An OBP gene highly expressed in non-chemosensory tissues affects the phototaxis and reproduction of Spodoptera frugiperda.

Insect odorant binding proteins (OBPs) were initially regarded as carriers of the odorants involved in chemosensation. However, it had been observed that a growing number of OBP genes exhibited broad expression patterns beyond chemosensory tissues. Here, an OBP gene (OBP31) was found to be highly expressed in the larval ventral nerve cord, adult brain and male reproductive organ of Spodoptera frugiperda. An OBP31 knockout strain (OBP31-/- ) was generated by CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis. For OBP31-/- , the larvae needed longer time to pupate, but there was no difference in the pupal weight between OBP31-/- and wild type (WT). OBP31-/- larvae showed stronger phototaxis than the WT larvae, indicating the importance of OBP31 in light perception. For mating rhythm of adults, OBP31-/- moths displayed an earlier second mating peak. In the cross-pairing of OBP31-/- and WT moths, the mating duration was longer, and hatchability was lower in OBP31-/- group and OBP31+/- ♂ group than that in the WT group. These results suggested that OBP31 played a vital role in larval light perception and male reproductive process and could provide valuable insights into understanding the biological functions of OBPs that were not specific in chemosensory tissues.

Plasticity of the Gene Transcriptional Level and Microbiota in the Gut Contributes to the Adaptability of the Fall Armyworm to Rice Plants.

Insects coordinate a variety of mechanisms to overcome the feeding challenges, including gene transcriptional plasticity and stable symbioses in the gut. Here, Spodoptera frugiperda larvae were reared on corn and rice plants for successive generations to obtain two specific strains. The rice strain displayed a longer developmental period, lower female fecundity, and intrinsic growth rate at G1 and G5 but not at G10. KEGG analysis of the G1, G5, and G11 gut transcriptome indicated that detoxification enzymes might play vital roles in host adaptation. RNAi-mediated knockdown of CYP12A2 and UGT41B8, which were highly expressed in the gut of the rice strain, significantly reduced the larval adaptability to rice. Besides, the dsCYP12A2-treated larvae displayed an increased sensitivity to luteolin, a flavonoid phytochemical. The KEGG function prediction of gut microbiota indicated that the high enrichment level of metabolism in the rice strain would play essential roles in rice adaptation.

Pattern Recognition Analysis of Metabolites in Escherichia coli Based on ESI-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry.

To achieve rapid detection of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli strains, a pattern recognition method based on electrospray ionization Orbitrap mass spectrometry (ESI-Orbitrap MS) was used for the analysis of drug-resistant, and sensitive strains of metabolites were analyzed. Results of five clustering methods applied to analytical data of metabolites were evaluated using iso-phenotypic coefficients. The effectiveness of three methods, principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), was compared. Univariate statistics such as t-test and fold change were also used to examine the screened differential information. Both PLS-DA and OPLS-DA could achieve rapid identification of strain classes, and OPLS-DA was more powerful in screening 96 significantly different ions. This work is expected to be useful for rapid and accurate identification of strains.

EcR/USP-1-mediated ecdysteroid signaling regulates wolf spider (Pardosa pseudoannulata) development and reproduction.

Lycosidae females demonstrate meticulous maternal care of offspring by carrying egg sacs and juvenile spiderlings during the reproductive stage. Nuclear receptors (NRs), especially the ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle (USP), have attracted considerable attention in the regulation of arthropod development and reproduction due to their pivotal roles in ecdysteroid signaling cascades. In the present study, 23 NRs, including one EcR and two USPs, were identified in the genome of the predatory wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata. RNA interference (RNAi) targeting EcR and USP-1 inhibited spiderling development and resulted in non-viable eggs in the egg sacs. EcR and USP-1 responded to changes in ecdysteroid levels, and interference in ecdysteroid biosynthesis led to similar phenotypes as dsEcR and dsUSP-1 treatments. These findings suggest that EcR/USP-1-mediated ecdysteroid signaling regulates P. pseudoannulata development and reproduction. The P. pseudoannulata females with suppressed ecdysteroid signaling proactively consumed their non-viable egg sacs, resulting in a 7.19 d shorter first reproductive cycle than the controls. Termination of the failed reproductive cycle enabled the spiders to produce a new egg sac more rapidly. This reproductive strategy may partially rescue the reduction in population growth due to non-viable eggs and compensate for the physiological expenditure of wasted maternal care, which would be beneficial for the conservation of P. pseudoannulata populations and their natural control of insect pests.

Rapid Identification of Polypeptide from Carbapenem-Resistant and Susceptible Escherichia coli via Orbitrap-MS and Pattern Recognition Analyses.

