Electrophysiological characterization of olfactory cell types in the antennae and palps of the housefly

A set of odours was presented to the housefly Musca domestica and the electrophysiological responses of single olfactory receptor cells in the antennae and palps were recorded. The olfactory cells in the antennae of the housefly showed a large variability of response profiles, but multidimensional cluster analysis suggested a moderate clustering in olfactory response types. Receptor cells with similar or with different odour response profiles can reside in one and the same sensillum. No fixed spatial distribution of olfactory response types over the antennal of palpal surface was found. The odours of 1-octen-3-ol, amyl acetate, 3-methylphenol, 2-pentanone and R(+)limonene elicited the largest responses in antennal cells. Most odours elicited responses in cells of only a few of the clusters, but 1-octen-3-ol was detected by cells of almost all clusters of the antenna. Surprisingly, rather low responses were found to acetic acid, skatole, indole and muscalure, odours that are known to attract flies. Response profiles of palpal cells differed considerably from those of antennal cells. Palpal cells mostly responded to 3-methylphenol and 2-pentanone. In the palps, the clusters of cells responding to 3-methylphenol and 2-pentanone are clearly separated from the other olfactory cells.     

Use of the multi-allelic self-incompatibility gene in apple to assess homozygocity in shoots obtained through haploid induction

 To obtain homozygous genotypes of apple, we have induced haploid development of either the female or the male gametes by parthenogenesis in situ and anther culture, respectively. Of the shoots obtained, which were mainly of a non-haploid nature, some could be derived from fertilised egg cells or from sporophytic anther tissue. In order to select the shoots having a true haploid origin, and thus homozygotes, we decided to use the single multi-allelic self-incompatibility gene as a molecular marker to discriminate homozygous from heterozygous individuals. The rationale behind this approach was that diploid apple cultivars contain 2 different alleles of the S-gene and therefore the haploid induced shoots obtained from them should have only one of the alleles of the single parent. The parental cultivars used were ‘Idared’ (parthenogenesis in situ) and ‘Braeburn’ (androgenesis), and their S-genotypes were known, except for 1 of the ‘Braeburn’S-alleles. To stimulate parthenogenetic development ‘Idared’ styles were pollinated with irradiated ‘Baskatong’ pollen, the S-alleles of the latter (2n) cultivar were also unknown. The cloning and sequence analysis of these 3 unidentified S-alleles, 1 from ‘Braeburn’ and 2 from ‘Baskatong’ is described, and we show that they correspond to the S ₂₄ -, S ₂₆ - and S ₂₇ -alleles. We have optimised a method for analysis of the S-alleles of ‘Idared/Baskatong’- or ‘Braeburn’-derived in vitro plant tissues and have shown that this approach can be applied for the screening of the in vitro shoots for their haploid origin. Received: 18 August 1997 / Accepted: 10 September 1997     

Early‐Season Headspace Volatiles from Apple and Their Effect on the Apple Blossom Weevil Anthonomus pomorum

Apple volatiles emitted at early phenological stages are little investigated, although they may influence behavior of early‐season pests. The apple blossom weevil Anthonomus pomorum is a herbivore pest of orchards in Europe. It colonizes apple trees in early season and oviposits into developing flower buds, often leading to economic damage. Using in situ radial diffusive sampling and thermal desorption, followed by GC/MS analysis, headspace volatiles from apple twigs with flower buds at three early phenological tree stages were identified and quantified. The volatile blend consisted of 13 compounds for the first, and increased to 15 compounds for the third phenological stage sampled. These blends included benzenoids, terpenes, and derivatives of fatty acids. A recombined synthetic blend served as the odor source in a still‐air dual‐choice olfactometer bioassay, in which individual male and female weevils were tested. Results from this behavioral test document an attraction of both sexes to odors of their host plant, suggesting that apple volatiles emitted in early season serve as olfactory cues for host location of A. pomorum in the field.     

