The functional assay identified authentic interactions between CAPA peptides and the CAPA receptor isoforms in Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius).

CAPA neuropeptides regulate the diuresis/ antidiuresis process in insects by activating specific cognate receptor, CAPAr. In this study, we characterized the CAPAr gene (BtabCAPAr) in the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Asia II 1. The two alternatively spliced isoforms of BtabCAPAr gene, BtabCAPAr-1 and BtabCAPAr-2, having six and five exons, respectively, were identified. The BtabCAPAr gene expression was highest in adult whitefly as compared to gene expression in egg, nymphal and pupal stages. Among the three putative CAPA peptides, CAPA-PVK1 and CAPA-PVK2 strongly activated the BtabCAPAr-1 with very low EC50 values of 0.067 nM and 0.053 nM, respectively, in heterologous calcium mobilization assays. None of the peptide activated the alternatively spliced isoform BtabCAPAr-2 that has lost the transmembrane segments 3 and 4. Significant levels of mortality were observed when whiteflies were fed with CAPA-PVK1 at 1.0 µM (50.0%), CAPA-PVK2 at 100.0 nM (43.8%) and CAPA-tryptoPK 1.0 µM (40.0%) at the 96 h after the treatment. This study provides valuable information to design biostable peptides to develop a class of insecticides.

Cytochrome P450 CYP6EM1 Underpins Dinotefuran Resistance in the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci.

Being a destructive pest worldwide, the whitefly Bemisia tabaci has evolved resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides. The third-generation neonicotinoid dinotefuran has commonly been applied to the control of the whitefly, but its underlying mechanism is currently unknown. On the base of our transcriptome data, here we aim to investigate whether the cytochrome P450 CYP6EM1 underlies dinotefuran resistance in the whitefly. Compared to the susceptible strain, the CYP6EM1 gene was found to be highly expressed in both laboratory and field dinotefuran-resistant populations. Upon exposure to dinotefuran, the mRNA levels of CYP6EM1 were increased. These results demonstrate the involvement of this gene in dinotefuran resistance. Loss and gain of functional studies in vivo were conducted through RNAi and transgenic Drosophila melanogaster assays, confirming the role of CYP6EM1 in conferring such resistance. In a metabolism assay in vitro, the CYP6EM1 protein could metabolize 28.11% of dinotefuran with a possible dinotefuran-dm-NNO metabolite via UPLC-QTOF/MS. Docking of dinotefuran to the CYP6EM1 protein showed a good binding affinity, with an energy of less than -6.0 kcal/mol. Overall, these results provide compelling evidence that CYP6EM1 plays a crucial role in the metabolic resistance of B. tabaci to dinotefuran. Our work provides new insights into the mechanism underlying neonicotinoid resistance and applied knowledge that can contribute to sustainable control of a global pest such as whitefly.

A pipeline contributes to efficient identification of salivary proteins in short-headed planthopper, Epeurysa nawaii.

Saliva, an oral secretion primarily originating from salivary glands (SGs), exert critical roles in the ongoing evolutionary interaction between insects and plants. However, identifying insect salivary components poses challenges due to the tiny size of insects, low secretion amounts, and the propensity for degradation after secretion. In this study, we developed a transcriptome-based approach to comprehensively analyze the salivary proteins of the short-headed planthopper, Epeurysa nawaii, a species with unique feeding habits on bamboo. A total of 165 salivary proteins were identified, with 114 secretory genes highly and specifically expressed in SGs. Consistent with most phloem-feeding insects, digestive enzymes, calcium-binding proteins, oxidoreductases, and a few previously reported salivary effectors were ubiquitously distributed in E. nawaii saliva. However, we also identified a substantial portion of salivary proteins exhibiting taxonomy specificity, including 60 E. nawaii-specific and 62 Delphacidae-specific proteins. These taxonomy-restricted proteins potentially play a role in insect adaptation to specific host plants. Our study provides an efficient pipeline for salivary protein identification and serves as a valuable resource for the functional characterization of effectors.

