Progress in understanding hormonal regulation during the postembryonic development of Helicoverpa armigera

Lepidoptera, with 0.16 million species, is the second largest order of insecta. This order includes silk worms, butterflies, and many agricultural pests. The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera(Hübner) is one of the pests in Lepidoptera that seriously harms cotton plant and other crops in China and other countries. This pest develops resistance to chemical insecticides rapidly. Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt) transgenic cotton plants are developed to control H. armigera population in the field. However, during the past years, the rapid evolution of Bt toxin resistance is observed in H. armigera in transgenic cotton fields. New approaches for the development of new environmentally friendly insecticides to control H. armigera have become necessary, and the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and physiological processes of this species need to be further understood. Considerable progress in the study of H. armigera development and physiology has been achieved in the last decade. This mini-review summarizes the main findings on the molecular mechanisms of hormonal regulation of the development of H. armigera to present new target genes for developing new approaches to control the pest.     

江苏沿海棉区棉铃虫预测预报方法的改进研究

对江苏沿海棉区棉铃虫的成虫观测方法、查卵方法、发生期和发生量的短期预测方法进行了改进,提出了第5代棉铃虫的测报方法和转Bt基因抗虫棉田间棉铃虫的监测方法,建立了棉铃虫预测预报数据库。     

新疆南部棉区棉铃虫发生趋势及Bt棉花的控制效率

 【目的】新疆南部棉花种植区已发展成为中国棉花产业的重要基地。作为棉花生产的重要影响因素，棉铃虫具有在新疆南部猖獗危害的生物学基础。【方法】本文报道了南疆棉铃虫发生趋势及转Bt基因抗虫棉对棉铃虫控制效率的研究结果。【结果】1993～2004年对麦田一代棉铃虫幼虫数量变化的监测显示，1997年后棉铃虫的发生危害逐年上升，表明南疆粮棉混作区种植制度的改革已导致棉铃虫成为农业生产的重要害虫。2002～2004年对抗虫棉GK19（表达Cry1A杀虫蛋白）、SGK321（表达Cry1A 和 CpTI杀虫蛋白）和对照品种棉铃虫种群动态的研究显示，二代棉铃虫是南疆地区棉花的主要危害代别，抗虫棉花对幼虫的控制效率可达75%以上。在棉铃虫发生中等年份，转基因抗虫棉花可有效地控制棉铃虫的危害。【结论】鉴于棉铃虫的严重危害，南疆地区有必要发展基于Bt棉花的棉花害虫综合防治技术。     

安徽省转Bt基因棉田主要害虫发生动态

连续多年在安徽沿江棉区和淮北棉区对转Bt基因棉田及常规棉田主要害虫和天敌开展系统调查.结果表明,转Bt基因棉田主要害虫及天敌的发生期与常规棉田一致,但发生量和发生程度差异较大,其中靶标害虫棉铃虫的危害显著减轻,红铃虫、棉蚜继续维持轻发态势,斜纹夜蛾、盲蝽象、棉蓟马的危害趋重,棉花叶螨的发生量与常规棉田的差异较小.     

江苏沿海地区转Bt基因棉花的抗虫性及生长发育研究

１９９７～１９９８年以本地常规种植的非抗虫棉品种“苏棉９号”为对照,对国内４个转Ｂｔ基因棉花品种的抗虫性及生长发育进行了研究,结果表明,在棉铃虫中等发生年份,Ｂｔ棉上二、三代棉铃虫可以免治,四代可在幼虫期按防治指标防治１～２次;取食Ｂｔ棉营养器官的棉铃虫幼虫基本不能化蛹完成生活史;Ｂｔ棉对鳞翅目幼虫具有兼抗作用,对刺吸口器类昆虫则无抗虫作用;在不治虫条件下,Ｂｔ棉可比常规棉增产１１．３１％～１３．３７％,虫卵量减少５１．０２％～６３．２７％;两类棉田捕食性天敌种群动态无差异;所有品种治虫处理的产量均显著高于不治虫处理;Ｂｔ棉的生长发育状况优于常规棉。     

Yield effects of genetically modified crops in developing countries

Onfarm field trials carried out with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton in different states of India show that the technology substantially reduces pest damage and increases yields. The yield gains are much higher than what has been reported for other countries where genetically modified crops were used mostly to replace and enhance chemical pest control. In many developing countries, small-scale farmers especially suffer big pest-related yield losses because of technical and economic constraints. Pest-resistant genetically modified crops can contribute to increased yields and agricultural growth in those situations, as the case of Bt cotton in India demonstrates.     

