Natural Selection Shapes Maintenance of Orthologous sRNAs in Divergent Host-Restricted Bacterial Genomes

Historically it has been difficult to study the evolution of bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs) across distantly related species. For example, identifying homologs of sRNAs is often difficult in genomes that have undergone multiple structural rearrangements. Also, some types of regulatory sRNAs evolve at rapid rates. The high degree of genomic synteny among divergent host-restricted bacterial lineages, including intracellular symbionts, is conducive to sRNA maintenance and homolog identification. In turn, symbiont genomes can provide us with novel insights into sRNA evolution. Here, we examine the sRNA expression profile of the obligate symbiont of psyllids, Carsonella ruddii, which has one of the smallest cellular genomes described. Using RNA-seq, we identified 36 and 32 antisense sRNAs (asRNAs) expressed by Carsonella from the psyllids Bactericera cockerelli (Carsonella-BC) and Diaphorina citri (Carsonella-DC), respectively. The majority of these asRNAs were associated with genes that are involved in essential amino acid biosynthetic pathways. Eleven of the asRNAs were conserved in both Carsonella lineages and the majority were maintained by selection. Notably, five of the corresponding coding sequences are also the targets of conserved asRNAs in a distantly related insect symbiont, Buchnera. We detected differential expression of two asRNAs for genes involved in arginine and leucine biosynthesis occurring between two distinct Carsonella-BC life stages. Using asRNAs identified in Carsonella, Buchnera, and Profftella which are all endosymbionts, and Escherichia coli, we determined that regions upstream of these asRNAs encode unique conserved patterns of AT/GC richness, GC skew, and sequence motifs which may be involved in asRNA regulation.     

Host selection and sex allocation in Leptomastidea abnormis, a parasitoid of the citrus mealybug Planococcus citri

Leptomastidea abnormis (Girault) and Leptomastix dactylopii (Howard) [Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae] are the two parasitoid species frequently used for biological control of the citrus mealybug Planococcus citri (Risso) [Homoptera: Pseudococcidae]. As part of a programme to determine the best control practice, host size selection and sex allocation were studied in L. abnormis, and compared with those of L. dactylopii. L. abnormis showed a preference for the second size class, but also attacked third and fourth size class and adult mealybugs, while in previous studies L. dactylopii was found to prefer the third and fourth size class and adults, and never attacked second size class mealybugs. Female L. abnormis reared from parasitized mealybugs had a higher mean body mass than males, as is predicted by Charnov's theory on sex allocation. However, sex ratios of emerging L. abnormis did not differ between mealybug size classes. These results imply possibile coexistence of the two parasitoids. As field evidence suggests a more complex interaction between the two species, studying direct competition would be a useful next step.     

甲氰菊酯和阿维菌素对柑橘全爪螨的亚致死效应

通过叶碟饲养的方法, 利用生命表技术,研究了甲氰菊酯和阿维菌素亚致死剂量LC₂₀处理柑橘全爪螨若螨后,对试验种群当代(F₀)和后代(F₁、F₂代)生长发育及繁殖的影响.结果表明: 甲氰菊酯LC₂₀处理若螨后,当代雌成螨产卵量显著增加;F₁、F₂代的产卵前期缩短,后代雌性比例增大,且均与对照差异显著;同时,F₁和F₂代种群内禀增长率(r_m)和周限增长率(λ)增大,世代历期(T)和种群加倍时间(Dt)缩短,且F₂代与对照相比差异显著.用阿维菌素LC₂₀处理若螨后,当代种群雌成螨产卵量显著下降; F₁和F₂代的产卵量也显著下降,但后代雌性比例增大,产卵前期显著缩短;F₁和F₂代的种群r_m和λ增大,T和Dt缩短,且F₂代比F₁代更为明显.总体来看,甲氰菊酯和阿维菌素亚致死浓度LC₂₀对柑橘全爪螨的影响并不完全相同,甲氰菊酯能够促进当代种群的发展,而阿维菌素对当代种群有一定的抑制作用;但两种杀螨剂亚致死浓度处理柑橘全爪螨对后代种群都有一定的促进作用.研究结果对柑橘全爪螨综合防治策略的制定有一定的指导意义.     

