The Synergistic Effects among β-,3-Glucanases from Oerskovia sp. CK on Lysis of Viable Yeast Cells

Oerskovia sp. CK produced three types of β-1,3-glucanases designated as F-L, F-0 and F-2. F-L showed high lytic activity to viable yeast cells and weak activity to yeast glucan. F-0 and F-2 had little or no lytic activity and strong β-1,3-gIucanase activity.

F-0 or F-2 showed high lytic activities to yeast cells pretreated with small amounts of F-L which did not lysed the cells. Lytic activity of F-0 or F-2 also increased when cells were treated with alkaline pH or with both reducing agents and pH.

From these results, it is supposed that the ineffectiveness of F-0 or F-2 on the lysis of yeast cells might be attributed to a spatial inaccessibility of enzymes to the yeast glucan layer. However, the treatment of F-L, alkaline pH and reducing agents would bring about a modification of cells to give F-0 or F-2 access to the wall glucan and consequently the lysis of cells would occur.     

Reproductive biology of the microtype tachinid fly Zenillia dolosa (Meigen) (Diptera: Tachinidae)

Reproductive biology including mating, adult longevity, fecundity and development of the tachinid fly Zenillia dolosa was investigated for optimizing rearing procedures using Mythimna separata as a host in the laboratory. Females lay microtype eggs containing a first instar larva on food plants of the host and then the eggs must be ingested by the host for parasitization. Mating success was 58.5% with mating duration of 80.7 min. Mating was most successful when day 0–1 females were kept with day 2–4 male flies. Female body size was positively correlated with its fecundity but not with longevity. However, females that survived longer produced more eggs during their lifetime. Parasitoids successfully developed in 4th to 6th instar host larvae. Host instars at the time of parasitoid egg ingestion significantly influenced development time of the immature parasitoid, but did not affect body size of the emerging parasitoid. We suggest that pairing newly emerged females with day 2–4 males should result in higher mating success and using the last instar hosts for parasitization should minimize development time of the parasitoid for rearing.     

Temperature-sensitive eye colour mutation in the parasitoid fly Exorista japonica Townsend (Dipt.: Tachinidae)

Abstract:  An eye colour mutation was found in the tachinid fly Exorista japonica Townsend, and we established an isogenic line of the mutant. The phenotype of the mutant is red eye in adults; this can be clearly distinguished from the brown-eyed phenotype of the wild type. Crossing experiments demonstrated that the mutant phenotype is controlled by a single autosomal recessive allele. As rearing temperature during the puparial stage rose, eye colour became lighter in the mutant but did not change in the wild type, indicating that the phenotype of the mutant is temperature dependent. No differences in the percentages of egg eclosion, pupariation and adult emergence were observed between the mutant and the wild type. This mutant of E. japonica – the first in the Tachinidae to be described – could be a useful marker in the laboratory experiments to test for paternity in multiple mating and to examine intraspecific competition.     

共生菌Asaia在四种鳞翅目害虫中的感染情况

【目的】Asaia属醋酸菌已被证明与双翅目、膜翅目、半翅目和鳞翅目的多种昆虫存在着重要的共生关系。本研究检测斜纹夜蛾Prodenia litura(Fabricius)、粘虫Mythimna separata Walker、小地老虎Agrotis ypsilon Rottemberg和甘蓝夜蛾Mamestra brassicae Linnaeus体内Asaia的感染情况,并研究了Asaia的传递效率。【方法】基于16 s r DNA特异序列检测,分析Asaia在4种鳞翅目害虫中的感染情况。通过建立感染Asaia的斜纹夜蛾品系,检测其垂直传递效率。【结果】Asaia在斜纹夜蛾、粘虫、小地老虎和甘蓝夜蛾田间种群中均有感染,其感染率分别为45.8%、66.7%、47.2%和31.0%。系统发育分析表明,Asaia 16S r DNA序列可分为3种序列型ST1、ST2和ST3,其中4种昆虫中均含有ST1序列型。父母亲本均感染Asaia的斜纹夜蛾后代,Asaia感染率达到91.7%。【结论】Asaia在鳞翅目害虫中存在较高的感染率,在昆虫物种间可能存在水平传递并且在种内可进行垂直传递。     

Biological activity and identification of nucleopolyhedroviruses isolated from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mythimna separata</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spodoptera litura</Emphasis> in Japan

We compared the infectivity of two nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs), MyseNPV G isolated from Mythimna separata (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and SpltNPV S isolated from Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). MyseNPV G was more pathogenic against M. separata than against S. litura. Although SpltNPV S was more pathogenic than MyseNPV G against S. litura, it did not infect M. separata. Restriction endonuclease (REN) analysis of viral genomic DNA revealed that the two NPVs have quite different REN profiles. Based on nucleotide sequences of the coding regions of polyhedrin, lef-8 and lef-9, SpltNPV S was closely related to other SpltNPV isolates, whereas MyseNPV G appeared to belong to the Mamestra NPV group, and was distinct from a Chinese isolate of Leucania (=Mythimna) separata NPV. The potential of MyseNPV G and SpltNPV S to control pest insects is discussed.

