel way to enhance the efficacy of insecticide, minimizing the use of imidacloprid in paddy fields.

[Geinsten inhibits the proliferation of VCaP castration-resistant prostate cancer cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the inhibitory effect of genistein (GEN) on the proliferation of VCaP castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells. METHODS: VCaP CRPC cells were treated with GEN at the concentrations of 0, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 µmol/L for 24, 48, and 72 hours followed by determination of their proliferation by CCK-8 assay and their cycle by flow cytometry. The expression of Ki-67 in the cells was detected by immunocytochemistry and the levels of PSA, Cyclin D1, PCNA, and P53 determined by Western blot. RESULTS: After 72 hours of treatment with GEN at 12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 µmol/L, the inhibition rates of the VCaP cells were (25.38±0.02)%, (31.14±0.29)%, (45.27±0.03)%, (52.19±0.05)%, and (68.21±0.19)%, respectively, all significantly higher than in the 0 µmol/L group (ï¼»10.08±0.02ï¼½%)(P<0.05). GEN caused the arrest of the VCaP cells in the G2/M phase (P<0.05) and inhibited the expression of Ki-67. The expressions of PSA, Cyclin D1, and PCNA were gradually down-regulated while that of P53 up-regulated with the increased concentration of GEN (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: GEN inhibits the proliferation of VCaP CRPC cells by arresting the cell cycle with related protein expression changes.

[Effect of echinacoside on replication and antigen expression of hepatitis B virus].

To verify the effect of echinacoside on replication and antigen expression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) by using HBV-transfected HepG2. 2. 15 cells as the in vitro model. The ELISA method was used to determine HBeAg and HBsAg levels in cellular supernatants. The effect of echinacoside on HBV replication was studied by using HBV transgenic mice as the in vivo model. First of all, the HBV DNA level in hepatic tissues was quantified with PCR method. Meanwhile, the serum transaminase levels and hepatic pathological changes were also evaluated. Subsequently, HBV transgenic mice were divided into five groups: the control group, the lamivudine group (50 mg · kg(-1)) and echinacoside high, medium and low dose group (50, 25 and 12.5 mg · kg(-1)). The mice were orally administered with drugs once per day for 30 days. At the 31st day, the mice serum was separated to measure HBsAg, HBeAg and HBV DNA. Additionally, the liver HBV DNA level and histopathological change were detected. The results indicated that echinacoside at 50 and 100 mg · L(-1) suppressed significantly HBsAg and HBeAg expressions on the sixth day, with the maximum inhibition ratios of 42.68% and 46.29%; And echinacoside at 100 mg · L(-1) also showed an inhibitory effect on HBV DNA. Besides, echinacoside at 50 mg · kg(-1) inhibited significantly HBsAg and HBeAg expressions of HBV transgenic mice, with the inhibition ratios of 42.82% and 29.12%, and reduced markedly the serum HBV DNA level in HBV transgenic mice. In conclusion, the study suggested that echinacoside has a strong effect against HBV replication and antigen expression.

Evaluation of hepatocyteprotective and anti-hepatitis B virus properties of Cichoric acid from Cichorium intybus leaves in cell culture.

Hepatitis B is the most common serious liver infection in the world. To date, there is still no complete cure for chronic hepatitis B. Natural caffeic acid analogues possess prominent antiviral activity, especially anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) and anti-human immunodeficiency virus effects. Cichoric acid is a caffeic acid derivative from Cichorium intybus. In the study, the anti-hepatitis B property of cichoric acid was evaluated by the D-galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced normal human HL-7702 hepatocyte injury model, the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV)-infected duck fetal hepatocytes and the HBV-transfected cell line HepG2.2.15 cells, respectively. The results showed that cichoric acid attenuated significantly D-GalN-induced HL-7702 hepatocyte injury at 10-100 µg/mL and produced a maximum protection rate of 56.26%. Moreover, cichoric acid at 1-100 µg/mL inhibited markedly DHBV DNA replication in infected duck fetal hepatocytes. Also, cichoric acid at 10-100 µg/mL reduced significantly the hepatitis B surface and envelope antigen levels in HepG2.2.15 cells and produced the maximum inhibition rates of 79.94% and 76.41%, respectively. Meanwhile, test compound at 50-100 µg/mL inhibited markedly HBV DNA replication. In conclusion, this study verifies the anti-hepatitis B effect of cichoric acid from Cichorium intybus leaves. In addition, cichoric acid could be used to design the antiviral agents.

Death-Associated Protein-1 Plays a Role in the Reproductive Development of Nilaparvata lugens and the Transovarial Transmission of Its Yeast-Like Symbiont.