A rapid and accurate analytical method was established to identify CREC and CSEC. Orbitrap-MS was used to detect the polypeptide of CREC and CSEC strains, and MS data were analyzed by pattern recognition analyses such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). HCA based on the farthest distance method could well distinguish the two types of E. coli, and the cophenetic correlation coefficient of the farthest distance method was 0.901. Comparing the results of PCA, PLS-DA, and OPLS-DA, OPLS-DA exhibited the highest accuracy in predicting the CREC and CSEC strains. A total of 26 compounds were identified, and six of the compounds were the highly significant difference between the two types of strains. MS combined with pattern recognition can achieve a more comprehensive and efficient statistical analysis of complex biological samples.

[Trend Changes in Ozone Pollution and Sensitivity Analysis of Ozone in Henan Province].

Based on air quality station data and satellite remote sensing data, the interannual variation characteristics and seasonal variation trends of near-surface ozone (O3) in Henan province were studied, and the variation in O3 sensitivity was analyzed. The results showed that the O3 concentration near the surface of Henan province increased first and then decreased from 2015 to 2020. The highest O3 concentration was found in 2018, and the annual mean of the maximum daily 8 h moving mean (MDA8) of O3 was 110.70 µg·m-3. The difference in MDA8 values among different stations gradually decreased. From 2015 to 2020, the average monthly MDA8 in Henan province showed an upward trend, with a growth rate of 2.46 µg·(m3·a)-1. According to the MK trend test, except for in Luohe, Nanyang, and Pingdingshan, the rising trend in other cities was significant (P<0.05). The concentration of MDA8 in the four seasons also showed an increasing trend during the 6 years as follows:autumn (19.31%)>winter (17.09%)>spring (16.82%)>summer (7.24%). From 2015 to 2019, the high value of tropospheric NO2 was concentrated in the northwest of Henan province, and the concentration showed a decreasing trend with a decreasing rate of 0.34×1015 molecules·(cm2·a)-1, whereas the tropospheric HCHO showed a slow rising trend with an annual growth rate of 0.19×1015 molecules·(cm2·a)-1, with a higher concentration in the northern urban area. The O3 sensitivity control area from 2015 to 2019 showed that most of the eastern part of Henan province belonged to the VOCs limited category.

[Dynamic Process of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Export and Loss Load in an Intensive Orchard with Ridge and Furrow Plantation in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area].

To comprehend the runoff load of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and the impact on the receiving river in an agricultural area with an intensive orchard plantation and a longitudinal ridge and furrow morphology in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, the runoff and N and P concentrations were dynamically monitored in a typical citrus orchard catchment in Wanzhou Country, Chongqing, China. The results showed that the nutrient concentration in runoff water from the intensive citrus planting catchment was very high. The average annual event mean concentrations (EMC) were 9.31 mg·L-1 for total nitrogen (TN), 8.11 mg·L-1 for dissolved nitrogen (DN), 5.66 mg·L-1 for nitrate nitrogen (NN), 0.51 mg·L-1 for ammonium nitrogen (AN), 0.87 mg·L-1 for total phosphorus, 0.56 mg·L-1 for solved phosphorus (DP), and 0.32 mg·L-1 for particulate phosphorus (DP). In addition, the annual loss loads were 13.43, 12.20, 8.77, 0.75, 1.26, 0.84, and 0.42 kg·(hm2·a)-1 for TN, DN, NN, AN, TP, DP, and PP, respectively. The annual average concentrations of TN and TP were 8.49 mg·L-1 and 0.87 mg·L-1, respectively, which exceeded the category V values of the surface water quality standards (GB3838-2002) by 4.25 times and 2.2 times, respectively, and also exceeded the internationally recognized thresholds for the eutrophication of waterbodies. The TN and TP loss load from storm runoff was one of the main reasons for the degradation of the river water quality, thus suggesting the need to treat surface runoff and control runoff nutrient losses, especially during the first storm events after fertilization. During two typical long-duration springtime rainfall events after fertilization, the loads of nitrate nitrogen (NN) and dissolved phosphorus (DP) were 4.94 kg·hm-2 and 0.28 kg·hm-2, respectively, which accounted for 92.90% and 64.69% of the total annual TN and TP loss loads, respectively. The loads of NN and DP in a short-duration high-intensity rainfall event were 0.52 and 0.05 kg·hm-2 respectively, which accounted for 65.92% and 74.88% of the total annual TN and TP loss loads, respectively. The DN and DP were the main forms of nitrogen and phosphorus losses from the intensive citrus orchard with a longitudinal ridge and furrow morphology. Meanwhile, the catchment showed a significant first-flush phenomenon during a typical rainfall event, with a total of 58.0%, 57.0%, 58.5%, 79.0%, 62.0%, 63.5%, and 60.0% of the mass of TN, DN, NN, AN, TP, DP, and PP in the initial 20% of the runoff, respectively. Hence, controlling the surface runoff at the early runoff stage plays an important role in reducing nutrient losses.

