昆虫抗菌蛋白基因转录调控研究的新进展

在自然或人为创伤和感染情况下,昆虫能迅速产生各种类型的抗菌因子,例如天蚕素(cecropin),果蝇抗菌蛋白(diptericin),天蚕抗菌蛋白(attacin)和防御素(defensin)等.这些活性多肽和蛋白从其被合成的脂肪体和某些血细胞中,分泌到血淋巴参与虫体对入侵物的免疫反应.抗菌多肽和蛋白的诱导、表达及其协同作用于外源微生物,构成昆虫先天性防卫免疫系统中极为重要的环节.近年的研究表明,昆虫的这种防卫免疫系统与哺乳动物急性期反应是相关的,特别是在有关基因表达的协调控制方面具有许多共同的基本特征.     

马尾松林天敌昆虫群落对马尾松毛虫控制作用的研究

本文通过对马尾松林松毛虫天敌昆虫群落优势种的选择及功能表述、用典型相关分析选择关键林分因子进行林地分类,研究了表示天敌昆虫群落对松毛虫控制作用的途径。结果表明,用天敌昆虫群落功能指标选择的重要林分因子为郁闭度、灌木层高度及盖度、草木层高度及总盖度。用这些林分因子可以把常灾区林地划分为4种类型,且这4类林地在天敌昆虫群落多样性、种数、个体数及松毛虫密度上都存在明显差异。最后分别建立了4类林地松毛虫密度变化率与多样性等功能指标及郁闭度等林分因子间的回归模型,回归相关性进一步表明用林分因子代替天敌昆虫的作用是合适的,这样代替的结果克服了生产应用时数据调查的困难,增加了实用性。     

外源甜菜碱对低温胁迫下香蕉内源甜菜碱合成的影响

以巴西香蕉(MusaAAA Giant Cavendish cv.Brazil)幼苗为试验材料,用不同浓度外源甜菜碱(BT)预处理香蕉幼苗后,置于人工气候箱中模拟低温(7℃)胁迫,分别测定香蕉叶片和根系内源甜菜碱的含量和甜菜碱合成关键酶甜菜碱醛脱氢酶(BADH)活性,以探讨外源甜菜碱对香蕉叶片和根系内源甜菜碱合成的影响.结果显示:7℃低温胁迫16 h后,10 mg/L外源甜菜碱即可极显著提高香蕉幼苗叶片BADH活性,叶片内源BT含量也同步极显著增加,低温胁迫24h后根系内源甜菜碱的含量虽显著高于常温对照,其BADH活性却无显著提升.同时,香蕉幼苗叶片内源BT含量的积累与叶片BADH活性的提高具有显著正相关关系,与根系内源BT含量的增加呈极显著正相关关系,与外源BT浓度无显著相关性.研究表明,外源甜菜碱可促进低温胁迫下香蕉内源甜菜碱的合成和积累,叶片和根系均具有合成内源BT的能力.     

抗寒类蛋白与冷驯化诱发昆虫耐寒性研究进展

昆虫是变温动物,温度对其生长发育、基本行为及进化途径都会产生很大的影响,种群的繁衍面临如何安全度过漫长而寒冷的冬季的挑战。通过长时间的进化,昆虫获得一系列完整的耐寒策略。绝大多数的昆虫都是耐寒昆虫,在陆地寒冷温度刺激下,昆虫受抗寒基因的调控,体内产生大量抗寒物质,如海藻糖、甘油、山梨醇、抗冻蛋白、热激蛋白等,提高昆虫的耐寒能力,使其得以在低温寒冷的条件下成功越冬。同样,经过冷驯化后的昆虫能显著提高昆虫的耐寒力。近年来,关于昆虫耐寒性、抗寒类蛋白的研究不断开展,研究内容涉及昆虫的耐寒性、抗寒基因HSPs和AFPs的调控、冷驯化诱导抗寒等方面。本文综述了昆虫耐寒性、主要耐寒策略及冷驯化诱发昆虫耐寒性增强等研究内容。有助于全面认识昆虫耐寒性及其作用机制,为天敌昆虫低温储存和提高生物防治等应用打下坚实的基础。     

昆虫对极端高低温胁迫的响应研究

温度是影响昆虫地理分布和扩散的重要因素之一,温度胁迫耐受性研究是昆虫生态学研究的热点之一.温度胁迫是指生物对正常生存温度之外的温度反应,包括低温胁迫和高温胁迫,它是预测害虫发生分布区、建立物候学模型、以及引入天敌的重要依据,根据昆虫温度胁迫耐受性的分化模式可预测种群的起源、分布和动态规律.本文概述了温度胁迫下昆虫的生态可塑性反应,分析了高低温交叉胁迫对昆虫抗性的影响,探讨了温度胁迫对昆虫适应性影响的内在机制,并结合国内外研究现状分析了高低温胁迫对烟粉虱Bemisia tabaci的影响,认为应从生理生化和分子生物学水平研究低温胁迫对昆虫耐受性的影响.     

