Identification and expression profiles of putative chemosensory protein genes in Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Su Liu,Xiao-Xiao Shi,Qing-Zi Zhu,Wen-Juan Jiao,Zi-Jie Zhu,Hang Yu,Gui-YaoWang,Zengrong Zhu 한국응용곤충학회 2015 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.18 No.1

Insect chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are small, water-soluble proteins which can bind and transport hydrophobic odorants through sensillum lymph to activate odorant receptors, thus play important roles in the olfactory recognition. In the present study, by searching the transcriptome data sets, a total of 22 candidate CSP genes were identified from Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, a serious lepidopteran rice pest in Asia. CSP proteins encoded by these genes showed typical characteristics: an N-terminal signal peptide, four conserved cysteine residues and the pattern of cysteine spacing. The expression profiles of these putative CSP genes were investigated using real-time quantitative PCR. The results showed that five genes (CmedCSP4, CmedCSP8, CmedCSP11, CmedCSP18 and CmedCSP21) were expressed primarily in antennae, suggesting their involvement in olfactory processes; whilst other genes are mainly expressed in non-olfactory tissues, such as abdomen and legs, indicating a broader physiological function for these CSPs. The findings will lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of chemoreception in C. medinalis.

Influence of water-stressed rice on feeding behavior of brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål)

Ye Tan,Mufei Zhu,Wenyan Xu,Wenwu Zhou,Dongdong Lu,Hanwu Shang,Zengrong Zhu 한국응용곤충학회 2017 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.20 No.2

Climate change can impact insects through abnormal weather conditions such as elevated temperatures and droughts. Crops experiencing periods of water stress from droughts may have significant effects on pest populations because of physiology changes, insect behavior and adaptation. Herewe report on the effects ofwater stress on the rice pest, the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål). In themultiple choice test, both the fifth instar nymphs and female adults BPH preferred plants under the low stress level over control and high stress plants. The electrical penetration graph (EPG) showed that the fifth instar nymphs spent more time in non-penetration activities while the female adults spent less. Both the fifth instar nymphs and female adults spent more time in salivation on high stress plants than in control and low stress plants indicating difficulties in feeding. In addition there was marked increase in probe numbers made by both the fifth instar nymphs and the female adults in the feeding duration. The fifth instar nymphs made twice as many numbers of probes than those in the control (9.36 vs to 5.25 min) while the female adults made about 4 times more probes (13.13 vs 3.00 min). Both the fifth instar nymphs and the female adults producedmore honeydewon the lowstress plants suggesting that plants in low water stress favored insect feeding. These findings indicate that BPH in low water stress rice plants seem to do better which supports the theory that drought induces pest outbreaks.

RNA sequencing reveals lncRNA-mediated non-mendelian inheritance of feather growth change in chickens

Qiu Mohan,Yu Chunlin,Zhu Shiliang,Liu Siyang,Peng Han,Xiong Xia,Chen Jialei,Jiang Xiaosong,Du Huarui,Li Qingyun,Zhang Zengrong,Yang Chaowu 한국유전학회 2022 Genes & Genomics Vol.44 No.11

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an essential role in biological processes. However, the expression patterns of lncRNAs that regulate the non-Mendelian inheritance feather phenotypes remain unknown. Objective: This study aimed to compare the expression profiles of lncRNAs in the follicles of the late-feathering cocks (LC) and late-feathering hens (LH) that followed genetic rules and the early-feathering hen (EH) and early-feathering cock (EC) that did not conform to the genetic laws. Methods: We performed RNA sequencing and investigated the differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) between the early- and late-feathering chickens, which function by cis-acting or participate in the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. Results: A total of 53 upregulated and 43 downregulated lncRNAs were identified in EC vs. LC, and 58 upregulated and 109 downregulated lncRNAs were identified in EH vs. LH. The target mRNAs regulated by lncRNAs in cis were enriched in the pentose phosphate pathway, TGF-β signaling pathway and Jak-STAT signaling pathway in EC vs. LC and were associated with the TGF-β signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway and Jak-STAT signaling pathway in EH vs. LH. In addition, the lncRNA-mediated ceRNA regulatory pathways of hair follicle formation were mainly enriched in the TGF-β signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, melanogenesis, and calcium signaling pathways. The levels of ENSGALG00000047626 were significantly higher in the late-feathering chickens than in the early-feathering chickens, which regulated the expression of SSTR2 by gga-miR-1649-5p. Conclusion: This study provides a novel molecular mechanism of lncRNA's response to the feather rate that does not conform to the genetic laws in chickens.

A comparative study on population development patterns of Sogatella furcifera between tropical and subtropical areas

Yang Hu,Jia-An CHENG,Zengrong Zhu,Kong Luen Heong,Qiang Fu,Jiachun He 한국응용곤충학회 2014 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.17 No.4

The White-backed Planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera (Horváth (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)) has been the most serious pest threatening rice production in Asia since the late 1970s. A series of field experiments using the same research protocol was carried out to compare the effects of main environmental factors on population development of WBPH in tropical (Philippines) and subtropical (China) areas in 2010–2012 and to provide further evidences of ecological mechanisms involved that cause frequent outbreak in subtropical rice. Outcomes showed that WBPH population in subtropical area could be characterized as the higher population growth rates and higher peak densities. The average growth rate (116.60 ± 46.16) in subtropical area was significantly higher than that in tropical area (24.02± 11.25). The higher realized fecundity in subtropical area indicated that the higher growth rates and higher peak densities were mainly related to the poor natural regulating forces in subtropical area. Our results showed that resistant variety could significantly reduce the peak density in subtropical areas, but not in tropical areas. We inferred that the reason for not detecting the effect of resistant variety in tropical area was due to the dominant controlling effects provided by natural enemies,which means that the natural regulating effect in tropical areawas strong enough to disguise the effects of resistant variety. The significant interactions between plant resistance and location demonstrated that integration of natural enemies and use of plant resistance could play important roles for reducing outbreak frequency of WBPH effectively in subtropical rice.

Identification and expression profiling of putative chemosensory protein genes in two rice planthoppers, Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén) and Sogatella furcifera (Horváth)

Wenwu Zhou,Xin Yuan,Ping Qian,Jiaan Cheng,Chuanxi Zhang,Geoff Gurr,Zengrong Zhu 한국응용곤충학회 2015 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.18 No.4

Chemosensory proteins (CSP) afford insects the ability to recognize complicated environmental cues and are involved in diverse physiological processes. The planthoppers Laodelphax striatellus and Sogatella furcifera are serious specialist pests of rice throughout eastern Asia. In this study, we identified 21 putative CSP genes (namely LsCSP1–12 and SfCSP1–9) in the two planthoppers L. striatellus and S. furcifera, and profiled their transcript accumulation in different developmental stages and body parts by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). All CSPs had the characteristic typical features of the CSP family, with the exception of LsCSP10 and SfCSP2, which lacked the predicted signal peptide sequence. Among these putative CSP genes, only two (LsCSP9 and SfCSP5)weremore highly expressed in the antennae, indicating that they might be involved in olfaction. On the contrary, eleven genes (LsCSP2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12; SfCSP1, 4, 6, 7, 8) and one gene (SfCSP9) were more highly expressed in the legs and heads (without antennae), respectively. The remainders of the genes were ubiquitously expressed in the heads (without antennae) and the bodies (without the legs and heads). The broad expression patterns in different body parts indicate that the CSPs of these two delphacid species may be involved in diverse functions besides chemosensation. These findings increase the understanding of the chemosensory protein system of Hemiptera species.