The regeneration of Acer rubrum L. "October Glory" through embryonic callus.

BACKGROUND: Tissue culture and rapid propagation technology is an important way to solve the difficulties of plant propagation. This experiment aims to explore the appropriate conditions at each stage of the red maple's tissue culture process and to obtain plantlets, thus providing a theoretical basis for the establishment of the red maple's tissue culture system. RESULTS: The results showed that the stem segment is the most suitable explant for inducing embryogenic callus. The MS (Murashige&Skoog) + 0.8 mg/L TDZ (Thidiazuron) + 1.0 mg/L 6-BA (6-Benzylaminopurine) + 0.5 mg/L IAA(Indole-3-acetic acid) + 35 g/L sucrose+ 7.5 g/L semi-fixed medium was the best for callus formation. When selecting type VI callus as embryonic callus induction material, MS + 0.6 mg/L TDZ + 0.5 mg/L 6-BA + 2.0 mg/L IAA + 35 g/L sucrose+ 7.5 g/L semi-fixed medium can get embryonic callus. The optimal medium for adventitious bud induction is MS + 1.0 mg/L TDZ + 3.0 mg/L 6-BA+ 0.2 mg/L NAA (1-Naphthaleneacetic acid) + 1.2 mg/L IAA + 35 g/L sucrose+ 7.5 g/L semi-fixed medium. The induction rate of adventitious roots in MS + 0.6 mg/L TDZ + 1.0 mg/L 6-BA+ 3 mg/L NAA + 35 g/L sucrose+ 7.5 g/L semi-fixed medium was the highest, reaching 76%. CONCLUSIONS: In the course of our research, we found that PGRs play an important role in the callus induction stage, and the effect of TDZ is particularly obvious; The callus cells grow and proliferate according to the "S" growth curve, and can be sub-cultured when the highest growth point is reached to maintain the rapid proliferation of the callus cells and to avoid inactivation of callus caused by tight niche.

[Analysis of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in 159 German migraine patients].

Data mining method was adopted to collect 159 cases of German migraine patients who live in the TCM-Klinik Bad Kötzting Hospital from January 2013 to March 2015. The general case information was divided into age, gender, profession, characteristics of headache, degree of headache, accompanied symptoms and tongue pulse, and included in corresponding databases. Initial data was standardized and cleaned to get a data form suitable for analysis. SPSS system software was adopted to make a frequency statistics analysis for such variables as gender, age, profession, headache characteristic and accompanied symptoms. The results showed that German migraine cases feature a universality of age, long disease cycle and easy recurrence; And most of the patients were mental workers. There were two common clinical TCM symptoms, namely hyperactivity of liver Yang type and Qi deficiency & phlegm dampness. The common symptoms are forehead tingling, recurrent headache, vomiting and nausea, dark tongue, thin and white fur tongue, wiry pulse and slippery pulse. The disease is related to the pathology of stagnation of Qi, phlegm and blood stasis in liver, spleen, kidney and stomach.

Chinese herbal formula Tongluo Jiunao injection protects against cerebral ischemia by activating neurotrophin 3/tropomyosin-related kinase C pathway.

The Chinese herbal formula Tongluo Jiunao, containing the active components Panax notoginseng and Gardenia jasminoides, has recently been patented and is in use clinically. It is known to be neuroprotective in cerebral ischemia, but the underlying pathway remains poorly understood. In the present study, we established a rat model of cerebral ischemia by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery, and administered Tongluo Jiunao, a positive control (Xuesai Tong, containing Panax notoginseng) or saline intraperitoneally to investigate the pathway involved in the action of Tongluo Jiunao injection. 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining showed that the cerebral infarct area was significantly smaller in model rats that received Tongluo Jiunao than in those that received saline. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed significantly greater expression of neurotrophin 3 and growth-associated protein 43 in ischemic cerebral tissue, and serum levels of neurotrophin 3, in the Tongluo Jiunao group than in the saline group. The reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining showed that after treatment with Tongluo Jiunao or Xuesai Tong, tropomyosin-related kinase C gene expression and immunoreactivity were significantly elevated compared with saline, with the greatest expression observed after Tongluo Jiunao treatment. These findings suggest that Tongluo Jiunao injection exerts a neuroprotective effect in rats with cerebral ischemia by activating the neurotrophin 3/tropomyosin-related kinase C pathway.