Evaluation of BG, NPR1, and PAL in cotton plants through Virus Induced gene silencing reveals their role in whitefly stress.

Whitefly is one of the most hazardous insect pests that infests a wide range of host plants and causes huge damage to crop worldwide. In order to engineer plants resilient to whitefly stress, it is important to identify and validate the responsive genes by exploring the molecular dynamics of plants under stress conditions. In this study three genes BG, NPR1, and PAL genes have been studied in cotton for elucidating their role in whitefly stress response. Initially, insilico approach was utilized to investigate the domains and phylogeny of BG, NPR1 and PAL genes and found out that these genes showed remarkable resemblance in four cotton species Gossypium hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. arboreum, and G. raimondii. In BG proteins the main functional domain was X8 belonging to glycohydro superfamily, in NPR1 two main functional domains were BTB_POZ at N terminal and NPR1_like_C at C terminal. In PAL functional domain PLN was found which belongs to Lyase class I superfamily. The promoter analysis of these genes displayed enrichment of hormone, stress and stimuli responsive cis elements. Through Virus Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS), these genes were targeted and kept under whitefly infestation. Overall, the whitefly egg and nymph production were observed 60-70% less on gene down regulated plants as compared to control plants. The qPCR-based expression analysis of certain stress-responsive genes showed that in BG down regulated plants the elevated expression of these whitefly responsive genes was detected, in NPR1 down regulated plants JAZ1 and HSP were found up regulated, ERF1 and WRKY40 didn't show significant differential expression, while MAPK6 was slightly down regulated. In PAL down regulated plants ERF1 and JAZ1 showed elevated expression while others didn't show significant alternation. Differential expression in gene down-regulated plants showed that whitefly responsive genes act in a complex inter signaling pathway and their expression impact each other. This study provides valuable insight into the structural and functional analysis of important whitefly responsive genes BG, NPR1, and PAL. The results will pave a path to future development of whitefly resilient crops.

Two horizontally acquired bacterial genes steer the exceptionally efficient and flexible nitrogenous waste cycling in whiteflies.

Nitrogen is an essential element for all life on earth. Nitrogen metabolism, including excretion, is essential for growth, development, and survival of plants and animals alike. Several nitrogen metabolic processes have been described, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. Here, we reveal a unique process of nitrogen metabolism in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, a global pest. We show that it has acquired two bacterial uricolytic enzyme genes, B. tabaci urea carboxylase (BtUCA) and B. tabaci allophanate hydrolase (BtAtzF), through horizontal gene transfer. These genes operate in conjunction to not only coordinate an efficient way of metabolizing nitrogenous waste but also control B. tabaci's exceptionally flexible nitrogen recycling capacity. Its efficient nitrogen processing explains how this important pest can feed on a vast spectrum of plants. This finding provides insight into how the hijacking of microbial genes has allowed whiteflies to develop a highly economic and stable nitrogen metabolism network and offers clues for pest management strategies.

Two Point Mutations in CYP4CE1 Promoter Contributed to the Differential Regulation of CYP4CE1 Expression by FoxO between Susceptible and Nitenpyram-Resistant Nilaparvata lugens.

Four P450s were reported to be important for imidacloprid resistance in Nilaparvata lugens, a major insect pest on rice, which was confirmed in this study in an imidacloprid-resistant strain (ImiR). Here we found that only two (CYP4CE1 and CYP6ER1) from these four P450 genes were overexpressed in a nitenpyram-resistant strain (NitR) when compared to a susceptible strain (SUS). CYP4CE1 RNAi reduced nitenpyram and imidacloprid resistance in NitR and ImiR strains, with a greater reduction in nitenpyram resistance. The transcription factor FoxO mediated nitenpyram resistance in NitR and ImiR strains, but it was not differentially expressed among strains. The potential reason for the differential regulation of FoxO on CYP4CE1 expression was mainly from sequence differences in the CYP4CE1 promoter between susceptible and resistant insects. In six FoxO response elements predicted in the CYP4CE1 promoter, the single-nucleotide polymorphisms were frequently detected in over 50% of NitR and ImiR individuals. The luciferase reporter assays showed that two mutations, -650T/G and -2205T/A in two response elements at the positions of -648 and -2200 bp, mainly contributed to the enhanced regulation on CYP4CE1 expression by FoxO in resistant insects. The frequency was over 69% for both -650T/G and -2205T/A detected in NitR and ImiR individuals but less than 20% in SUS insects. In conclusion, CYP4CE1 overexpression importantly contributed to nitenpyram resistance in N. lugens, and two mutations in the CYP4CE1 promoter of resistant insects led to an enhanced regulation on CYP4CE1 expression by FoxO.

