Female semiochemicals stimulate male courtship but dampen female sexual receptivity.

Chemical communication plays a vital role in mate attraction and discrimination among many insect species. Here, we document a unique example of semiochemical parsimony, where four chemicals act as both aphrodisiacs and anti-aphrodisiacs in different contexts in Bactrocera dorsalis. Specifically, we identified four female-specific semiochemicals, ethyl laurate, ethyl myristate, ethyl cis-9-hexadecenoate, and ethyl palmitate, which serve as aphrodisiacs to attract male flies and arouse male courtship. Interestingly, these semiochemicals, when sexually transferred to males during mating, can function as anti-aphrodisiacs, inhibiting the receptivity of subsequent female mates. We further showed that the expression of elongase11, a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of these semiochemicals, is under the control of doublesex, facilitating the exclusive biosynthesis of these four semiochemicals in females and guaranteeing effective chemical communication. The dual roles of these semiochemicals not only ensure the attractiveness of mature females but also provide a simple yet reliable mechanism for female mate discrimination. These findings provide insights into chemical communication in B. dorsalis and add elements for the design of pest control programs.

MiR-526b-3p Inhibits the Resistance of Glioma Cells to Adriamycin by Targeting MAPRE1.

BACKGROUND: Cell resistance is the main reason for the high mortality in glioma. Adriamycin (ADR) is a treatment drug for glioma and often leads to chemoresistance. Previous studies have confirmed that the abnormal expression of microRNA (miRNA) affects the resistance of glioma cells. METHODS: RT-qPCR and western blot were conducted for detecting miR-526b-3p levels and related protein expressions. CCK8 assay, colony formation, flow cytometry, and Transwell were adopted to assess cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis. Moreover, downstream targets of miR-526b-3p were identified through a dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down analysis. RESULTS: Nevertheless, miR-526b-3p functions on glioma cell resistance to ADR are not well characterized. This study demonstrated that miR-526b-3p levels were decreased within glioma cells and further decreased within ADR-resistant glioma cells. Then, miR-526b-3p overexpression repressed glioma cell proliferation and invasion while inducing cell apoptosis. Overexpression of miR-526b-3p within ADR-resistant glioma cells obtained similar results, which suggested miR-526b-3p suppressed glioma cell resistance to ADR. Mechanistically, miR-526b-3p targeted MAPKE1 and negatively regulated MAPKE1 expressions. Restoration of MAPKE1 levels reversed miR-526b-3p effects on the glioma process and resistance to ADR. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that miR-526b-3p acts as a diagnostic marker in glioma development and therapeutic target of the glioma resistance to ADR.