Identification of novel juvenile-hormone signaling activators via high-throughput screening with a chemical library

Juvenile hormone (JH) is an insect-specific hormone that regulates molting and metamorphosis. Hence, JH signaling inhibitors (JHSIs) and activators (JHSAs) can be used as effective insect growth regulators (IGRs) for pest management. In our previous study, we established a high-throughput screening (HTS) system for exploration of novel JHSIs and JHSAs using a Bombyx mori cell line (BmN_JF&AR cells) and succeeded in identifying novel JHSIs from a chemical library. Here, we searched for novel JHSAs using this system. The four-step HTS yielded 10 compounds as candidate JHSAs; some of these compounds showed novel basic structures, whereas the others were composed of a 4-phenoxyphenoxymethyl skeleton, the basic structure of several existing JH analogs (pyriproxyfen and fenoxycarb). Topical application of seven compounds to B. mori larvae significantly prolonged the larval period, suggesting that the identified JHSAs may be promising IGRs targeting the JH signaling pathway.     

桉树不同成熟度叶片营养元素内循环特征

揭示桉树人工林不同成熟度的叶片器官所需营养元素变化以及土壤肥力对其影响,对于桉树营林和科学施肥具有重要的生产指导意义。选取广西隆安县小林镇和田东县思林镇的桉树2代萌芽林作为研究对象,测定两个人工林嫩叶、成熟叶、黄叶的C、N、P、K、B、Ca、Mg以及土壤C、N、P、K、Ca、Mg元素含量,并进行相关分析。结果表明,植物叶片的N、P、K、Mg营养元素转移规律是黄叶向成熟叶和嫩叶转移,但C、Ca、B营养元素则是随着叶片的生长发育逐渐积累,黄叶中含量最高,说明施肥时应关注Ca、B元素的持续和有效供给。两片人工林都表现出类似的规律,说明土壤肥力的差异不影响桉树人工林叶片营养元素的内循环规律。桉树嫩叶营养元素含量及其生态化学计量比学特征具有与成熟叶和黄叶不同的表征,在营养物质研究中应予以足够重视。     

New ways and new hopes for IGR development

Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) represent advanced, bio-rational insecticides. This Special Issue reflects progress in IGR development that has been enabled by insight into the molecular principles of biosynthetic or hormone signaling pathways. The unifying principle is aiming at processes and molecular targets that are unique to arthropods and ideally to narrower insect taxa representing pests or disease vectors. While some strategies of obtaining the desired compounds for chemical intervention rely on rational, structure-based design or computational power, others exploit technologies allowing automated, high-throughput screening of large chemical libraries. All avenues leading to selective and environmentally safe pest control are valid as we face the imminent threat of the declining world insect population.     

针叶樱桃软糖的研制

以针叶樱桃粉为主要原料,通过正交试验确定软糖的最佳配方。结果表明,针叶樱桃软糖的最佳配方为针叶樱桃粉用量5 g,白砂糖用量35 g,麦芽糖浆用量50 g,柠檬酸用量0.6 g,明胶用量9 g,果胶用量0.5 g。在最佳工艺配方条件下,得到的产品糖体饱满、表面光滑细腻、软硬适中,具有针叶樱桃特有的风味。     

11种杀菌剂对马铃薯软腐病的防治效果

由果胶杆菌属细菌Pectobacterium spp.引起的软腐病是世界范围内马铃薯生产上重要的细菌性病害之一。本研究分别采用碟片法和生长速率法探究了11种常用的杀菌剂对胡萝卜果胶杆菌胡萝卜亚种菌株Pcc20181的离体抑菌效果; 采用马铃薯半薯接种法评价了供试杀菌剂对马铃薯软腐病的防控效果。碟片法和生长速率法测定结果均显示:11种供试杀菌剂中72%农用硫酸链霉素SP、0.3%四霉素AS和3%噻霉酮WP离体抑菌效果最好, 抑菌圈直径介于0.13~1.47 cm, EC50介于1.695~44.363 mg/L; 新鲜半薯接种法测定结果表明, 11种供试杀菌剂中有8种对软腐病均有控病效果, 防效为33.33~92.50%。其中, 3%噻霉酮WP对马铃薯软腐病的防效最高为92.50%, 随后依次为72%农用硫酸链霉素SP （89.76%）、20%叶枯唑WP （58.81%）、0.3%四霉素AS （51.60%）。综合评价, 3%噻霉酮WP、20%叶枯唑WP和0.3%四霉素AS对马铃薯软腐病具有较好的防控效果。     

Met基因在黏虫生殖中的功能分析

保幼激素(juvenile hormone, JH)是由咽侧体分泌的倍半萜类化合物,可以调控昆虫的很多生理过程,如发育、变态、生殖等。作为bHLH-PAS(helix-loop-helix-Per-ARNT-Sim)转录因子家族成员之一的methoprene-tolerant (Met)是JH的受体,在JH的信号传导过程中有非常重要的作用。本研究通过实时荧光定量PCR结合RNAi技术测定了沉默Met基因后黏虫Mythimna separata的Vg基因表达、卵巢发育和生殖行为,旨在探究Met基因在黏虫生殖过程中的功能。结果表明当Met基因沉默后,与卵巢发育密切相关的卵黄原蛋白(vitellogenin, Vg)基因表达量下调了50%,从而显著抑制了卵巢发育,并导致产卵显著延迟、产卵历期显著缩短,产卵量显著下降。结果表明Met基因是黏虫生殖发育过程中的关键受体基因,它通过调节后续Vg的表达和沉积,来达到控制卵巢发育,从而调控生殖作用。     

