Biostable multi-Aib analogs of tachykinin-related peptides demonstrate potent oral aphicidal activity in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphidae)

The tachykinin-related peptides (TRPs) are multifunctional neuropeptides found in a variety of arthropod species, including the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphidae). Two new biostable TRP analogs containing multiple, sterically hindered Aib residues were synthesized and found to exhibit significantly enhanced resistance to hydrolysis by angiotensin converting enzyme and neprilysin, membrane-bound enzymes that degrade and inactivate natural TRPs. The two biostable analogs were also found to retain significant myostimulatory activity in an isolated cockroach hindgut preparation, the bioassay used to isolate and identify the first members of the TRP family. Indeed one of the analogs (Leuma-TRP-Aib-1) matched the potency and efficacy of the natural, parent TRP peptide in this myotropic bioassay. The two biostable TRP analogs were further fed in solutions of artificial diet to the pea aphid over a period of 3 days and evaluated for antifeedant and aphicidal activity and compared with the effect of treatment with three natural, unmodified TRPs. The two biostable multi-Aib TRP analogs were observed to elicit aphicidal effects within the first 24 h. In contrast natural, unmodified TRPs, including two that are native to the pea aphid, demonstrated little or no activity. The most active analog, double-Aib analog Leuma-TRP-Aib-1 (pEA[Aib]SGFL[Aib]VR-NH₂), featured aphicidal activity calculated at an LC₅₀ of 0.0083 nmol/μl (0.0087 μg/μl) and an LT₅₀ of 1.4 days, matching or exceeding the potency of commercially available aphicides. The mechanism of this activity has yet to be established. The aphicidal activity of the biostable TRP analogs may result from disruption of digestive processes by interfering with gut motility patterns and/or with fluid cycling in the gut; processes shown to be regulated by the TRPs in other insects. These active TRP analogs and/or second generation analogs offer potential as environmentally friendly pest aphid control agents.     

Effect of entomopathogenic Aspergillus strains against the pea aphid,Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) are sap-sucking insect pests that feed on several plants of agronomical importance. Entomopathogenic fungi are valuable tools for potential aphid control. As part of a selection process, laboratory bioassays were carried with five different concentrations of Aspergillus clavatus (Desmazières), Aspergillus flavus (Link) and Metarhizium anisopliae ((Metschnikoff) Sorokin) spores against the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris). Aspergillus isolates induced higher mortalities than M. anisopliae, which is a well-known entomopathogen in the literature. Lethal concentrations (LC₅₀ and LC₉₀) were 1.23 × 10³ and 1.34 × 10⁷ spores/ml for A. flavus, 4.95 × 10² and 5.65 × 10⁷ spores/ml for A. clavatus, and 3.67 × 10³ and 9.71 × 10⁷ spores/ml for M. anisopliae 5 days after treatment. Mycelia development and sporulation on adult cadavers were observed 48 h after incubation. The intrinsic growth rate of A. pisum decreased with increased spore concentration for all fungal strains, suggesting an increase in pathogen fitness related to a consumption of host resources. In conclusion, Aspergillus species could be useful in aphid control as pest control agents despite their saprophytic lifestyle. This is also to our knowledge the first report of A. clavatus and A. flavus strains pathogenic to aphids.     

Oral activity of FMRFamide-related peptides on the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and degradation by enzymes from the aphid gut

Insect myosuppressins and myosuppressin analogues were tested for oral toxicity against the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) by incorporation into an artificial diet. Acyrthosiphon pisum myosuppressin (Acypi-MS) and leucomyosuppressin (LMS) had significant dose-dependent effects (0.1-0.5μg peptide/μl diet) on feeding suppression, mortality, reduced growth and fecundity compared with control insects, but Acypi-MS was more potent than LMS. One hundred percent of aphids had died after 10days of feeding on 0.5μg Acypi-MS/μl diet whereas 40% of aphids feeding on 0.5μg LMS/μl diet were still alive after 13days. Myosuppressins were degraded by aphid gut enzymes; degradation was most likely due to a carboxypeptidase-like protease, an aminopeptidase and a cathepsin L cysteine protease. The estimated half-life of Acypi-MS in a gut extract was 30min, whereas LMS was degraded more slowly (t?=54min). No toxicity was observed when the analogues δR(9) LMS and citrolline(9) Acypi-MS or FMRFamide were fed to the pea aphid. These findings not only help to better understand the biological effects of myosuppressins in aphids but also demonstrate the potential use of myosuppressins in a strategy to control aphid pests.     