滞育昆虫营养物质的积累、转化与调控

滞育是昆虫度过不良环境的一种生存适应策略,营养物质的利用、积累和转化影响昆虫的滞育。滞育期间,昆虫体内发生一系列生理生化变化,包括脂类、碳水化合物和氨基酸等内源营养物质呈特异性地积累或转化,保障了滞育个体在逆境中存活及滞育解除后发育的能量需求。外源营养物质对昆虫滞育的影响较复杂,其种类、丰度、质量能通过"食料-寄主-天敌"营养关系进行传递,影响昆虫体内营养物质的积累和转化,改变昆虫的耐寒性、滞育率等,制约昆虫的滞育深度、滞育存活率。滞育昆虫营养物质积累、利用机制复杂多样,胰岛素信号通路-叉头转录因子以及激脂激素的调控效应在滞育诱导及营养物质转化中起到了关键的调控作用,但滞育的系统性调控仍需进一步深入研究。     

生态因素对蛾类昆虫交配与生殖的影响

对于两性生殖的昆虫而言,两性交配过程是产生后代及维持种群繁衍的必要环节。然而,昆虫的生殖行为经常受到一系列的内部生理因素和外部生态因素的影响,最终导致昆虫的生殖适合度产生差异。本文以蛾类昆虫为例,通过检索国内外文献,分析比较了气候因素(温度、湿度和光照)、生物因素(寄主植物、天敌和共生菌)和农事活动等生态因素对这类昆虫交配行为和生殖适合度的影响。结果表明,这些因子不但影响该类昆虫的交配行为(包括求偶与交配高峰、交配成功率、交配次数和交配持续时间等),还影响其生殖适合度(如产卵前期、产卵期、产卵量、孵化率和寿命等)。这些研究为深入开展蛾类昆虫的生殖行为生态学研究提供理论基础,同时为揭示蛾类昆虫的种群暴发机制以及该类害虫的科学防控提供线索。     

低温驯化和外源糖对爪哇伪枝藻冷胁迫的影响

低温是影响荒漠藻类生存的重要环境因子.研究了低温驯化和外源糖对爪哇伪枝藻冷胁迫的作用.实验测定了低温和外源糖处理下伪枝藻某些生理活性指标的变化.结果表明,低温胁迫导致伪枝藻生物量和光合活性的显著降低,低温驯化和外源糖在一定程度上对藻细胞叶绿素α含量和光合活性具有促进作用,低温驯化明显提高了细胞内可溶性蛋白的含量,而对丙二醛的含量影响不大.研究还发现,低温驯化明显降低了细胞膜的相对透性,而外源糖对细胞膜的相对透性影响不大.此外,低温驯化促进了伪枝藻胞外多糖的大量合成.研究结果初步证实了低温驯化和外源糖类对于提高伪枝藻的冷胁迫耐受性具有调节作用.     

区域性农田景观格局对麦蚜及其天敌种群的生态学效应

明确农田景观格局对害虫及其天敌种群的生态学效应,是开展区域性害虫生态调控的基础.以前的研究大多集中于小空间尺度下、单个景观因子对昆虫种群的作用,而从省级范围的大空间尺度、多个景观因子的分析很少.本文以山东省区域性小麦种植区为研究对象,基于遥感影像和土地覆盖分类数据以及田间调查的昆虫种群数据,分析了景观组成类型(component type)、构成比例(component proportions)和形状结构(shape structure)多因子对麦蚜及其天敌寄生蜂和瓢虫种群的综合作用.结果发现,农田景观组成类型中斑块类型(patch type)越多,越利于麦蚜和天敌瓢虫种群数量的增长;且斑块密度(patch density)越大,越利于麦蚜寄生蜂和天敌瓢虫数量的增加;景观形状结构中边界密度(edge density)越高,也越利于麦蚜寄生蜂和天敌瓢虫种群数量的增加.进一步定量评估了农田景观组成类型、构成比例和形状结构对麦蚜及其天敌种群影响的作用大小.结果表明,三类景观格局因子对麦蚜影响较小,权重为9.81%;而对麦蚜寄生蜂的影响权重为25.87%;对天敌瓢虫种群高达47.86%.本研究清楚地表明,通过优化农田景观中作物与非作物生境布局,可直接调节和增加天敌昆虫种类与数量,有效控制和减少小麦蚜虫的种群数量,从而提高区域性农田景观中天敌昆虫的生物控害服务功能.     