Phenotypic indicators for cultured pearl size improvement in the black‐lipped pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera): towards selection for the recipient growth performance

The black‐lipped pearl oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, is the most important farmed species in French Polynesia and the basis of the most valuable export industry. Mass production of black pearls relies on a surgical operation requiring tissue from a donor pearl oyster to be grafted, together with a nucleus made of shell, into the gonad of a recipient oyster. Improving pearl size through family selection remains one of the main challenges for future aquaculture development. This study analyses the relative contribution of donor and recipient oysters to pearl size. To this end, hatchery‐produced donor oysters of two batches, large and small (based on shell height), were used to supply grafts for recipients, which were then monitored individually for their growth performance by recording shell height, width, and thickness, and total live weight (flesh + shells) every 6 months (four biometric measurement times) over 20 months of culture. Pearls issued from the two batches of donors showed no significant differences in nacre weight or thickness. In contrast, recipient oyster shell height and total weight were increasingly positively correlated with these pearl size parameters over the culture period, becoming significant at 8 months post‐grafting. Potential therefore exists to use shell height and oyster weight as phenotypic indicators for selective breeding of recipient oysters with high growth performance to increase pearl size in P. margaritifera.     

幼龄期压砂地枸杞产量和品质多指标耦合灌溉制度优化

为提高宁夏中部干旱带幼龄期压砂地枸杞灌水效率,保障枸杞产量和品质,进行了3水平灌水定额(300、225 m~3·hm~(-2)和150 m~3·hm~(-2))的田间对比试验,采用综合指标增量最优方法对灌溉制度进行了优化。研究发现:枸杞5月上旬萌芽期耗水以土壤蒸发为主,日耗水量0.6～1.2 mm,6月中旬进入夏果花期耗水量增大,日耗水量2.5～3.7 mm,7月中旬枸杞夏果期耗水量继续增大,达2.4～4.3 mm,7月下旬日耗水量最大,为3.2～4.7 mm,8月中旬耗水量下降,日耗水量3.0～4.2 mm。灌水定额对枸杞产量影响显著(P0.05),灌水定额300 m~3·hm~(-2)时产量最高,为1 402.65 kg·hm~(-2);灌水定额225 m~3·hm~(-2)时枸杞多糖、β-胡萝卜素和黄酮较高,含量分别为4.56%、0.15%和0.41%;灌水定额150 m~3·hm~(-2)时枸杞甜菜碱含量较高,为0.77%。进一步通过综合指标增量最优方法进行优化,结果表明β-胡萝卜素含量最高时得到综合指标增量最大,为-5.4%,总耗水量为450 mm。枸杞夏果花期进入需水关键期,阶段耗水量达70 mm以上,进入6月中旬枸杞需水量增大,旬耗水量达29 mm以上。可见,幼龄期压砂地枸杞产量及品质指标均达到最优的耗水量较难获得,但是在β-胡萝卜素含量最高时可以获得产量和品质多指标耦合的最优耗水量,据此进行灌溉制度优化,可以一定程度上实现幼龄期压砂地枸杞优质高产。     

Riparian defoliation by the invasive green alder sawfly influences terrestrial prey subsidies to salmon streams

Invasive species in riparian forests are unique as their effects can transcend ecosystem boundaries via stream‐riparian linkages. The green alder sawfly (Monsoma pulveratum) is an invasive wasp whose larvae are defoliating riparian thin‐leaf alder (Alnus tenuifolia) stands across southcentral Alaska. To test the hypothesis that riparian defoliation by this invasive sawfly negatively affects the flow of terrestrial prey resources to stream fishes, we sampled terrestrial invertebrates on riparian alder foliage, their subsidies to streams and their consumption by juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Invasive sawflies altered the composition of terrestrial invertebrates on riparian alder foliage and as terrestrial prey subsidies to streams. Community analyses supported these findings revealing that invasive sawflies shifted the community structure of terrestrial invertebrates between seasons and levels of energy flow (riparian foliage, streams and fish). Invasive sawfly biomass peaked mid‐summer, altering the timing and magnitude of terrestrial prey subsidies to streams. Contrary to our hypothesis, invasive sawflies had no effect on the biomass of native taxa on riparian alder foliage, as terrestrial prey subsidies, or in juvenile coho salmon diets. Juvenile coho salmon consumed invasive sawflies when most abundant, but relied more on other prey types selecting against sawflies relative to their availability. Although we did not find effects of invasive sawflies extending to juvenile coho salmon in this study, these results could change as the distribution of invasive sawflies expands or as defoliation intensifies. Nevertheless, riparian defoliation by these invasive sawflies is likely having other ecological effects that merits further investigation.