Effect of temperature and cultivar on pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphididae) life history

Life history parameters of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum were studied at five constant temperatures on two cultivars of peas, Scout and Sancho. The development and mortality of juveniles and the life-span, age-specific fecundity and survivorship of adult aphids were recorded and used to construct life tables. The juvenile development period (from birth to adulthood) was longest at 11.9 degrees C (16.8 days on cv. Scout and 16.2 days on cv. Sancho) and shortest at 26.7 degrees C (8.5 days on cv. Scout and 8.8 days on cv. Sancho). At all temperatures, except 26.7 degrees C, juveniles developed faster on cv. Sancho than on cv. Scout. On both pea varieties juvenile mortality was highest at temperatures above 19.6 degrees C and lowest at 19.6 degrees C. Highest cumulative juvenile mortality was recorded on cv. Scout at 26.7 degrees C when only 9% of aphids survived from birth to reproductively mature adults. Fecundity rates were unaffected by temperature in the range tested on cv. Sancho but increased with increasing temperatures between 11.9 and 19.6 degrees C on cv. Scout. These differences in life history parameters were reflected in the population growth (rm) of aphids on both pea cultivars which increased with increasing temperatures between 11.9 and 23.1 degrees C on cv. Sancho and 11.9 and 19.6 degrees C on cv. Scout, declining thereafter. Population growth was consistently greater at all temperatures for aphids reared on cv. Sancho than those reared on cv. Scout.     

Influence of temperature on pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphididae) resistance to natural enemy attack

The ability to resist or avoid natural enemy attack is a critically important insect life history trait, yet little is understood of how these traits may be affected by temperature. This study investigated how different genotypes of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris, a pest of leguminous crops, varied in resistance to three different natural enemies (a fungal pathogen, two species of parasitoid wasp and a coccinellid beetle), and whether expression of resistance was influenced by temperature. Substantial clonal variation in resistance to the three natural enemies was found. Temperature influenced the number of aphids succumbing to the fungal pathogen Erynia neoaphidis Remaudière & Hennebert, with resistance increasing at higher temperatures (18 vs. 28 degrees C). A temperature difference of 5 degrees C (18 vs. 23 degrees C) did not affect the ability of A. pisum to resist attack by the parasitoids Aphidius ervi Haliday and A. eadyi Stary, González & Hall. Escape behaviour from foraging coccinellid beetles (Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville) was not directly influenced by aphid clone or temperature (16 vs. 21 degrees C). However, there were significant interactions between clone and temperature (while most clones did not respond to temperature, one was less likely to escape at 16 degrees C), and between aphid clone and ladybird presence (some clones showed greater changes in escape behaviour in response to the presence of foraging coccinellids than others). Therefore, while larger temperature differences may alter interactions between Acyrthosiphon pisum and an entomopathogen, there is little evidence to suggest that smaller changes in temperature will alter pea aphid-natural enemy interactions.     

Linoleic acid biosynthesis in the pea aphid,Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris)

The pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) incorporated [1-¹⁴C]acetate into a phospholipid dienoic fatty acid in a time-dependent manner. In 2-h incubations, the incorporation of radioactivity into the 18:2 fraction was minimal, whereas after 45 h 18:2 was the major fatty acid labeled. Ozonolysis of the isolated dienoic fatty acid methyl ester followed by radio-gas-liquid chromatography showed that radioactivity was associated with fragments containing carbons 1–9 and 13–18. These data established the location of the double bonds in the 9,12 positions and indicated that the entire molecule was labeled from [1-¹⁴C]acetate. Tetracycline-treated aphids synthesized linoleic acid in the same proportions as untreated controls. Scanning electron microscopy showed that over 50% of the treated insects had greatly reduced numbers of intracellular symbiotes or lacked them or most of the existing symbiotes had an abnormal appearance. Therefore, we conclude that intracellular symbiotes are not involved in the biosynthesis of linoleic acid in the pea aphid.     