昆虫滞育后的生物学特性

从昆虫滞育后性比、寿命、生殖力和重复滞育等方面对昆虫滞育后的生物学特性进行了概括,并分析了影响昆虫滞育后生物学特性数量表达的因子。这些因子包括:(1)滞育前昆虫的发育速率、取食行为和个体大小;(2)滞育期间的环境条件及昆虫取食行为;(3)滞育持续期;(4)滞育后的取食需求;以及(5)滞育后的温度和光周期。     

Glycine betaine involvement in freezing tolerance and water stress in Arabidopsis thaliana

Levels of endogenous glycine betaine in the leaves were measured in response to cold acclimation, water stress and exogenous ABA application in Arabidopsis thaliana. The endogenous glycine betaine level in the leaves increased sharply during cold acclimation treatment as plants gained freezing tolerance. When glycine betaine (10 mM) was applied exogenously to the plants as a foliar spray, the freezing tolerance increased from -3.1 to -4.5 degrees C. In addition, when ABA (1 mM) was applied exogenously, the endogenous glycine betaine level and the freezing tolerance in the leaves increased. However, the increase in the leaf glycine betaine level induced by ABA was only about half of that by the cold acclimation treatment. Furthermore, when plants were subjected to water stress (leaf water potential of approximately -1.6 MPa), the endogenous leaf glycine betaine level increased by about 18-fold over that in the control plants. Water stress lead to significant increase in the freezing tolerance, which was slightly less than that induced by the cold acclimation treatment. The results suggest that glycine betaine is involved in the induction of freezing tolerance in response to cold acclimation, ABA, and water stress in Arabidopsis plants.     

昆虫耐寒性研究

昆虫是变温动物,气候变化是造成种群季节消长的基本原因之一。尤其在不良的低温环境中,昆虫耐寒力的高低是其种群存在与发展的种要前提,昆虫对低温的适应能力及其机理也因而成为昆虫生态学和生物进化研究中的一个深受重视的问题,本文论述了与耐寒性直接相关的过冷却点昆虫的抗寒对策,明确了昆虫耐寒性的一些基本概念,一方面从环境影响昆虫的角度对耐寒性的一般规律,如季节性变化,地理变异快速冷驯化的作用等做了简要的概念括,另一方面阐述了昆虫适应环境的生理生化机制,包括低分子量的抗冻物质的产生,冰核剂的作用及抗冻蛋白的功能等做了简要的概括,另一方面简单述了昆虫适应环境的生理生化机制,包括低分子量的抗冻物质的产生,冰核剂的作用及抗冻蛋白的功能等。强调昆虫与环境相互作用过程中的生态生理适应,并指出昆虫耐寒性应当与生活史中别的因素联系起来,这样才能对耐寒性有一个更加全面的理解。     

Strategy of freeze tolerance in adult of sunn pest bug (Eurygaster integriceps Put.)

To investigate cold hardiness of Eurygaster integriceps Put, super cooling points of whole bodies during December to March 2006-2007 were measured on samples collected from altitude of Ghara-aghaj varamin-Iran. In addition, the lower lethal temperature (LLT) was determined for adult insect. The super cooling points were observed about -5 in cold months. Since the minimum temperature under natural condition is reached to-7 degreesC or lower in January and LLT99 (-21.65 degrees C), --11 degreesC lower than their minimum SCP (-10.5 degrees C), therefore I concluded that adult insects are freeze tolerant. Furthermore, super cooling points of different sex, weight and attitude were not significantly different. Freeze tolerance in these insects may be a strategy to provide protection from long-term exposures to ice crystals in microhabitat in alititude.     

In vivo ischemia and storage injury cause alterations in the activity of poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) synthetase

The objective of this study was to determine if DNA damage caused by ischemic insult (blood depletion) causes an alteration in the activity of endogenous mouse kidney poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase. The results show that kidneys made nonviable by warm (37 degrees C) in vitro ischemia (organ storage to study the effects of blood loss at normal body temperature) and in vivo ischemia (surgical depletion of the blood supply by arterial clamping) exhibit decreased levels of enzyme activity. Kidneys made nonviable by cold (0 degrees C) storage injury (organ storage as utilized for transplantation), however, possess elevated levels of enzyme activity. The DNA isolated from ischemic kidneys was shown to have a stimulatory effect upon exogenous calf thymus poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase. Also, electron microscopy analysis of DNA from ischemic kidneys showed that cold storage injury leads to the formation of large (average size = 500 bases) single-stranded regions. The results suggest that the activities of both endogenous and exogenous poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase are related to the nature of DNA damage resulting from ischemic insult.     