粘虫的年龄—发育期结构生命表

在23℃下用玉米嫩叶饲养幼虫,组建了粘虫的年龄-发育期结构生命表。这种生命表考虑到种群内个体发育进度的差异并包括雄性成虫。根据生命表资料计算的粘虫种群主要参数是：净繁殖率R_O= l55.88,内禀增长率r_m=0.1120,平均世代长度T=45.08天。讨论了年龄-发育期结沟生命表方法和传绕生命表方法的主要差别及各自的优缺点,比较了用这两种方法得到的粘虫种群的主要参数值。     

粘虫幼虫密度对幼虫食物利用率的影响

本文对粘虫Mythimna separata(Walker)不同幼虫密度下(1头/瓶、15头/瓶、30头/瓶)5龄至预蛹和6龄至预蛹的幼虫食物取食量、粪便排泄量、近似消化率、体重增长和粗生长效率等进行了研究。结果表明：幼虫的食物取食量、粪便排泄量随幼虫密度的增加而加大,表明群居或幼虫密度的增加可使幼虫的取食量增加从而使为害加重。但是,幼虫的体重增长则随幼虫密度的增加而下降,这是因为近似消化率和粗生长效率也随幼虫密度的增加而下降的缘故。由此认为,食物利用率下降是高密度条件下粘虫个体较小的主要原因之一。但是,些效应均随幼虫密度影响的消失而消失。     

粘虫飞翔能源物质及其消耗

根据粘虫Mythimna separata(Walker)具有远距离迁飞能力的特性,在室内条件下,测试其长时间飞行的能源种类及消耗;试验设6h、12h、24h、36h和48h等5种吊飞处理和不 吊飞对照。结果表明,粘虫飞翔后体重显著下降,体重的减少量与吊测时间、实际飞翔时间及距离呈正相关;粘虫飞翔前后体内脂肪含量差异显著,而蛋白质含量则无明显变化;脂肪含量的下降趋势与虫体重下降一致,脂肪消耗量占体重消耗量的60%以上,说明脂肪是粘虫远距离飞行的主要能源物质。随飞翔时间的增加,脂肪消耗的速率有逐渐减缓趋势：飞行每小时每克体重消耗脂肪雌蛾为23.6→8.9mg/(h·g),雄蛾为11.8→9.2mg/(h.g);飞行每公里每克体重雌蛾消耗脂肪为4.0→1.7mg/(km·g),雄蛾为2.2→1.4mg/(km·g)。     

粘虫飞行与产卵的关系

利用昆虫飞行数据微机采集系统对粘虫Mytkimna separata(W&lker)蛾飞行能力的测定结果表明：产卵前,雌蛾的飞行能力随蛾龄的增长而增加;产卵后,以产卵l天后的飞行能力最强,之后随产卵历期延长和产卵量的增加而下降。产卵超过6天或1 200粒的成虫飞行能力已基本丧失。由此认为：粘虫蛾的迁飞是在产卵前进行;成虫的飞行能力与卵巢发育同步,因而在粘虫中可能不存在卵子发生飞行拮抗症。最后对粘虫产卵后仍具有一定飞行能力的生物学意义进行了探讨。     

Source separation,selective collection and in reactor digestion of biowaste

Biowaste or the organic fraction of domestic waste, for instance kitchen, fruit and garden waste, is collected selectively in several European communities. The complementary fraction is called the dry or non recyclable fraction. A Dutch study reported that 92% of the participants that have a weekly collection service of both fractions (biowaste and non recyclable fraction) and 80% of the participants in the alternating collection program (one week biowaste and the next week non recyclable fraction) are pleased with separate collection of biowaste. Dominating problems that arise in case of alternating collection are a repulsive odor and an infestation with flies and maggots. By expanding the definition of biowaste to include non recyclable or soiled paper like dirty newspapers, table napkins and paper handkerchiefs, most of these problems can be overcome without changing the way compostable waste is collected and processed. The expanded definition of biowaste was used in this paper. Over a 12 month period a quality survey of the collected biowaste was conducted by the composting facility Intercompost, Hoeselt, Belgium. A special aspect was the fact that in one participating community baby diapers were included in the soiled paper fraction; this is called biowaste+. The biowaste+ had a 10% non recyclable paper fraction opposed to only 1–2% of non recyclable paper present in the conventional biowaste. Baby diapers were a rather notable part (more than 80%) of this non recyclable paper fraction of biowaste+ and as a consequence might contribute to a large extent to improve the collection and treatment of biowaste. It was demonstrated that rural districts yielded about 35% more biowaste than more urban districts; resp. ± 122 kg biowaste/capita.year versus ±90 kg biowaste/capita.year. In Hoeselt the biowaste+ yield was about 130 kg/capita.year. Biowaste+ is also separately collected in another Belgium community, namely Brecht. The purity level of the biowaste+ and the amount of non recyclable paper (including diapers) were comparable with the results of Hoeselt. In Hoeselt the biowaste+ fraction is composted aerobically. In Brecht on the other hand, the biowaste+ is processed using the Dry Anaerobic Composting process (DRANCO). The latter process is discussed in more detail. The biological start-up of the dry anaerobic composting installation at Brecht, Belgium, is reported. The reactor has a total volume of 808 m³ and a design capacity of 730 m³. After 2 months of start up, the fermentor was at full loading rate, i.e. 8 kg bVS/m³ _reactor .day and the installation was working at full capacity, i.e. 40 ton/day. After 1 year of full-scale operation, the installation can handle peak loads of 60 ton/day. The average biogas production is 107 m³/ton with an average methane content of 55%. This corresponds to an annual gross energy production of approximately 600 toe (ton oil equivalent). The average biogas production rate is 4.0 m³/m³ _reactor .day. The end product of the aerobic process in Hoeselt and the end product in Brecht, the Humotex, are of similar composition. Both are of high quality and are sold as a soil conditioner or as a potting substrate. However, the double processed compost has a garanteed hygienic quality which makes it a product suitable for export.