Wing expansion functional analysis of ion transport peptide gene in Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

Ion transport peptide (ITP), a superfamily of arthropod neuropeptides, serves a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes such as diuresis, ecdysis behavior, and wing expansion. However, the molecular characteristics, expression profile, and role of ITP in Sogatella furcifera are poorly understood. To elucidate the characteristics and biological function of ITP in S. furcifera, we employed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and RNA interference (RNAi) methods. The identified SfITP gene encodes 117 amino acids. The expression of SfITP gradually increased followed the formation of 3-day-old of 5th instar nymph, peaking initially at 40 min after eclosion, and reaching another peak 24 h after eclosion, with particularly high expression levels in thorax and wing tissues. Notably, SfITP RNAi in 3rd instar nymphs of S. furcifera significantly inhibited the transcript levels of SfITP, resulting in 55% mortality and 78% wing deformity. These findings suggests that SfITP is involved in the regulation of wing expansion in S. furcifera, providing insights into the regulation of insect wing expansion and contributing to the molecular understanding of this process.

Effectiveness of chitosan nanohydrogel mediated encapsulation of EcR dsRNA against the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Asia-I (Gennedius) (Hemiptera: Aleyordidae).

Bemisia tabaci is a global invasive pest causing substantial loss on several economically important crops and has developed a very high level of resistance to insecticides making current management practices ineffective. Thus, the novel pest management strategy like RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a potential molecular tool in the management of insect pests particularly B. tabaci. The present study investigated RNAi mediated silencing of the Ecdysone Receptor (EcR) gene in B. tabaci Asia-I using biodegradable Chitosan Nanoparticles (CNPs) hydrogel containing EcR dsRNA. The formation of nanohydrogel and dsRNA loading were characterized by gel retardation assay, scanning electron microscopy (SEM); transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared microscopy (FTIR). The stability of CNPs/dsRNA was assessed by exposure to direct sunlight and UV light for different time periods. The CNPs/dsRNA exhibited increased stability over the untreated control and further confirmed by bioassay studies which yielded mortality over 80% and effectively down regulated the expression of the EcR gene as confirmed by qRT-PCR analysis. These investigations provide potential avenues for advancing innovative pest management strategies using biopolymer CNPs hydrogel, which can enhance the efficiency of dsRNA as a safe and targeted solution in the management of whiteflies.

The role of the Bemisia tabaci and Trialeurodes vaporariorum cytochrome-P450 clade CYP6DPx in resistance to nicotine and neonicotinoids.

The alkaloid, nicotine, produced by tobacco and other Solanaceae as an anti-herbivore defence chemical is one of the most toxic natural insecticides in nature. However, some insects, such as the whitefly species, Trialeurodes vaporariorum and Bemisia tabaci show strong tolerance to this allelochemical and can utilise tobacco as a host. Here, we used biological, molecular and functional approaches to investigate the role of cytochrome P450 enzymes in nicotine tolerance in T. vaporariorum and B. tabaci. Insecticide bioassays revealed that feeding on tobacco resulted in strong induced tolerance to nicotine in both species. Transcriptome profiling of both species reared on tobacco and bean hosts revealed profound differences in the transcriptional response these host plants. Interrogation of the expression of P450 genes in the host-adapted lines revealed that P450 genes belonging to the CYP6DP subfamily are strongly upregulated in lines reared on tobacco. Functional characterisation of these P450s revealed that CYP6DP1 and CYP6DP2 of T. vaporariorum and CYP6DP3 of B. tabaci confer resistance to nicotine in vivo. These three genes, in addition to the B. tabaci P450 CYP6DP5, were also found to confer resistance to the neonicotinoid imidacloprid. Our data provide new insight into the molecular basis of nicotine resistance in insects and illustrates how divergence in the evolution of P450 genes in this subfamily in whiteflies may have impacted the extent to which different species can tolerate a potent natural insecticide.