光、温湿度对柑桔木虱发育、繁殖与存活的影响

本研究结果表明,在光照强度为11000lx以下(6小时光照时为15000lx)、每天光照时间在18小时以内,光照强度越大,光照时间越长,柑桔木虱雌成虫的产卵前期越短,产卵量越大,死亡率越低。 温度为15—34℃,相对湿度为43—92％范围内,温湿度对柑桔木虱卵的孵化率影响较小。柑桔木虱若虫在高温(34℃)、高湿(85％,92％)下死亡率高;适温(20—30℃)、低湿(43—75％)下死亡率低。湿度对柑桔木虱卵及若虫发育历期影响不大。在温度为15—34℃范围内,温度与卵及若虫的发育历期呈抛物线关系。柑桔木虱卵及1—5龄若虫的发育起点温度分别是:9.41℃、8.30℃、9.72℃、8.92℃、9.61℃及9.07℃,有效积温分别是:60.03日度、39.78日度、26.82日度,33.23日度及74.49日度。     

Etude de la chambre filtrante de Planococcus citri (Insecta,Homoptera)

Résumé Le tube digestif des cochenilles se caractérise par la présence d'un dispositif intestinal appelé chambre filtrante. Celle-ci, formée par l'accolement des deux extrêmités de l'intestin moyen, est supposée intervenir dans le transit alimentaire en éliminant par «voie raccourcie» l'eau ingérée en excès, mais ce rôle est resté jusque là hypothétique.Chez Planococcus citri, l'étude cytologique et histochimique révèle des caractères propres aux parties de l'intestin moyen participant à la réalisation de ce dispositif. Ces caractères suggèrent une fonction particulière qui peut être liée à un mouvement de l'eau. Les cellules sont de taille très réduite. Par endroits, des différences ultrastructurales s'observent entre les deux anses accolées (présence de vacuoles et d'espaces extracellulaires développés). Les cellules non modifiées de l'anse de départ présentent un caractère morphologique particulier, le système d'espaces intercellulaires et un caractère histochimique dominant, l'importante quantité de glycogène. Les cellules non modifiées de l'anse de retour présentent une structure inhabituelle, les «expansions tubulaires» associées aux microvillosités. En absence du «plasmalemma mitochondrial complex» le passage de l'eau se ferait par osmose dans deux directions: d'une part à travers les épithéliums amincis, d'autre part par le réseau d'espaces intercellulaires.

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Studies on the filter-chamber of Planococcus citri risso (Insecta, Homoptera)Histochemistry and ultrastructure

Summary The digestive tract of the coccids is characterized by the presence of a filter chamber formed by the apposition of the two extremities of the midgut. It is supposed that the filter chamber plays a role in the elimination of excess water by a short circuit but this assumption is still hypothetical.In Planococcus citri, cytological and histochemical studies have revealed structural peculiarities in those parts of the midgut which participate in the organization of the filter chamber, which suggest a particular function. The cells are highly reduced in size. In certain regions ultrastructural differences exist between the two apposed extremities of the midgut such as the presence of a vacuole and of highly developed extra-cellular spaces. These features may be related to water transport. The conventional cells of the proximal end of the midgut show the presence of a system of intercellular spaces and are very rich in glycogen. The conventional cells of the distal end of the midgut possess extracellular microtubules associated with the microvilli. In absence of a plasmalemma mitochondrial complex the transport of water could occur by osmosis across the thinned epithelium and the network of intercellular spaces.

Cet article recouvre en partie le travail d'une thèse de Docteur-Ingénieur soutenue à l'Université Paris VI en 1972.     

