Comparison of cold hardiness and sugar content between diapausing and nondiapausing pupae of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract. To understand overwintering of the cotton boll worm Helicoverpa armigera, cold hardiness and sugar content are compared between diapausing and nondiapausing pupae. Diapausing and nondiapausing pupae reared at 20 °C under short and long photoperiods are acclimatized with a reduction of 5 °C per 5 days to 0 °C. When the acclimation temperature reaches 0 °C, the survival of diapausing pupae is assessed. The survival gradually decreases as the period of treatment progresses and approximately half survive for 112 days. However, nondiapausing pupae survive only 14 days after exposure to 0 °C. The surpercooling points of nondiapausing, diapausing and acclimatized pupae are approximately −17 °C. The major sugars contained in pupae are trehalose and glucose. Even though trehalose contents in diapausing pupae (initial level: 0.6 mg 100 mg⁻¹ fresh weight) increase significantly during cold acclimation and continue increasing until 58 days after exposure to 0 °C (maximum level: 1.8 mg 100 mg⁻¹), glucose is maintained at low levels (0.02 mg 100 mg⁻¹) for 56 days at 0 °C. However, glucose contents increase (maximum level: 0.8 mg 100 mg⁻¹) with decreasing contents of trehalose 84 days after exposure to 0 °C. Glycogen content gradually decreases during cold acclimation. When nondiapausing pupae are acclimatized with a reduction of 5 °C per 5 days to 5 °C from the beginning of pupation until the eyespots move, trehalose content increases (maximum level: 1.0 mg 100 mg⁻¹). Glucose contents in nondiapausing pupae increase before eclosion (0.09 mg 100 mg⁻¹). From these results, diapausing pupae of H. armigera can overwinter in regions where average winter temperatures are higher than 0 °C, but nondiapausing pupae cannot.     

Ridaifen-G诱导细胞死亡不依赖于细胞凋亡蛋白酶(英文)

通过对Ridaifen-G(RID-G)诱导造血细胞U937、Raji、THP-1和IM-9死亡是否需要Z-VAD-fmk(一种细胞凋亡蛋白酶抑制剂)的研究,发现RID-G以细胞凋亡蛋白酶非依存性的方式诱导细胞死亡,并伴随有线粒体功能紊乱。Z-VAD-fmk对U937细胞的死亡没有影响,但抑制etoposide诱导的细胞凋亡;DNA片段化结果表明,RID-G可破坏Raji和THP-1细胞的DNA,经RID-G处理后的U937细胞的DNA条带没有经etoposide处理的清晰。此外,Z-VAD-fmk对U937、THP-1和Raji细胞DNA的片段化程度有不同的影响,抑制细胞死亡。这些结果表明,RID-G诱导的非典型细胞死亡不依赖于caspase,且伴随有线粒体功能紊乱。