Enzyme activity of the phenylpropanoid pathway as a response to apple scab infection

The study was performed on apple trees, ‘Golden Delicious' cv., which is a scab-susceptible cultivar. The phenolic content of apple fruit was determined in different parts of the peel. The phenolic compounds were analysed in the scab spot, in the tissue around the spot and in the healthy tissue. We determined the concentration of various phenolic compounds and related enzyme activities. Infection with the Venturia inaequalis fungus enhanced the metabolism of phenolic compounds at the scab spot, around the spot and in healthy peel. Compared with the healthy tissue and the tissue around the spot, the scab spot showed higher enzyme activity for all tested enzymes, except for dihydrochalcone 2′-O-glucosyltransferase, which had lower activity in the scab spot. In comparison to the healthy peel, the scab spot showed up to 3.4 times more hydroxycinnamic acids, up to 1.1 times more dihydrochalcones and up to 1.4 times more flavan-3-ols. In contrast, the healthy peel showed up to 1.6 times more flavonols than the scab spot.     

Simple equations to estimate light interception by isolated trees from canopy structure features: assessment with three-dimensional digitized apple trees

* Simple models of light interception are useful to identify the key structural parameters involved in light capture. We developed such models for isolated trees and tested them with virtual experiments. Light interception was decomposed into the projection of the crown envelope and the crown porosity. The latter was related to tree structure parameters. * Virtual experiments were conducted with three-dimensional (3-D) digitized apple trees grown in Lebanon and Switzerland, with different cultivars and training. The digitized trees allowed actual values of canopy structure (total leaf area, crown volume, foliage inclination angle, variance of leaf area density) and light interception properties (projected leaf area, silhouette to total area ratio, porosity, dispersion parameters) to be computed, and relationships between structure and interception variables to be derived. * The projected envelope area was related to crown volume with a power function of exponent 2/3. Crown porosity was a negative exponential function of mean optical density, that is, the ratio between total leaf area and the projected envelope area. The leaf dispersion parameter was a negative linear function of the relative variance of leaf area density in the crown volume. * The resulting models were expressed as two single equations. After calibration, model outputs were very close to values computed from the 3-D digitized databases.     

Architecture of the pruned tree: impact of contrasted pruning procedures over 2 years on shoot demography and spatial distribution of leaf area in apple (Malus domestica)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Demography and spatial distribution of shoots are rarely studied on pruned trees. The present 2-year study deals with the effect of pruning strategies on shoot demography and development, and consequences on the spatial distribution of leaf area in three architecturally contrasted - from type II to IV - apple cultivars: 'Scarletspur Delicious', 'Golden Delicious' and 'Granny Smith'. METHODS: All trees were initially subjected during 5 years to Central Leader training with winter heading on all long shoots. For 2 years, half of the trees were further trained with Centrifugal training, where removal of flowering shoots - called extinction pruning - was carried out along the trunk and at the bottom of branches at flowering time. During these 2 years, shoot type (vegetative, inflorescence) and length, and the three-dimensional spatial distribution of all shoots were assessed with an electromagnetic digitizer. KEY RESULTS: Shoot demography, frequency of transitions toward an inflorescence from either an inflorescence (bourse-over-bourse) or a vegetative shoot (trend toward flowering), and the number of bourse-shoots per bourse were strongly affected by cultivar, with little influence of tree manipulation. In contrast, the proportion of vegetative long shoots developing from previous year latent buds was significantly lower in Centrifugal-trained trees for the three cultivars. Canopy volume showed large variations between cultivars, but only that of 'Granny Smith' was affected by tree manipulation in the 2 years. Spatial distribution of shoots varied significantly according to cultivar and manipulation. In 'Scarletspur Delicious' and, to a lesser extent 'Golden Delicious', the distribution of vegetative and flowering shoots in the outer and the inner parts, respectively, was not affected by tree manipulation. In contrast, in 'Granny Smith', vegetative shoots were stimulated in the periphery of Central Leader trees, whereas flowering shoots were stimulated in the periphery of Centrifugal-trained trees. CONCLUSIONS: In apple, the variability of responses to contrasted pruning strategies partly depends on the genetically determined growth and flowering habit of the cultivar.     