Antioxidant responses of citrus red mite, Panonychus citri (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae), exposed to thermal stress

Relatively low or high temperatures are responsible for a variety of physiological stress responses in insects and mites. Induced thermal stress was recently associated with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which caused oxidative damage. In this study, we examined the time-related effect of the relatively low (0, 5, 10, and 15 °C) or high (32, 35, 38, and 41 °C) temperatures on the activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidases (POX), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and the total antioxidant capacity (TEAC) of the citrus red mite, Panonychus citri (McGregor). The malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, as a marker of lipid peroxidation in organisms, was also measured in the citrus red mite under thermal stress conditions. Results showed that SOD and GST activities were significantly increased and play an important role in the process of antioxidant response to thermal stress. Lipid peroxidation levels increased significantly (P < 0.001) and changed in a time-dependent manner. CAT and POX activity, as well as TEAC, did not vary significantly and play a minor role to remove the ROS generation. These results suggest that thermal stress leads to oxidative stress and antioxidant enzymes play an important role in reducing oxidative damage in the citrus red mite.     

Life-history traits of the six Panonychus species from Japan (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Six species of the genus Panonychus are known from Japan. Life-history parameters of all six species were investigated at 25 °C, and for three species two strains of different geographical origin were included. The intrinsic rate of natural increase (r _m ) ranged from 0.172/day for the P. osmanthi albino strain to 0.209/day for P. citri, while the net reproductive rate (R ₀) varied from 23.98 in the thelytokous species P. thelytokus to 46.61 in P. citri. Both values were higher in the polyphagous species (P. ulmi, P. mori and P. citri), which are considered crop pests, than those in the oligophagous species (P. thelytokus and P. osmanthi), considered non-pests. The only exception was P. bambusicola, an oligophagous non-pest species with R ₀- and r _m -values closely resembling those of the three polyphagous species. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Factors influencing the acaricidal activity of flucycloxuron

Contact activities of flucycloxuron on immature stages of the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae (Koch)) and the European red mite (Panonychus ulmi (Koch)) gradually decrease in the successive developmental stages. The levels of contact activity of flucycloxuron on larvae and protonymphs ofT. urticae andP. ulmi are of the same order. Deutonymphs ofT. urticae are less susceptible to contact activity than the similar stage ofP. ulmi. In adultT. urticae, the transovarial ovicidal activity was used as an indicator for cuticular penetration. More than 90% of the maximal penetration into adult mites occurs within 8 h. Reversibility of the transovarial activity was not observed after 24 h, but did occur after a subsequent 48 h stay on untreated leaves. The ovo-larvicidal activity of flucycloxuron onP. ulmi after treatment of apple leaves is strongly negatively influenced by leaf age, partly by lower retention of the spray liquid on the leaves. Leaf penetration was measured by application of flucycloxuron on leaf uppersides and assessment of the transovarial activity in mites (P. ulmi orT. urticae) infested on the undersides, one day after treatment. In this test system, leaf penetration was found to be strongly species dependent. Penetration was high in cucumber, moderate in French beans, cotton, roses and strawberry, but low in apple and pepper. Leaf penetration in French bean plants is drastically reduced at increasing leaf age. The overall positive effect of increase in relative air humidity on leaf penetration, is statistically highly significant (P=0.001) for French beans and almost significant (P=0.08) for cucumbers. WithT. urticae on French bean it was found that in this test flucycloxuron needs more than one day for maximal leaf penetration. Although in apple leaves penetration from uppersides was low, penetration from undersides was much higher. The surfactants Arkopal N 130, Silwet L-77 and X2-5309 enhance penetration from leaf under-sides.     

不同杀菌剂对柑桔红蜘蛛生物学特性的影响

本研究报道柑桔园5种常用杀菌剂。在田间使用浓度下。对柑桔红蜘蛛Panonychus cltrl生物学特性的影响．在25±1℃．相对湿度75±5％,光照周期14L：10D的条件下,70％甲基托布津可湿性粉剂1500倍液、80％代森锌可湿性粉剂800倍液、50％多苗灵可湿性粉剂800倍液．20％叶青双可湿性粉剂800倍液和0．5％等量式渡尔多液。对柑桔红蜘蛛各螨态历期、雌雄成螨寿命和雌成螨产卵量没有影响．仅70％甲基托布津1500倍液和50％多菌灵800倍液会降低柑桔红蜘蛛卵的孵化率,比对照卵孵化率91.0％分别减少了27．7％和24．3％．