Response dynamics of three defense related enzymes in cotton leaves to the interactive stress of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) herbivory and omethoate application

In order to explore the response dynamics of the activities of defense related enzymes in cotton leaves towards the interactive stress of Helicoverpa armigera herbivory and omethoate application, the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), lipoxygenase (LOX), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were examined from 6 to 126 h after cotton leaves were treated 12 h of H. armigera herbivory, and then sprayed with 800 mg L–1 omethoate. The results showed that the changes in the activities of PAL, LOX and PPO that occured under the interactive stress of H. armigera herbivory and omethoate application reflected the interactive effects of the two stresses on cotton defense. The similarity between the response dynamics of PAL, LOX, and PPO activities in cotton leaves under the interactive stress and that under H. armigera herbivory treatment alone showed that the induction of H. armigera herbivory on the activities of PAL, LOX and PPO in cotton leaves played a leading role in the interactive effects, and the effect of omethoate application played only a minor role. A joint factor analysis was performed according to a method which has been used to analyze the joint toxicity of pesticides; this analysis sought to clarify if there was a synergistic, antagonistic, or additive effect on PAL, LOX, and PPO activity in cotton leaves resulting from the interactive H. armigera herbivory and omethoate treatment. In the interactive effect on the response of PAL activity in cotton leaves, antagonistic effects of the omethoate application towards H. armigera herbivory were observed at 6 and 12 h. Synergistic effects were then observed at 18 and 30 h. Antagonistic effects were observed from 54 to 78 h and synergistic effects were finally observed at 126 h. The correlation between H. armigera herbivory and omethoate application in the interactive effect on cotton defense responses of LOX activity also fluctuated from synergism to antagonism during the time course. In the interactive effect on PPO activity, only antagonism was observed between H. armigera herbivory and omethoate application. In the interactive stress of H. armigera herbivory and omethoate application on cotton defense responses, omethoate affected the defense responses of cotton to H. armigera herbivory by producing antagonistic and synergistic effects. These results will be useful to understand the relationship between host plant and herbivorous pest.     

南疆棉区转Bt基因棉对棉铃虫抗性表达及对节肢动物的影响

2000－2001年在新疆喀什叶城县研究了转Bt基因棉MD－80不同发育阶段对棉铃虫的抗性表达和棉田节肢动物群落。结果表明：1）转Bt基因棉棉叶对棉铃虫初孵幼虫有2个抗性高峰期5月中下旬和7月底，抗虫性分别为94．5％和83．3％，8月份抗性最低（22．7％），而河南的研究表明8月份正是第2个抗性高峰，抗虫效果高达93．8％；2）7月上旬棉株不同器官抗棉铃虫的强弱依次为：棉苞叶（96．7％），棉蕾（74．2％），花瓣（60％），棉叶（50．2％），棉铃（30％），花蕊（26．8％）；3）转Bt基因棉对不同龄期棉铃虫抗性随着龄期的增大而降低；4）节肢动物群落多样性，均匀度顺序依次为普通棉对照田（不进行任何防治，0.7706和0.1883),Bt棉药防田（使用化学农药防治害虫，0．3968和0．0931），Bt棉自控田（仅依靠自然天敌控制害虫，0．2211和0．0549），优势集中性依次为Bt棉自控田（0．9264），Bt棉药防田（0．8625），普通棉对照田（0．6881），表明普通棉对棉田的节肢动物群落最稳定，Bt棉药防田次之，Bt棉田自控田最差。     

Identification of a gene associated with Bt resistance in Heliothis virescens

Transgenic crops producing insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are widely used for pest control. Bt-resistant insect strains have been studied, but the molecular basis of resistance has remained elusive. Here, we show that disruption of a cadherin-superfamily gene by retrotransposon-mediated insertion was linked to high levels of resistance to the Bt toxin Cry1Ac in the cotton pest Heliothis virescens. Monitoring the early phases of Bt resistance evolution in the field has been viewed as crucial but extremely difficult, especially when resistance is recessive. Our findings enable efficient DNA-based screening for resistant heterozygotes by directly detecting the recessive allele.     

转BT基因抗虫棉田棉铃虫种群数量动态及综合防治研究

1998 - 2 0 0 0年对转BT基因抗虫棉田棉铃虫发生情况进行了系统调查和大田普查 ,表明棉铃虫在转BT基因抗虫棉和非抗虫棉之间落卵量无明显差别 ,但转BT基因抗虫棉田幼虫量显著降低。抗虫棉不同组织器官抗虫性存在明显差异 ,其抗虫性由强到弱的顺序为 :幼叶 >成叶 >蕾 >花 (铃 ) ;抗虫棉对不同代次棉铃虫抗虫性存在差异 ,其抗虫性由强到弱的顺序是 :二代 >三代 >四代。通过对棉铃虫在抗虫棉田和其它寄主田分布调查结果看 ,棉铃虫发生压力仍很大 ,其它寄主田已成为棉田棉铃虫的主要虫源基地。根据不同施药时期防治抗虫棉田棉铃虫试验结果 ,表明防治棉田棉铃虫应在幼虫孵化高峰、即在产卵高峰向后推迟 3- 5d为宜。综合分析 ,提出了转BT基因抗虫棉田棉铃虫防治策略和综合防治措施。     