苦杏仁精油的熏蒸杀虫活性研究

采用三角瓶密闭熏蒸法测定了苦杏仁精油对家蝇、白纹伊蚊、粘虫以及玉米象的熏蒸杀虫活性,结果显示:苦杏仁精油对各试虫均有较强的熏蒸杀虫活性,其中含HCN的精油对家蝇、白纹伊蚊、粘虫以及玉米象的LC50分别为3.09、0.63、4.63、12.03μL/L;除去HCN的精油对家蝇、白纹伊蚊、粘虫以及玉米象的LC50分别为3.53、0.52、4.08、23.46μL/L;熏蒸的时间效应试验结果表明,含有HCN的苦杏仁精油和不含HCN的苦杏仁精油对供试试虫的熏杀速度均较快,其中白纹伊蚊的反应最快,其次为家蝇、粘虫、玉米象.除玉米象外苦杏仁精油中所含的微量HCN对试虫的熏蒸活性影响不大,且2种处理的精油对同种试虫的致死中时差别范围不超过10 min.实验结果表明,苦杏仁精油可作为新型的杀虫活性物质,为苦杏仁精油作为植物源杀虫剂提供了依据.     

家蝇介导的水稻基因逃逸风险评估(英文)

【目的】对转基因作物进行生态风险评估是大面积种植前的一个必要步骤,水稻Oryza sativa访花昆虫有上百种,包括家蝇Musca domestica。本研究旨在明确访花昆虫家蝇介导转基因水稻外源基因逃逸的风险。【方法】2010年,我们使用转基因水稻B1, B6和G8-7作为父本(花粉供体),用同源非转基因水稻Jiazao 935和Wuyunjing 7作为母本（花粉受体）,并用家蝇作为授粉昆虫,在浙江大学华家池和长兴试验基地开展了田间种植试验,对收割的后代水稻种子进行室内种植培养,对种苗用潮霉素B和草甘膦处理进行转基因杂交种检测,对存活植株进行潮霉素和草甘膦抗性基因PCR检测,测试家蝇介导的转基因水稻外源基因逃逸频率。【结果】对浙江两个测试基地3个转基因水稻品种共计超过216 500粒后代水稻种子进行的检测及结果表明,在毗邻区域杂交种少,家蝇授粉区和无家蝇授粉区转基因水稻外源基因向非转基因水稻逃逸频率均较低(0~0.64%)。【结论】家蝇介导的转基因水稻外源基因逃逸频率较低,家蝇没有增加转基因水稻外源基因逃逸的风险。     

Influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the persistence of a Beauveria bassiana biopesticide in laboratory and high-rise poultry house settings

Recent studies suggest the potential for use of oil formulations of the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, as residual sprays for control of house flies in poultry production facilities. The current study investigated the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on biopesticide persistence. We found that flies physically removed and deactivated conidia, with higher fly densities and greater cumulative exposure hastening the decline. Nonetheless, very low densities of viable conidia were still able to cause rapid mortality, suggesting the potential for relatively long re-treatment intervals as fly populations are controlled. Considering abiotic factors, we found that fungal spray treatments remained viable for up to 13 weeks under laboratory conditions. Periodic exposure of flies to the spray residue showed high levels of mortality, with very little decline in mortality rate over time. Equivalent treatments placed in a commercial poultry house showed much more rapid decline. One trial at the end of summer showed conidia to remain viable up to seven weeks. However, repeats during the winter months revealed decay in 1–2 weeks, with fly mortality rates influenced accordingly. The exact reasons for the more rapid decay remain unclear but could be linked to high concentrations of ammonia in the basement areas, especially during winter when ventilation is minimal. The combined data suggest the potential for adaptive treatment regimes with weekly spray intervals in conditions with very high fly populations and/or high ammonia levels, and potentially monthly spray intervals when fly populations and ammonia levels are reduced.