Role of miR-276-3p in the cyantraniliprole resistance mechanism of Bemisia tabaci via CYP6CX3 targeting.

The sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, is an important insect pest that transmits over 200 different plant viruses and causes serious damage to the production of cotton and Solanaceae vegetables. Cyantraniliprole is the first diamide insecticide, showing toxicity against B. tabaci. However, B. tabaci has developed resistance to this insecticide by upregulating the expressions of cytochrome P450 genes such as CYP6CX3, while there is limited information on the regulatory mechanism mediated by miRNA. In the present study, ten miRNAs were predicted to target CYP6CX3, in which miR-276-3p showed an inverse expression pattern with CYP6CX3 in two cyantraniliprole resistant strains and under cyantraniliprole exposure. A luciferase assay demonstrated that miR-276-3p suppressed CYP6CX3 expression by pairing with residues 1445-1453. Overexpression or knockdown of miR-276-3p directly impacted B. tabaci resistance to cyantraniliprole. In addition, exposure to cyantraniliprole led to a significant reduction in the expressions of five genes (drosha, dicer1, dicer2, Ago1, and Ago2A) associated with miRNA biogenesis. Suppressing genes such as drosha, dicer1, and Ago2A reduced the expression of miR-276-3p, increased CYP6CX3 expression, and decreased B. tabaci resistance to cyantraniliprole. These results improve our understanding of the role of miRNAs in P450 regulation and cyantraniliprole resistance in B. tabaci.

Influence of Cry1Ab protein on growth and development of a predatory spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata, from protective perspectives.

The expression of Cry proteins in genetically modified rice varieties safeguards the crop from lepidopteran pests. These proteins have the potential to be transferred through the food chain to arthropods like planthoppers and predatory spiders, triggering defensive responses in these unintended organisms. Hence, we hypothesized that Cry protein might influence the growth and development of spiders by altering protective enzyme activities. The results showed that Cry1Ab protein could accumulate in tissues and subcellular organelles of Pardosa pseudoannulata from Nilaparvata lugens. Cry1Ab protein exposure prolonged the developmental duration in the 5th and 7th instar spiderlings but induced no alterations of other growth indicators, such as body length, median ocular area, and survival rate. In addition, Cry1Ab protein exerted no adverse impacts on several detoxifying enzymes (i.e., superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and acetylcholine esterase) in muscle, midgut, ganglia, and hemolymph at subcellular components (i.e., microsome and cytoplasm). To further explore the effects of Cry1Ab protein on the spiderlings, we performed an integrated transcriptome analysis on spiderlings exposed to Cry1Ab protein. The results showed that Cry1Ab protein might prolong the development duration of P. pseudoannulata via the altered cuticle metabolism (e.g., chitin metabolic process and structural constituent of cuticle). In addition, the gene expression profile associated with detoxifying enzymes and three stress-responsive pathways (JAK/STAT, JNK/SAPK, and Hippo pathways) also displayed no significant alterations under Cry1Ab exposure. Collectively, this integrated analysis generates multidimensional insights to assess the effects of Cry1Ab protein on non-target spiders and demonstrates that Cry1Ab protein exerts no toxicity in P. pseudoannulata.

UV-LASER adjuvant-surfactant-facilitated delivery of mobile dsRNA to tomato plant vasculature and evidence of biological activity by gene knockdown in the potato psyllid.