豌豆蚜基因组P450基因家族的分析

细胞色素P450在各种内源和外源物质代谢中起着非常重要的作用。利用豌豆蚜Acyrthosiphon pisum基因组mRNA和氨基酸数据库研究P450基因功能的进化规律。通过生物信息学方法对豌豆蚜全基因组P450进行分析, 结果显示: 在豌豆蚜基因组中发现69个P450基因, 它们分别属于13个P450家族和18个亚家族, 是一个典型的多基因家族。进一步将这些基因与豌豆蚜ESTs数据库进行了比对分析, 其中39个候选基因有EST证据, 证明了这些P450基因在转录水平的真实性。以氨基酸相似度大于60%为标准对豌豆蚜基因组中P450基因进行分组, 69个P450基因中, 除18个基因序列因差异太大, 不能被归入任何一组, 其余51个可归入10个组, 其中8个组(包含47条序列)适合于正选择和基因转换分析。正选择和基因转换分析结果表明: 仅有1个组(含9个基因)显著受到正选择压力作用, 正选择概率大于95%的氨基酸位点分别是20T和27N, 20T位于底物识别位点SRS1, 27N位于D. helix; 有3个组(包含8个基因）显示显著的基因转换事件。 参与基因转换的基因均为CYP4家族成员, 分别是CYP4C, CYP4G和CYP4V亚家族。 参与基因转换的成员之间的蛋白相似度较高（70％~95％）, 且XM_001944991与XM_001951794同存在于SCAFFOLD12542上, XM_001945510与XM_001944057同存在于SCAFFOLD7010上。这可能暗示豌豆蚜P450基因通过基因复制, 然后通过基因转换使P450获得新的功能, 以适应多变的生存环境。此外, 鉴定出20个不同的基序, 其中有5条基序在90％以上的基因中出现。      

Rapid response to intraclonal selection in the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum)

Summary Pea aphids show intraclonal variability in antipredator behaviour. Among the offspring of a single parthenogenetically reproducing female, some individuals drop from the plant in response to alarm pheromone while others remain on the plant. We demonstrate that this intraclonal behavioural variability can be altered by selection. The proportion of aphids dropping in response to alarm pheromone was significantly greater in lines in which this behaviour was selected than in clonally identical lines in which the opposite phenotype was favoured. This change occurred within one generation and could not be attributed to grand-maternal effects, nor to environmental effects. These results demonstrate the ability of clonal aphids to adapt to changes in the environment within a single generation.     

Multi-approach comparative study of the two most prevalent genotypes of pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Chile

The pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris, is able to colonize various habitats and form genetically distinct biotypes worldwide. In Chile, few genotypes are dominating in space and time and are qualified as “superclones”. Here, we compared in the laboratory different biological features of the most common clones of A. pisum collected from pea (Ap1) and alfalfa (Ap2) fields, in order to gain some insight on their differential ability to colonize broad bean plants. We also studied their probing behavior, profiled their proteome and characterized their community of endosymbionts. We found that the Ap1 genotype performed better on Vicia faba and realized more salivation events in phloem than Ap2. In addition, Ap1 presented a higher prevalence of the endosymbiont Serratia symbiotica. Among the total of 40 proteins that were differentially expressed, 14 and 26 were upregulated in Ap1 and Ap2 genotypes, respectively. The symbionin from Buchnera aphidicola was found to be upregulated in Ap1. A field experiment showed that both genotypes were able to colonize wild legumes, with Ap1 reproducing better on Vicia nigricans than Ap2. However, Ap2 exhibited higher reproduction in the other three wild legumes, suggesting higher invasiveness capacity on wild plants. Variation in the ability to colonize, feeding behavior and the putative involvement of differentially regulated proteins between Ap1 and Ap2 are discussed in relation to their respective endosymbiotic composition, nutritional lifestyle and consequences on their “superclone” status.     

