The Phosphoserine Phosphatase Alters the Free Amino Acid Compositions and Fecundity in Cyrtorhinus lividipennis Reuter.

The mirid bug Cyrtorhinus lividipennis (Reuter) is an important predator that consumes eggs and young nymphs of the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens as a primary food source and thus becomes an important member of the rice ecosystem. We identified and characterized the ClPSP gene in C. lividipennis encoding the phosphoserine phosphatase enzyme. The ClPSP has an open reading frame (ORF) of 957 bp encoding a protein with a length of 294bp and it possesses a haloacid dehalogenase-like (HAD) hydrolase, phosphoserine phosphatase, eukaryotic-like (HAD_PSP_eu) conserved domain. Furthermore, the in silico analysis of the ClPSP gene unveiled its distinct characteristics and it serves as a key player in the modulation of amino acids. The ClPSP showed expression in all developmental stages, with higher expression observed in the ovary and fat body. Silencing the ClPSP by RNA interference (RNAi) significantly decreased PSP enzyme activity and expression compared to dsGFP at two days after emergence (2DAE). The dsPSP treatment altered free hemolymph amino acid compositions, resulting in a significant reduction of serine (Ser) and Arginine (Arg) proportions and a significant increase of Threonine (Thr), Cystine (Cys), and Tyrosine (Tyr) in the C. lividipennis female at 2 DAE. Additionally, a hindered total protein concentration in the ovary and fat body, and reduced vitellogenin (Vg) expression, body weight, and number of laid eggs, were also observed. The same treatment also prolonged the preoviposition period and hindered ovarian development. Our data, for the first time, demonstrated the influential role of the PSP gene in modulating the fecundity of C. lividipennis and provide a platform for future insect pest control programs using the PSP gene in modulating fecundity.

The superoxide dismutase (SOD) genes family mediates the response of Nilaparvata lugens to jinggangmycin and sugar.

Introduction: Brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens Stål (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), is a major rice pest causing significant damage to rice throughout the world. Intensive pesticide usage often causes resistance in these seasonal pests, mainly through the modulation of antioxidant machinery. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene family is known for regulating BPH response to pesticides. Methods: In the present study, we identified eight NlSOD genes from the NCBI using the BLASTP program. The bioinformatics analysis includes a phylogenetic tree, conserved domain, motifs, gene ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathways, and protein-protein interaction, highlighting the distinctive functional elements of NlSOD genes. Results and discussion: Additionally, the NlSOD genes showed expression in all developmental stages of BPH. Under three sugars (glucose, sucrose, and trehalose) treatment, the respective upregulation of NlSOD8, NlSOD6, and NlSOD2 was noted. The NlSOD1 induced significantly under jinggamycin (JGM) deduced its potential as a key regulator of BPH response to the pesticide. Our study has provided detailed knowledge of the NlSOD gene family in-silico analysis and the defensive response to insecticide and high sugar of BPH. We hope the results of this research will help to shed light on the resistance of BPH towards insecticide toxicity and high sugar and help to control it more efficiently.

The Homeodomain-Leucine Zipper Genes Family Regulates the Jinggangmycin Mediated Immune Response of Oryza sativa to Nilaparvata lugens, and Laodelphax striatellus.

The homeodomain-leucine zipper (HDZIP) is an important transcription factor family, instrumental not only in growth but in finetuning plant responses to environmental adversaries. Despite the plethora of literature available, the role of HDZIP genes under chewing and sucking insects remains elusive. Herein, we identified 40 OsHDZIP genes from the rice genome database. The evolutionary relationship, gene structure, conserved motifs, and chemical properties highlight the key aspects of OsHDZIP genes in rice. The OsHDZIP family is divided into a further four subfamilies (i.e., HDZIP I, HDZIP II, HDZIP III, and HDZIP IV). Moreover, the protein-protein interaction and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that OsHDZIP genes regulate plant growth and response to various environmental stimuli. Various microRNA (miRNA) families targeted HDZIP III subfamily genes. The microarray data analysis showed that OsHDZIP was expressed in almost all tested tissues. Additionally, the differential expression patterns of the OsHDZIP genes were found under salinity stress and hormonal treatments, whereas under brown planthopper (BPH), striped stem borer (SSB), and rice leaf folder (RLF), only OsHDZIP3, OsHDZIP4, OsHDZIP40, OsHDZIP10, and OsHDZIP20 displayed expression. The qRT-PCR analysis further validated the expression of OsHDZIP20, OsHDZIP40, and OsHDZIP10 under BPH, small brown planthopper (SBPH) infestations, and jinggangmycin (JGM) spraying applications. Our results provide detailed knowledge of the OsHDZIP gene family resistance in rice plants and will facilitate the development of stress-resilient cultivars, particularly against chewing and sucking insect pests.

Effects of individualized administration of folic acid on prothrombotic state and vascular endothelial function with H-type hypertension: A double-blinded, randomized clinical cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension and hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) have long been associated with adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health outcomes. This study evaluated the effect of individualized administration of folic acid (FA) on homocysteine (Hcy) levels, prothrombotic state, and blood pressure (BP) in patients with H-type hypertension (combination of HHcy and hypertension). METHODS: In this double-blinded, randomized clinical cohort study, 126 patients with H-type hypertension who were treated at our hospital were randomly divided into treatment and control groups (n = 55 each). The control group was treated with oral levamlodipine besylate tablets 2.5 mg and placebo, once a day (in the morning). The treatment group was first treated with oral levamlodipine besylate 2.5 mg and FA tablets 0.8 mg, once a day (in the morning), for 12 weeks. Then, in a second 12-week phase, the FA dose was adjusted using the methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase C677 polymorphism genotype. The levels of Hcy and coagulation factors, prothrombotic state parameters, BP, and adverse drug reactions were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Pretreatment general patient characteristics, including Hcy levels, were similar between the 2 groups (P > .05). BP and prothrombotic status did not differ before and after the first phase of treatment (P > .05). However, Hcy and endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels decreased, while nitric oxide levels increased significantly in the intervention group (P < .05). In the second phase, after 3 months' treatment with an FA dose adjusted according to methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase C677T genotype, the Hcy and ET-1/NO levels were significantly decreased in the intervention group and were lower than those after the first treatment phase and lower than in the control group (P < .01). BP, D-dimer levels, and fibrinogen scores were significantly lower after the second treatment phase (P < .01). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse drug reactions between the 2 groups (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Individualized administration of FA tablets can effectively reduce BP, and Hcy and coagulation factor levels, and significantly improve prothrombotic status in patients with H-type hypertension.