BACKGROUND: Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) biopesticides are of interest for the abatement of insect vectors of pathogenic bacteria such as 'Candidatus Liberibacter', which infects both its psyllid and plant hosts. Silencing of genes essential for psyllids, or for Liberibacter, is anticipated to lead to mortality or impeded bacterial multiplication. Foliar delivery is preferred for biopesticide application; however, the cuticle impedes dsRNA penetration into the vasculature. Here, conditions were established for wounding tomato leaves using ultraviolet light amplification by stimulated emissions of radiation (UV-LASER) to promote dsRNA penetration into leaves and vasculature. RESULTS: UV-LASER treatment with application of select adjuvants/surfactants resulted in vascular delivery of 100-, 300- and 600-bp dsRNAs that, in general, were correlated with size. The 100-bp dsRNA required no pretreatment, whereas 300- and 600-bp dsRNAs entered the vasculature after UV-LASER treatment only and UV-LASER adjuvant/surfactant treatment, respectively. Of six adjuvant/surfactants evaluated, plant-derived oil combined with an anionic organosilicon compound performed most optimally. Localization of dsRNAs in the tomato vasculature was documented using fluorometry and fluorescence confocal microscopy. The biological activity of in planta-delivered dsRNA (200-250 bp) was determined by feeding third-instar psyllids on tomato leaves post UV-LASER adjuvant/surfactant treatment, with or without psyllid cdc42- and gelsolin dsRNAs. Gene knockdown was quantified by quantitative, real-time polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription (RT-qPCR) amplification. At 10 days post the ingestion-access period, knockdown of cdc42 and gelsolin expression was 61% and 56%, respectively, indicating that the dsRNAs delivered to the tomato vasculature were mobile and biologically active. CONCLUSION: Results indicated that UV-LASER adjuvant/surfactant treatments facilitated the delivery of mobile, biologically active dsRNA molecules to the plant vasculature. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Plasmodesmata-associated Flotillin positively regulates broad-spectrum virus cell-to-cell trafficking.

Viral diseases seriously threaten rice production. Plasmodesmata (PD)-associated proteins are deemed to play a key role in viral infection in host plants. However, few PD-associated proteins have been discovered in rice to afford viral infection. Here, inspired by the infection mechanism in insect vectors, we identified a member of the Flotillin family taking part in the cell-to-cell transport of rice stripe virus (RSV) in rice. Flotillin1 interacted with RSV nucleocapsid protein (NP) and was localized on PD. In flotillin1 knockout mutant rice, which displayed normal growth, RSV intercellular movement was retarded, leading to significantly decreased disease incidence. The PD pore sizes of the mutant rice were smaller than those of the wild type due to more callose deposits, which was closely related to the upregulation of two callose synthase genes. RSV infection stimulated flotillin1 expression and enlarged the PD aperture via RSV NP. In addition, flotillin1 knockout decreased disease incidences of southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) and rice dwarf virus (RDV) in rice. Overall, our study reveals a new PD-associated protein facilitating virus cell-to-cell trafficking and presents the potential of flotillin1 as a target to produce broad-spectrum antiviral rice resources in the future.

Risk of resistance and the metabolic resistance mechanism of Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén) to cyantraniliprole.

Cyantraniliprole is a highly effective diamide insecticide used to control of Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén). This study aimed to assess the insecticide resistance risk of L. striatellus and its metabolic resistance mechanisms. After 25 continuous generations of selection, the resistance of L. striatellus to cyantraniliprole increased by 17.14-fold. The realistic heritability of resistance was 0.0751. After successive rearing for five generations without exposure to insecticides, the resistance ratio for the resistant strain of L. striatellus decreased by 3.47-fold, and the average resistance decline rate per generation was 0.0266. Cyantraniliprole-resistant strains did not exhibit cross-resistance to triflumezopyrim, pymetrozine, flonicamid, sulfoxaflor, dinotefuran, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, nitenpyram, or imidacloprid. Compared to those of the sensitive strain, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th instars, nymphal stage durations, total preoviposition period, and average generation time of the resistant strain were markedly reduced. Furthermore, the activity of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) and carboxylesterase (CarE) were markedly increased. The upregulation of CYP419A1v2 expression was most evident among the P450 genes, with a 6.10-fold increase relative to that in the sensitive strain. The CarE gene LsCarE5 was significantly upregulated by 1.94-fold compared with that in the sensitive strain. With the continuous use of cyantraniliprole, L. striatellus may develop resistance to this insecticide. This resistance may be related to the increase in metabolic enzyme activities regulated by the overexpression of P450 and CarE genes.