转Bt基因抗虫棉田昆虫群落结构的研究

不同类型棉田对比调查分析结果可看出 ,非抗虫棉田比转Bt基因抗虫棉田昆虫群落物种数减少 ,两类棉田昆虫群落中 ,棉蚜、棉蓟马、棉叶螨相对多度较大 ,在食叶蛀桃类害虫中 ,以棉铃虫的个体数量占优势 ,美洲斑潜蝇的个体数量在两类棉田中呈明显上升趋势。两类棉田比较分析主要害虫棉铃虫、棉蚜、棉叶螨的类群相对多度 ,转Bt基因抗虫棉田比非抗虫棉田减少 ,而棉蓟马、棉叶蝉、白飞虱、棉盲蝽类群相对多度增大 ,天敌类群相对多度较大。不同类型棉田昆虫群落结构特征分析结果表明 ,由于棉田施用农药多少不同 ,非抗虫棉田比转Bt基因抗虫棉田物种丰富度有不同程度的减少 ,两类棉田害虫优势度和优势种不完全相同 ,昆虫总群落、害虫亚群落和天敌亚群落多样性指数在时间序列上受外界环境条件影响较大 ,总的表现是转Bt基因抗虫棉田昆虫群落变化较规律 ,多样性指数偏高     

一熟转Bt基因棉田昆虫群落研究

以转Ｂｔ基因棉品系Ｒ９３－４ 为试材,常规棉中棉所１２ 为对照,研究了转Ｂｔ基因棉田昆虫群落的变化。结果表明,转基因棉田昆虫群落、害虫和天敌亚群落的种类丰富度、均匀度和优势集中性均高于常规棉,总个体数、害虫的相对丰盛度和多样性指数均低于常规棉;优势害虫种类的变化较大,棉铃虫已不是转基因棉田的优势害虫,棉蚜、红蜘蛛、叶甲类、棉蓟马等已上升为优势害虫;优势捕食性天敌种类无明显变化,仍为龟纹瓢虫和小花蝽。转基因棉田采取综合防治后昆虫群落和害虫亚群落与常规棉相比有较好的稳定性。     

转Bt基因棉对棉田寄生物非亲和效应的研究

采用分期接虫和分期回收的方法，研究常规棉与转基因棉品种棉铃虫寄生性天敌在不同棉花品种间的寄生作用。结果表明：棉铃虫第2～4代发生期以及卵期和幼虫期，转基因棉品种的棉铃虫卵、幼虫寄生率均显著低于常规棉品种。棉铃虫卵期的寄生蜂主要为拟澳洲赤眼蜂(Tricogramma confisum)，幼虫寄生蜂为棉铃虫齿唇姬蜂(Compoletis chlorideae)等。由此可见转基因棉对棉铃虫寄生性天敌存在非亲和效应。通过对转Bt基因棉国抗22及其亲本泗棉3号棉铃虫不同世代间卵、幼虫寄生率的纵向比较，发现同一品种棉花上不同世代间棉铃虫卵寄生率差异不显著，而幼虫寄生率差异显著。     

Effects of soil salinity on rhizosphere soil microbes in transgenic Bt cotton fields

With increased cultivation of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt) cotton in the saline alkaline soil of China, assessments of transgenic crop biosafety have focused on the effects of soil salinity on rhizosphere microbes and Bt protein residues. In 2013 and 2014, investigations were conducted on the rhizosphere microbial biomass, soil enzyme activities and Bt protein contents of the soil under transgenic Bt cotton(variety GK19) and its parental non-transgenic cotton(Simian 3) cultivated at various salinity levels(1.15, 6.00 and 11.46 dS m~(-1)). Under soil salinity stress, trace amounts of Bt proteins were observed in the Bt cotton GK19 rhizosphere soil, although the protein content increased with cotton growth and increased soil salinity levels. The populations of slight halophilic bacteria, phosphate solubilizing bacteria, ammonifying bacteria, nitrifying bacteria and denitrifying bacteria decreased with increased soil salinity in the Bt and non-Bt cotton rhizosphere soil, and the microbial biomass carbon, microbial respiration and soil catalase, urease and alkaline phosphatase activity also decreased. Correlation analyses showed that the increased Bt protein content in the Bt cotton rhizosphere soil may have been caused by the slower decomposition of soil microorganisms, which suggests that salinity was the main factor influencing the relevant activities of the soil microorganisms and indicates that Bt proteins had no clear adverse effects on the soil microorganisms. The results of this study may provide a theoretical basis for risk assessments of genetically modified cotton in saline alkaline soil.     