Death-associated protein-1 (DAP-1) plays a crucial role in cell growth, migration, autophagy, and apoptosis in mammals. However, its function in insects remains unclear. In the present study, we cloned and identified Nilaparvata lugens DAP-1 (NlDAP-1). NlDAP-1 was expressed during all developmental stages and in all tissues of N. lugens, being particularly higher in the ovaries of female adults. RNAi with double-stranded NlDAP-1 RNA significantly inhibited the expression of NlDAP-1, leading to premature death (dying seven days earlier), delayed ovarian development, and fewer offspring (76.7% reduction in eggs with 77.4% reduction in egg hatching rate). Additionally, an immunofluorescence experiment showed that NlDAP-1 was highly expressed when yeast-like symbionts (YLSs) entered N. lugens oocytes, and inhibiting the expression of NlDAP-1 disturbed the process; the RNAi of NlDAP-1 caused a 34.9% reduction in the YLSs that entered oocytes. These results indicate that NlDAP-1 plays a crucial role in the reproductive development of N. lugens and the transovarial transmission of its YLSs.

Establishment of Indirect Competitive Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ic-ELISA) for Copper ion (Cu2+) in Raw Meat Products.

Adding an appropriate amount of copper to feed can promote the growth and development of livestock; however, a large amount of heavy metal copper can accumulate in livestock through the enrichment effect, which poses a serious threat to human health. Traditional Cu2+ detection relies heavily on complex and expensive instruments, such as inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS); thus, convenient and simple rapid detection technologies are urgently needed. In this paper, synthesized copper antigens were used to immunize mice and highly specific anticopper monoclonal antibodies were obtained, which were verified to exhibit high affinity and specificity. Based on the above antibodies, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) was established for the rapid detection of copper content in pork. The standard inhibition curve of the method was obtained by antigen-antibody working concentration screening, in which the half inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 11.888 ng/mL, the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.841 ng/mL and the correlation coefficient R2 of the curve was 0.998. In the additive recovery experiment, the recovery rate ranged from 90% to 110%, and the coefficient of variation (CV) was less than 10%, indicating that the method achieved high accuracy and precision. Finally, the results of ic-ELISA combined with Bland-Altman analysis showed a high correlation with ICP-MS, and the correlation coefficient (R2) reached 0.990 when the copper concentration was less than 200 ng/mL. Thus, the ic-ELISA method exhibits high reliability.

The elicitation effect of pathogenic fungi on trichodermin production by Trichoderma brevicompactum.

The effects of six species of phytopathogenic fungi mycelia as elicitors on trichodermin yield by Trichoderma brevicompactum were investigated. Neither nonviable nor viable mycelia of Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria solani, Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, and Thanatephorus cucumeris demonstrated any elicitation on the accumulation of trichodermin. However, the production of trichodermin was increased by the presence of viable/nonviable Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum mycelia. The strongest elicitation effect was found at the presence of nonviable R. solani. At the presence of nonviable R. solani, the maximum yield of trichodermin (144.55 mg/L) was significantly higher than the Control (67.8 mg/L), and the cultivation time to obtain the maximum yield of trichodermin decreased from 72 h to 60 h. No difference of trichodermin accumulation was observed by changing the concentration of nonviable R. solani from 0.1 to 1.6 g/L. It was observed that the optimum time for adding nonviable R. solani is immediately after inoculation. The diameter of T. brevicompactum mycelial globule after 72 h cultivation with nonviable R. solani elicitor was smaller than that of the Control.

[Karyotype analysis using cells cultured from fetal bladder centesis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of karyotype analysis using cells cultured from fetal bladder centesis samples. METHODS: Samples were derived from fetal bladder centesis for 3 fetuses featuring giant bladder and oligohydramnios. Following in vitro culture, cells were routinely processed and stained for chromosome analysis. RESULTS: For all 3 cases, cell culture has achieved success. Sufficient metaphase cells were obtained for chromosome counting and karyotype analysis. The karyotypes of the 3 fetuses were respectively 46, XY, 46, XX, t(1;5)(q22;q12)[7]/46, XX[4], and 46, XY. CONCLUSION: Cells cultured from fetal bladder centesis may be used for karyotype analysis following in vitro culturing. This new approach can enable prenatal chromosome analysis for fetuses featuring smaller gestational weeks, giant bladder and oligohydramnios.

Post-Mating Responses in Insects Induced by Seminal Fluid Proteins and Octopamine.

Following insect mating, females often exhibit a series of physiological, behavioral, and gene expression changes. These post-mating responses (PMRs) are induced by seminal fluid components other than sperm, which not only form network proteins to assist sperm localization, supplement female-specific protein requirements, and facilitate the formation of specialized functional structures, but also activate neuronal signaling pathways in insects. This review primarily discusses the roles of seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) and octopamine (OA) in various PMRs in insects. It explores the regulatory mechanisms and mediation conditions by which they trigger PMRs, along with the series of gene expression differences they induce. Insect PMRs involve a transition from protein signaling to neuronal signaling, ultimately manifested through neural regulation and gene expression. The intricate signaling network formed as a result significantly influences female behavior and organ function, contributing to both successful reproduction and the outcomes of sexual conflict.