Identification and characterization of circadian clock genes in the head transcriptome of Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley.

Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley is the most detrimental pest to litchi and longan in China. Adult eclosion, locomotion, mating and oviposition of C. sinensis usually occur at night, regulated by a circadian rhythm. Nevertheless, our understanding of the linkages between adult circadian rhythms and clock genes remains inadequate. To address this gap, transcriptomic analysis was conducted on female and male heads (including antennae) of C. sinensis using the Illumina HiSeq 6000 platform to identify major circadian clock-related genes. The annotated sequences were analyzed by BLASTx, and candidate clock genes were classified based on conservation, predicted domain architectures, and phylogenetic analysis. The analysis revealed a higher conservation of these genes among the compared moths. Further, the expression profile analysis showed a significant spatiotemporal and circadian rhythmic accumulation of some clock genes during development. The candidate clock genes were predominantly expressed in the head, highlighting their crucial function in circadian rhythm regulation. Moreover, CsinPer, CsinTim1, and CsinCry1 displayed similar dynamic expressions with a peak expression level in the 4th age adults, suggesting their involvement in regulation of courtship and mating behaviors. The CsinPer and CsinTim1 mRNA oscillated strongly with a similar phase, containing a peak expression just before the female mating peak. This work will greatly contribute to understanding the circadian clock system of C. sinensis and provide valuable information for further studies of the molecular mechanisms involved in rhythmicity in fruit-boring pests.

Effect of diflubenzuron on the chitin biosynthesis pathway in Conopomorpha sinensis eggs.

Conopomorpha sinensis is the dominant borer pest of Litchi chinensis (litchi) and Euphoria longan (longan) in China. Control of C. sinensis is difficult because of its cryptic life habit; thus, an effective ovicide could be beneficial. The larvicidal effects of diflubenzuron (DFB) have been documented in many insect pest species. Therefore, DFB might be a useful ovicide to control C. sinensis. However, the detailed mode of action of DFB interference with insect molting and egg hatching is unclear. Thus, we studied alterations in expression of all genes potentially affected by DFB treatment using a transcriptome approach in 2-d-old C. sinensis eggs. Clean reads were assembled to generate 203 455 unigenes and 440 558 transcripts. A total of 4625 differently expressed genes, which included 2670 up-regulated and 1955 down-regulated unigenes, were identified. Chitin binding and chitin metabolic processes were among the most significant enriched pathways according to Gene Ontology analyses. Most of the genes that encode enzymes involved in the chitin biosynthesis pathway were unaffected, whereas genes that presumably encode cuticle proteins were up-regulated. Furthermore, altered expression patterns of 10 genes involved in the chitin biosynthesis pathway of C. sinensis embryos were observed in response to DFB treatment at different time points by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. We also observed abnormal development; there was reduced chitin content and modulated chitin distribution of newly hatched larvae, and altered egg hatching. Our findings illustrate an ovicidal effect of DFB on C. sinensis, and reveal more molecular consequences of DFB treatment on insects.

[Emission Inventory of Anthropogenic VOCs in Jiangmen City].

Anthropogenic VOC emissions are classified into four sources:industrial, mobile, life, and agricultural. An anthropogenic VOC emission inventory in Jiangmen for 2014 was developed using both "top-down" and "bottom-up" emission factor methods, based on statistical survey data. The results showed that the total anthropogenic VOC emissions in Jiangmen were 75.09 kt. VOC emissions from the industrial, mobile, life, and agricultural sources were 41.37, 19.16, 11.07, and 3.50 kt, respectively, which contributed 55.09%, 25.51%, 14.74%, and 4.65% of the total anthropogenic VOC emissions. Motorcycle manufacturing, container manufacturing, coating, printing ink, manufacturing of paint and similar products, printing and packaging printing, plastics and rubber products, artificial leather manufacturing, leather tanning, burning of fossil fuels, manufacturing of basic chemical raw materials, electronics manufacturing, adhesives manufacturing, and furniture manufacturing are key industries in Jiangmen, each of which emit more than 1000 t of VOCs annually. The main emission sources in Pengjiang, Jianghai, and Heshan are industrial, which account for more than 50% of emissions in each of these districts, whereas the main emission sources in Enping and Taishan are agricultural. Districts and county-level cities will be able to achieve better emission reduction by using the local VOC inventory in the formulation of VOC emission reduction policies.

[Effects of volatiles from chestnut on host preference of adult Conogethes punctiferalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)].

Through field survey and the tests of behavioral response, EAG response, and multiple-choice oviposition, this paper studied the effects of volatiles from Nongda No. 1 chestnut (NC) and Heyuan oil chestnut (HC) on the host-selection behavior of adult Conogethes punctiferalis. The field survey in 2004-2008 showed that the moth-eaten rate of NC fruits by adult C. punctiferalis was 16.1%-25.3%, while that of HC fruits was less than 5%. The volatiles from NC fruits and leaves were more attractive to female than to male moths, and the fruit volatiles were more attractive than leaf volatiles. However, the volatiles from HC fruits and leaves were not attractive to both female and male moths. The EAG response showed that female moths had significantly higher response to NC fruit volatiles than to HC's, but male moths had no significant difference in this response. For both NC and HC, the EAG responses of female and male moths to fruit volatiles were higher than those to leaf volatiles. The number of eggs laid by female moths was much greater on NC fruits than on NC leaves and on HC fruits and leaves, but had no significant differences on the latter three.

[Multi-center phase II clinical trial of humanized anti-epidermal factor receptor monoclonal antibody h-R3 combined with radiotherapy for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safty of the humanized anti-epidermal factor receptor monoclonal antibody h-R3 in combination with radiotherapy for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS: Totally, 137 patients from 7 medical center around China were randomly divided into combined therapy group or control group. There was no difference in Karnofsky performance score between two groups. All patients in both groups received radical conventionally fractionated radiotherapy to the total dose of D(T) 70-76 Gy. For the combined therapy group, h-R3 was added at a dose of 100 mg i.v. weekly for 8 weeks started at the beginning of radiotherapy. RESULTS: Of the 137 eligilbe patients, 70 were in the combined therapy group treated by h-R3 plus radiotherapy and 67 in the control group by radiotherapy alone. The intent-to-treat (ITT) population consisted of 130 patients, while the per-protocol (PP) population was composed of 126 patients. The efficacy was assessed respectively at three point of time: the end of treatment, the 5th- and 17th-week after treatment. The complete response (CR) of the combined therapy group was significantly higher than that of the control group in both ITT and PP (ITT: 65.63%, 87.50%, 90.63% versus 27.27%, 42.42%, 51.52%; PP: 67.21%, 90.16%, 93.44% versus 27.69%, 43.08%, 52.31%; P < 0.05, respectively). The most common h-R3-related adverse reactions were fever (4.3%), hypotension (2.9%), nausea (1.4%), dizziness (2.9%) and rash (1.4%), which could be reversible if treated properly. Radiotherapy combined with 100 mg h-R3 i. v. weekly was tolerable and did not aggravate the side effects of radiation. The quality of life in the combined therapy group was comparable to that in the control group. CONCLUSION: This phase 1 multicenter clinical trial shows that h-R3 in combination with radiotherapy is effective and well-tolerated for the treatment of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.