Midgut adaptation and digestive enzyme distribution in a phloem feeding insect,the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum

Transmission electron micrographs of the pea aphid midgut revealed that its anterior region has cells with an apical complex network of lamellae (apical lamellae) instead of the usual regularly-arranged microvilli. These apical lamellae are linked to one another by trabeculae. Modified perimicrovillar membranes (MPM) are associated with the lamellae and project into the lumen. Trabeculae and MPM become less conspicuous along the midgut. The most active A. pisum digestive enzymes are membrane-bound. An aminopeptidase (APN) is described elsewhere. An alpha-glucosidase (alpha-Glu) has a molecular mass of 72 kDa, pH optimum 6.0 and catalyzes in vitro transglycosylations in the presence of an excess of the substrate sucrose. There is a major cysteine proteinase activity (CP) on protein substrates that has a molecular mass of 40 kDa, pH optimum 5.5, is inhibited by E-64 and chymostatin and is activated by EDTA+cysteine. The enzyme is more active against carbobenzoxy-Phe-Arg-4-methylcoumarin-7-amide (ZFRMCA) than against ZRRMCA. These features identify the purified CP as a cathepsin-L-like cysteine proteinase. Most CP is found in the anterior midgut, whereas alpha-Glu and APN predominate in the posterior midgut. With the aid of antibodies, alpha-Glu and CP were immunolocalized in cell vesicles and MPM, whereas APN was localized in vesicles, apical lamellae and MPM. The data suggest that the anterior midgut is structurally reinforced to resist osmotic pressures and that the transglycosylating alpha-Glu, together with CP and APN are bound to MPM, thus being both distributed over a large surface and prevented from excretion with honeydew. alpha-Glu frees glucose from sucrose without increasing the osmolarity, and CP and APN may process toxins or other proteins occasionally present in phloem.     

豌豆蚜触角转录组化学感受蛋白的鉴定、表达和结合特性分析

[目的]本研究旨在鉴定豌豆蚜Acyrthosiphon pisum触角转录组中化学感受蛋白(chemosensory protein,CSP)基因,明确触角中高表达的豌豆蚜CSP蛋白与蚜虫报警信息素、性信息素以及植物挥发物的分子结合特性.[方法]通过对豌豆蚜成蚜触角进行转录组测序,鉴定触角中候选CSP基因;采用RPKM...     

Transmission of symbiotic bacteria Buchnera to parthenogenetic embryos in the aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea)

All phloem-feeding aphids have an absolute requirement for their primary bacterial symbionts Buchnera sp. The bacteria are transmitted vertically to either embryos in the viviparous morph or to eggs in the oviparous morph, with the implication that the symbiont population regularly passes through a genetic 'bottleneck', i.e. only a small proportion of the maternal symbiont population is transmitted to offspring. In this paper, we visualise this process in viviparous aphids using a specific immunolabelling technique for Buchnera. The images show a stream of bacteria originating from a single mycetocyte and entering the embryo, possibly via a membranous conduit, and individual bacterial cells free in the haemocoel of the aphid. Staining within the embryo blastoderm suggests over expression of antigen, perhaps indicative of rapid bacterial division immediately following infection.     

Entomopathogenic fungi stimulate transgenerational wing induction in pea aphids,Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