Buprofezin affects the molting process by regulating nuclear receptors SfHR3 and SfHR4 in Sogatella furcifera.

Nuclear receptors play a crucial role in various signaling and metabolic pathways, such as insect molting and development. Buprofezin (2-tert-butylimino-3-isopropyl-5-phenyl-perhydro-1, 3, 5-thiadiazin-4-one), a chitin synthesis inhibitor, causes molting deformities and slow death in insects by inhibiting chitin synthesis and interfering with their metabolism. This study investigated whether buprofezin affects insect ecdysteroid signaling pathway. The treatment of buprofezin significantly suppressed the transcription levels of SfHR3 and SfHR4, two nuclear receptor genes, in third-instar nymphs of Sogatella furcifera. Meanwhile, the transcription levels of SfHR3 and SfHR4 in first-day fifth-instar nymphs were induced at 12 h after 20E treatment. In addition, the silencing of SfHR3 and SfHR4 genes in first-day fifth-instar nymphs caused severe developmental delay and molting failure, resulting in a significant reduction of survival rates at 7.36% and 2.99% on the eighth day, respectively. Further analysis showed that the silencing SfHR3 and SfHR4 significantly inhibited the transcription levels of chitin synthesis and degradation-related genes. These results indicate that buprofezin can inhibits chitin synthesis and degradation by suppressing the signal transduction of 20E through SfHR3 and SfHR4, leading to molting failure and death. This study not only expands our understanding of the molecular mechanism of buprofezin in pest control but also lays a foundation for developing new control strategies of RNAi by targeting SfHR3 and SfHR4.

Symbiotic bacteria confer insecticide resistance by metabolizing buprofezin in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål).

Buprofezin, a chitin synthesis inhibitor, is widely used to control several economically important insect crop pests. However, the overuse of buprofezin has led to the evolution of resistance and exposed off-target organisms present in agri-environments to this compound. As many as six different strains of bacteria isolated from these environments have been shown to degrade buprofezin. However, whether insects can acquire these buprofezin-degrading bacteria from soil and enhance their own resistance to buprofezin remains unknown. Here we show that field strains of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, have acquired a symbiotic bacteria, occurring naturally in soil and water, that provides them with resistance to buprofezin. We isolated a symbiotic bacterium, Serratia marcescens (Bup_Serratia), from buprofezin-resistant N. lugens and showed it has the capacity to degrade buprofezin. Buprofezin-susceptible N. lugens inoculated with Bup_Serratia became resistant to buprofezin, while antibiotic-treated N. lugens became susceptible to this insecticide, confirming the important role of Bup_Serratia in resistance. Sequencing of the Bup_Serratia genome identified a suite of candidate genes involved in the degradation of buprofezin, that were upregulated upon exposure to buprofezin. Our findings demonstrate that S. marcescens, an opportunistic pathogen of humans, can metabolize the insecticide buprofezin and form a mutualistic relationship with N. lugens to enhance host resistance to buprofezin. These results provide new insight into the mechanisms underlying insecticide resistance and the interactions between bacteria, insects and insecticides in the environment. From an applied perspective they also have implications for the control of highly damaging crop pests.

Four-Chlorophenoxyacetic Acid Treatment Induces the Defense Resistance of Rice to White-Backed Planthopper Sogatella furcifera.

