The effects of climate warming on the migratory status of early summer populations of Mythimna separata (Walker) moths: A case-study of enhanced corn damage in central-northern China, 1980-2016.

Mythimna separata (Walker) moths captured in light traps were monitored in Luohe, central-northern China, from 1980 to 2016. Annual average temperature recorded an increase of 0.298°C/10 years in this region in the period. Our results indicate that a rising April and May average temperature and earlier occurrences of days recording the highest day temperature (30°C) caused an advanced peak and increasing proportion of high ovarian development levels of first-generation females in earlier summers. Results using Johnson's formulation of "oogenesis-flight syndrome" indicate that increasing sexual maturity proportion has resulted in more emigrant individuals in the local first-generation moth becoming residents, and then increased individuals rapidly in the local second-generation moth since 2006. Consequences of this action have a boom in corn damage since 2007 in this region. Advanced peak dates of the first and second-generation moth revealed the same response to increasing average monthly temperatures in the monitoring period. Increasing temperatures, the average May temperature exceeds or equal to 22°C, during the early 2000's may represent a physiological threshold for M. separata development. Our results suggest that climate warming may impact M. separata migratory status and cause a problem of crop production in this region.

Proteomic analysis reveals molecular biological details in varioliform gastritis without Helicobacter pylori infection.

AIM: To investigate and elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying varioliform gastritis for early detection, prevention and intervention of gastric cancer. METHODS: A combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry was used to detect the differentially expressed proteins between varioliform gastritis and matched normal mucosa. The selected proteins were confirmed by Western blotting and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in additional samples and the function of some proteins in varioliform gastritis was analyzed by bio-method preliminarily. RESULTS: We identified 21 differentially expressed proteins in varioliform gastritis, and compared them with matched normal mucosa. Eleven proteins were upregulated and ten downregulated in varioliform gastritis when compared with the same proteins in individual-matched normal gastric mucosa. These proteins are related to metabolism, oxidation, cytoskeleton, apoptosis, signal transduction and other aspects of cells. Two novel proteins, thioredoxin domain-containing protein 5 (TXNDC5) upregulated in varioliform gastritis, and neuropolypeptide h3 [phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 1 (PEBP1)] downregulated in varioliform gastritis, were further investigated. Their expressions were validated by Western blotting and RT-PCR in 12 cases of varioliform gastritis which was matched with normal mucosa. The expression level of PEBP1 in varioliform gastritis was significantly lower (P < 0.05) while that of TXNDC5 was significantly higher than that in matched normal gastric mucosa (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There are some changes of protein expression in varioliform gastritis. Downregulation of PEBP1 and upregulation of TXNDC5 are involved in the development of varioliform gastritis.

A recombinant plasmid co-expressing swine ubiquitin and the GP5 encoding-gene of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus induces protective immunity in piglets.

We transfected a recombinant plasmid that co-expressed swine ubiquitin and a codon optimized GP5 encoding-gene of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), designated pCA-U-optiGP5, as well as the plasmid pCA-optiGP5 encoding codon optimized GP5, and the plasmid pCA-GP5 expressing wild-type pGP5 into 293T cells. Expression of GP5 was measured by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) assay and Western blot and found to be considerably higher in response to pCA-U-optiGP5 than the wild-type vector. GP5 protein was rapidly degraded in pCA-U-optiGP5-transfected 293T cells. The proteasome inhibitor, MG-132, however, successfully inhibited degradation. Immunogenicity of the three constructs was examined by measuring GP5-specific antibody production, lymphocyte proliferation, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses, and cytokine secretion in intramuscularly immunized pigs. Three weeks after the last inoculation, all animals were challenged intranasally with 2-ml 10(5)TCID(50)/ml PRRSV CH-1a. DNA immunization with pCA-optiGP5 produced a higher level of GP5-specific antibody than immunization with pCA-GP5, and the humoral response remained undetectable in the pCA-U-optiGP5 group. However, the fusion DNA had a significantly enhanced stimulation index (SI) and induced a stronger Th1 type cellular immune response than the single gene DNA, suggesting that ubiquitin conjugation improved the cellular but not the humoral immune response. Four of six pigs in the pCA-U-optiGP5 group, three of six in the pCA-optiGP5 group, and two of six in the pCA-GP5 group were devoid of visible pathological changes that were present in other vaccinated and control animals after challenge. Viral replication and distribution in the blood and tissues was lower in the pCA-U-optiGP5 vaccinated group than the other groups, suggesting that codon optimization, along with the development of rapidly processed antigen, represents a novel strategy to increase the immune efficacy of DNA vaccines against PRRSV.