1. Aphid natural enemies include not only predators and parasitoids but also pathogens, of which fungi are the most studied for biological control. While wing formation in aphids is induced by abiotic conditions, it is also affected by biotic interactions with their arthropod natural enemies. Wing induction via interactions with arthropod natural enemies is mediated by the increase in their physical contact when alarmed (pseudo‐crowding). Pathogenic fungi do not trigger this alarm behaviour in aphids and, therefore, no pseudo‐crowding occurs. 2. We hypothesise that, while pathogenic fungi will stimulate maternally induced wing formation, the mechanism is different and is influenced by pathogen specificity. We tested this hypothesis using two entomopathogenic fungi, Pandora neoaphidis and Beauveria bassiana, an aphid specialist and a generalist respectively, on the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris. 3. We first demonstrate that pea aphids infected with either pathogen and maintained in groups on broad bean plants produced a higher proportion of winged morphs than uninfected control aphids. We then show that, when maintained in isolation, aphids infected with either pathogen also produced higher proportions of winged offspring than control aphids. There was no difference between P. neoaphidis and B. bassiana in their effects on wing induction in either experiment. 4. Unlike the effect of predators and parasitoids on pea aphid wing induction, the effect of pathogens is independent of physical contact with other aphids, suggesting that physiological cues induce wing formation in infected aphids. It is possible that aphids benefit from wing induction by escaping infected patches whilst pathogens may benefit through dispersion. Possible mechanisms of wing induction are discussed.     

有翅和无翅豌豆蚜中翅型分化信号通路相关微小RNA及其靶基因的表达差异

【目的】前期研究发现麦长管蚜Sitobion avenae孤雌蚜有翅和无翅个体中存在很多差异表达的微小RNA(microRNA, miRNA),本研究旨在进一步明确这些miRNA在豌豆蚜Acyrthosiphon pisum中发挥作用的发育阶段,探索miRNA调控孤雌蚜翅两型性分化的机制。【方法】选择在麦长管蚜有翅蚜和无翅蚜中显著差异表达,且靶基因为蜕皮激素、胰岛素信号通路及翅型发育关键基因的5个miRNA(Let-7,miR-92a, miR-92b, miR-92a-1-p5和miR-277),利用qPCR检测这些miRNA及其靶标基因在豌豆蚜3-4龄若蚜和成虫有翅和无翅个体中的表达谱;同时利用双荧光素酶活性检测法对上述miRNA的靶基因进行验证。【结果】表达谱分析发现,这5个miRNA在豌豆蚜成虫中表达量均高于其在若蚜中的表达量,而其预测的靶基因在4龄若蚜中的表达量均高于其在成虫中的表达量,表明miRNA对其靶基因的调控作用可能集中在成虫阶段。分析豌豆蚜有翅和无翅个体中5个miRNA的表达情况发现,在成虫有翅个体中5个miRNA的表达量均高于无翅个体中的,其中miR-277表达差异最显著,成虫有翅个体中的表达量是无翅个体中表达量的7.5倍;其次为Let-7,表达差异达3倍。而Let-7在3龄有翅若蚜和无翅若蚜中表达差异最显著,有翅个体中的表达量是无翅个体中的37.8倍;其次为miR-277,表达差异达7.6倍。比较5个miRNA与其靶基因在豌豆蚜3-4龄若蚜及成虫有翅和无翅个体中的表达发现,miRNA Let-7和miR-92b的表达趋势分别与其靶基因abrupt和Foxo的基本相反。荧光素酶活性检测结果显示,Let-7的真实靶标为abrupt,共转染Let-7模拟物后与对照相比,荧光素酶活性下降53%,达极显著水平。其他miRNA与靶标基因的互作不显著。【结论】首次发现miRNA对豌豆蚜孤雌蚜翅型分化相关基因的调控可能发生在成虫阶段。Let-7可能通过调控abrupt基因参与孤雌蚜翅型分化。该研究为进一步探索miRNA参与孤雌蚜翅两型性分化的机制奠定了基础。     

Application of DL-beta-aminobutyric acid (BABA) as a root drench to legumes inhibits the growth and reproduction of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

DL-beta-aminobutyric acid (BABA) is a non-protein amino acid that is an effective inducer of resistance against a variety of plant pathogens. However, examples of BABA-induced resistance against insect herbivores have not been reported. We applied BABA as a soil drench to legumes and monitored its effects on the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris). On tic bean (Vicia faba var. minor), BABA increased aphid mortality, caused a reduction in the mean relative growth rate of individual insects and lessened the intrinsic rate of population increase (rm). BABA also caused significant reductions in the growth rate of A. pisum on pea (Pisum sativa), broad bean (Vicia faba var. major), runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus), red clover (Trifolium pratense) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa). No direct toxic effects of BABA against A. pisum were found, and no phytotoxic effects that may have caused a reduction in aphid performance were detected. Possible mechanisms behind this BABA-induced inhibition of aphid performance are discussed.     