Chemical elicitors can increase plant defense against herbivorous insects and pathogens. The use of synthetic chemical elicitors is likely to be an alternative to traditional pesticides for crop pest control. However, only a few synthetic chemicals are reported to protect plants by regulating signaling pathways, increasing the levels of defense metabolites and interfering with insect feeding. Here, we found that the exogenous application of a phenoxycarboxylic compound, 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA), can induce chemical defenses to protect rice plants from white-backed planthoppers (WBPH, Sogatella furcifera). Four-CPA was rapidly taken up by plant roots and degraded to 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). Four-CPA treatment modulated the activity of peroxidase (POD) and directly induced the deposition of lignin-like polymers using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as the electron acceptor. The polymers, which are thought to prevent the planthopper's stylet from reaching the phloem, were broken down by WBPH nymphs. Meanwhile, 4-CPA increased the levels of flavonoids and phenolamines (PAs). The increased flavonoids and PAs, together with the degradation product of the polymers, avoided nymphal feeding and prolonged the nymphal period for 1 day. These results indicate that 4-CPA has the potential to be used as a chemical elicitor to protect rice from planthoppers. Moreover, these findings also open a pathway for molecule structure design of phenoxycarboxylic compounds as chemical elicitors.

Knockdown of double-stranded RNases (dsRNases) enhances oral RNA interference (RNAi) in the corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis.

The leafhopper Dalbulus maidis is a harmful pest that causes severe damage to corn crops. Conventional chemical pesticides have negative environmental impacts, emphasizing the need for alternative solutions. RNA interference (RNAi) is a more specific and environmentally friendly method for controlling pests and reducing the negative impacts of current pest management practices. Previous studies have shown that orally administered double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is less effective than injection protocols in silencing genes. This study focuses on identifying and understanding the role of double-stranded ribonucleases (dsRNases) in limiting the efficiency of oral RNAi in D. maidis. Three dsRNases were identified and characterized, with Dmai-dsRNase-2 being highly expressed in the midgut and salivary glands. An ex vivo degradation assay revealed significant nuclease activity, resulting in high instability of dsRNA when exposed to tissue homogenates. Silencing Dmai-dsRNase-2 improved the insects' response to the dsRNA targeting the gene of interest, providing evidence of dsRNases involvement in oral RNAi efficiency. Therefore, administering both dsRNase-specific and target gene-specific-dsRNAs simultaneously is a promising approach to increase the efficiency of oral RNAi and should be considered in future control strategies.

The transcription factor CREB3-2 regulated neutral lipase gene expression in ovary of Nilaparvata lugens.

The cyclic AMP-responsive element-binding protein 3 (CREB3) members have unique regulatory roles in cellular lipid metabolism as transcription factors. Two CREB3 proteins in Nilaparvata lugens were identified and analyzed. In ovary, when silencing NlCREB3-2, triacylglycerol (TAG) content dramatically increased but glycerol and free fatty acid (FFA) significantly decreased, which implicated that NlCREB3-2 was involved in the lipase-related TAG metabolism. In N. lugens, five neutral lipases with complete features for TAG hydrolytic activity and high expression in ovary were focused. Among them, the expression levels of three neutral lipase genes were significantly down-regulated by NlCREB3-2 RNAi. The direct regulation of NlCREB3-2 towards the three neutral lipase genes was evidenced by the dual-luciferase reporter assay. After jointly silencing three neutral lipase genes, TAG and glycerol contents displayed similar changes as NlCREB3-2 RNAi. The study proved that NlCREB3-2 participated in TAG metabolism in ovary via the direct activation towards the ovary-specific neutral lipase genes.

Over-expression of UDP-glycosyltransferase UGT353G2 confers resistance to neonicotinoids in whitefly (Bemisia tabaci).

The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, comes up high metabolic resistance to most neonicotinoids in long-term evolution, which is the key problem of pest control. UGT glycosyltransferase, as a secondary detoxification enzyme, plays an indispensable role in detoxification metabolism. In this study, UGT inhibitors, 5-nitrouracil and sulfinpyrazone, dramatically augmented the toxic damage of neonicotinoids to B. tabaci. A UGT named UGT353G2 was identified in whitefly, which was notably up-regulated in resistant strain (3.92 folds), and could be induced by most neonicotinoids. Additionally, the using of RNA interference (RNAi) suppresses UGT353G2 substantially increased sensitivity to neonicotinoids in resistant strain. Our results support that UGT353G2 may be involved in the neonicotinoids resistance of whitefly. These findings will help further verify the functional role of UGTs in neonicotinoid resistance.