Climate warming affects biological invasions by shifting interactions of plants and herbivores

Plants and herbivorous insects can each be dramatically affected by temperature. Climate warming may impact plant invasion success directly but also indirectly through changes in their natural enemies. To date, however, there are no tests of how climate warming shifts the interactions among invasive plants and their natural enemies to affect invasion success. Field surveys covering the full latitudinal range of invasive Alternanthera philoxeroides in China showed that a beetle introduced for biocontrol was rare or absent at higher latitudes. In contrast, plant cover and mass increased with latitude. In a 2‐year field experiment near the northern limit of beetle distribution, we found the beetle sustained populations across years under elevated temperature, dramatically decreasing A. philoxeroides growth, but it failed to overwinter in ambient temperature. Together, these results suggest that warming will allow the natural enemy to expand its range, potentially benefiting biocontrol in regions that are currently too cold for the natural enemy. However, the invader may also expand its range further north in response to warming. In such cases where plants tolerate cold better than their natural enemies, the geographical gap between plant and herbivorous insect ranges may not disappear but will shift to higher latitudes, leading to a new zone of enemy release. Therefore, warming will not only affect plant invasions directly but also drive either enemy release or increase that will result in contrasting effects on invasive plants. The findings are also critical for future management of invasive species under climate change.     

Freezing tolerance and low molecular weight cryoprotectants in an invasive parasitic fly, the deer ked (Lipoptena cervi)

Insect cold hardiness is often mediated by low molecular weight cryoprotectants, such as sugars, polyols, and amino acids (AA). While many free-living northern insects must cope with extended periods of freezing ambient temperatures (Ta), the ectoparasitic deer ked Lipoptena cervi imago can encounter subfreezing Ta only during a short autumnal period between hatching and host location. Subsequently, it benefits from the body temperature of the cervid host for survival in winter. This study investigated the cold tolerance of the species by determining its lower lethal temperature (100% mortality, LLT100) during faster and slower cold acclimation, by determining the supercooling point (SCP) and by measuring the concentrations of potential low molecular weight cryoprotectants. The LLT100 of the deer ked was approximately -16 ° C, which would enable it to survive freezing nighttime Ta not only in its current area of distribution but also further north. The SCP was -7.8 ° C, clearly higher than the LLT100 , indicating that the deer ked displays freezing tolerance. The concentrations of free AA, especially nonessential AA, were higher in the cold-acclimated deer keds similar to several other insects. The concentrations of proline increased together with γ-aminobutyrate, arginine, asparagine, cystine, glutamate, glutamine, hydroxylysine, sarcosine, serine, and taurine. AA could be hypothesized to act as cryoprotectants by, e.g., protecting enzymes and lipid membranes from damage caused by cold.     

Parasitoids follow herbivorous insects to a novel host plant,generalist predators less so

The ‘enemy‐free space’ hypothesis predicts that herbivorous insects can escape their natural enemies by switching to a novel host plant, with consequences for the evolution of host plant specialisation. However, if natural enemies follow herbivores to their novel host plants, enemy‐free space may only be temporary. We tested this by studying the colonisation of the introduced tree Eucalyptus grandis (Hill) Maiden (Myrtaceae) by insects in Brazil, where various species of herbivores have added eucalyptus to their host plant range, which consists of native myrtaceous species such as guava. Some herbivores, for example, Thyrinteina leucoceraea Ringe (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), cause outbreaks in eucalyptus plantations but not on guava, possibly because eucalyptus offers enemy‐free space. We sampled herbivores (mainly Lepidoptera species) and natural enemies on eucalyptus and guava and assessed parasitism of Lepidoptera larvae on both host plant species during ca. 2 years. Overall, predators were encountered more frequently on guava than on eucalyptus. In contrast, parasitoids were encountered equally and parasitism rates of Lepidoptera larvae were similar on both host plants. This indicates that herbivores may escape some enemies by moving to a novel host plant. However, this escape may be temporary and may vary with time. We argue that studying temporal and spatial patterns of enemy‐free space and the response of natural enemies to host use changes of their herbivorous prey is essential for understanding the role of natural enemies in the evolution of host plant use by herbivorous arthropods.