Effects of Bt transgenic crops on soil ecosystems: a review of a ten-year research in China

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic cotton is the unique Bt transgenic crop planted on a large scale in China, and its commercialized varieties and hectareage had increased rapidly in China during the past decade (1997–2006) with broad geographic distribution for the economic, environmental, and health benefits. In 2004, the planting area of Bt transgenic cotton in China ranked first worldwide with up to 370 × 10⁶ hm². In addition, Bt transgenic rice varieties in field tests have been close to approval for commercialization. However, ecological risks, a complex issue of Bt transgenic crops on soil ecosystem is urgently faced in China due to more than 60 varieties transferred single or bivalent Bt genes grown under diverse geographic regions. Two main pathways, biomass incorporation and root exudates, are involved in the effects of Bt transgenic crops on soil ecosystems. In this paper, the research results in recent years in China involved in the effects of Bt transgenic crops (Bt transgenic cottons and rice) on soil ecosystems were summarized with special attentions paid to the release and persistence of Bt toxins, and the toxicology to microorganisms, as well as the change of soil biochemical properties in soils where Bt transgenic crops were planted or incubated with their biomass. In addition, the complexity and current research defaults of ecological risk evaluation of Bt transgenic crops in China were highlighted.     

转Bt基因棉的抗棉铃虫性及其生理作用研究进展

综述了转Bt基因棉对棉铃虫存活、生长、繁殖及为害行为的影响 ,及其抗虫性的时空动态特征 ;探讨了转Bt基因棉抗棉铃虫的毒理及其中毒生理 ,以及转Bt基因棉的抗性表达及其影响因素 ,提出了一些尚待进一步深入研究的问题     

转Bt基因抗虫棉棉铃虫防治技术研究

１９９５～１９９７年就转Ｂｔ基因抗虫棉对棉铃虫的抗性及棉铃虫的防治技术进行了研究。结果表明，抗虫棉对棉铃虫具有很强的内在抗性，对初孵幼虫致死率达９０％以上，对幼虫的生长发育影响严重，其毒力随幼虫龄期的增大而降低。在棉铃虫大发生年份，对二、三代棉铃虫不进行药剂防治则显著减产。初步提出抗虫棉的棉铃虫防治策略为：二代以保棉株生长点为主，三代要重点防治以保蕾铃。其防治指标是：二代棉铃虫百株累计卵量２００～３００粒，三代百株累计卵量８０～１２０粒。     

转Bt基因棉对昆虫群落结构与组成的影响

运用群落生态学的原理和方法,基因了转Ｂｔ基因棉田昆虫群落的结构与组成。结果表明,转Ｂｔ基因棉田物种数低于常规棉田,个体总数和害虫的相对丰盛度高于常规棉田;害虫优势种类发生了较大变化,棉铃虫不再是转基因棉田的主要害虫,而红蜘蛛、棉蚜、棉蓟马等刺吸性害虫则上升为主要害虫,捕食性天敌优势种无明显变化,仍为龟纹瓢虫,寄生性天敌优势种由侧沟茧蜂、齿唇姬蜂演潜为棉蚜茧蜂。     

The impact of Bt cotton adoption on the stability of pesticide use

Even though the impact of Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt) cotton on pesticide use has been well documented,all previous studies focus on the mean value of pesticide use. Using seven unique waves of panel data collected between 1999 and 2012 in China,we show that Bt cotton adoption has not only caused a reduction of the mean value of pesticide use,but also a reduction of the standard deviation of pesticide use. We conclude that Bt technology adoption has also contributed to the stability of pesticide use in cotton production. We believe that this contribution is theoretically and practically relevant because of the long length of our unique dataset.     

A meta-analysis of effects of Bt cotton and maize on nontarget invertebrates

Although scores of experiments have examined the ecological consequences of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops, debates continue regarding the nontarget impacts of this technology. Quantitative reviews of existing studies are crucial for better gauging risks and improving future risk assessments. To encourage evidence-based risk analyses, we constructed a searchable database for nontarget effects of Bt crops. A meta-analysis of 42 field experiments indicates that nontarget invertebrates are generally more abundant in Bt cotton and Bt maize fields than in nontransgenic fields managed with insecticides. However, in comparison with insecticide-free control fields, certain nontarget taxa are less abundant in Bt fields.