A sex-linked locus controls wing polymorphism in males of the pea aphid,Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris)

Discrete variation in wing morphology is a very common phenomenon in insects and has been used extensively in the past 50 years as a model to study the ecology and evolution of dispersal. Wing morph determination can be purely genetic, purely environmental, or some combination of the two. The precise genetic determinants of genetically based wing morph variation are unknown. Here we explore the genetic basis of wing polymorphism in the pea aphid, which can produce either winged or wingless males. We confirm that three types of pea aphid clones coexist in natural populations, those producing winged males only, those producing wingless males only, and those producing a mixture of both. A Mendelian genetic analysis reveals that male wing polymorphism in pea aphids is determined by a single locus, two alleles system. Using microsatellite loci of known location, we show that this locus is on the X chromosome. The existence of a simple genetic determinism for wing polymorphism in a system in which genetic investigation is possible may help investigations on the physiological and molecular mechanisms of genetically-based wing morph variation. This locus could also be used in the search for genes involved in the wing polyphenism described in parthenogenetic females and to investigate the interplay between polymorphisms and polyphenisms.     

MicroRNA通路中的关键因子Dicer-1和Argonaute-1对豌豆蚜免疫防御的影响

【目的】研究microRNA(miRNA)通路中两个关键组分Dicer-1和Argonaute-1(Ago-1)在豌豆蚜Acyrthosiphon pisum抵御细菌和真菌侵染中的作用,加深对豌豆蚜免疫防御系统的了解。【方法】用qRT-PCR检测细菌金黄色葡萄球菌Staphylococcus aureus和大肠杆菌Escherichia coli以及真菌球孢白僵菌Beauveria bassiana分别侵染后豌豆蚜成蚜体内Dicer-1和Ago-1的表达量;通过注射法利用RNAi技术对豌豆蚜成蚜Dicer-1和Ago-1进行沉默后,感染金黄色葡萄球菌、大肠杆菌和球孢白僵菌,检测豌豆蚜体内细菌和真菌的增殖和统计豌豆蚜成蚜存活率。【结果】与0.85% NaCl溶液处理的对照组相比,金黄色葡萄球菌、大肠杆菌和球孢白僵菌侵染豌豆蚜成蚜后,其体内Dicer-1和Ago-1的表达量发生了一定程度的上调。RNAi干扰Dicer-1后,感染金黄色葡萄球菌36 h时豌豆蚜成蚜中细菌菌落数显著高于对照组(注射dsLTA)的,但感染后7 d时的存活率与对照组无显著差异;感染大肠杆菌12和24 h时豌豆蚜成蚜体内的细菌菌落数均显著高于对照组的,但感染后7 d时的存活率显著低于对照组的;感染球孢白僵菌后6 d,豌豆蚜成蚜体内真菌孢子数显著高于对照组的,但感染后7 d时的存活率显著低于对照组的。RNAi敲降Ago-1后感染金黄色葡萄球菌,豌豆蚜成蚜体内细菌菌落数在36 h时显著高于对照组的,但感染后7 d时的存活率显著低于对照组的;感染大肠杆菌后,在24 h时豌豆蚜成蚜体内细菌菌落数显著高于对照组的,感染后7 d时的存活率略低于对照组的,但无显著差异;感染球孢白僵菌后6 d,豌豆蚜成蚜体内真菌孢子数显著高于对照组的,但感染后7 d时的存活率显著低于对照组的。【结论】豌豆蚜miRNA通路中的两个关键组分Dicer-1和Ago-1参与了豌豆蚜抵御细菌和真菌侵染的免疫防御反应,尤其在抵御真菌的防御反应中有重要作用。