The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is an important agricultural pest with a wide range of host plants. To study effects of host species on the life history traits of M. persicae, aphids were individually reared on five host plants: Brassica campestris L. (Brassicales: Brassicaceae), Capsicum annuum L. (Tubiflorae: Solanaceae), Nicotiana tabacum L. (Tubiflorae: Solanaceae), Raphanus sativus L. (Brassicales: Brassicaceae), and Vicia faba L. (Rosales: Leguminosae). TWOSEX-MSchart software was used for the statistical analysis according to the age-stage, two-sex life table theory. The results showed that the shortest preadult stage and adult/total prereproductive period of M. persicae were 6.48, 0.19, and 6.67 d on V. faba, respectively. While the adult and total longevity of M. persicae on R. sativus (25.00 and 31.62 d) and N. tabacum (24.40 and 30.56 d) were significantly longer than that on the other three hosts, as was the reproductive period. The fecundity of M. persicae on R. sativus (80.83 nymphs per female), N. tabacum (71.72 nymphs per female), and V. faba (70.39 nymphs per female) was also greater than that on B. campestris and C. annuum. It was demonstrated that V. faba, R. sativus, and N. tabacum were more suitable plants for the growth of M. persicae exhibiting a shorter preadult stage, longer longevity, and greater fecundity than the remaining two species, as confirmed by the higher intrinsic rate of increase and net reproductive rate.
Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in many fundamental biological processes, such as transcription regulation, protein degradation, and cell differentiation. Information on lncRNA in the melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett) is currently limited. Results: We constructed 24 RNA-seq libraries from eight tissues (midgut, Malpighian tubules, fat body, ovary, and testis) of Z. cucurbitae adults. A total of 3124 lncRNA transcripts were identified. Among those, 1464 were lincRNAs, 1037 were intronic lncRNAs, 301 were anti-sense lncRNAs, and 322 were sense lncRNAs. The majority of lncRNAs contained two exons and one isoform. Differentially expressed lncRNAs were analyzed between tissues, and Malpighian tubules versus testis had the largest number. Some lncRNAs exhibited strong tissue specificity. Specifically expressed lncRNAs were identified and filtered in tissues of female and male Z. cucurbitae based on their expression levels. Four midgut-specific lncRNAs were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and the data were consistent with RNA-seq data. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses of targets of midgut-specific lncRNAs indicated an enrichment of the metabolic process. Conclusions: This was the first systematic identification of lncRNA in the melon fly. Expressions of lncRNAs in multiple adult tissues were evaluated by quantitative transcriptomic analysis. These qualitative and quantitative analyses of lncRNAs, especially the tissue-specific lncRNAs in Z. cucurbitae, provide useful data for further functional studies.
Vitellogenin (Vg) genes encode the major egg yolk protein precursor in arthropods. In this study, four Vgs were identified in Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett). Sequence analysis showed that four ZcVgs had the conserved Vg domain. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that four ZcVgs were homologous to the Vgs of Tephritidae insects. The temporal and spatial expression patterns of ZcVgs were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and the four ZcVgs showed high expression levels in female adults, especially in the fat body. The expression of ZcVg1 and ZcVg3 was down-regulated by a low dosage (0.5 μg) of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), and ZcVg2, ZcVg3, and ZcVg4 were up-regulated by a high dosage (1.0 and 2.0 μg) of 20E. The expression of ZcVg1 and ZcVg2 was up-regulated by 5 μg of juvenile hormone (JH), while all of the ZcVgs were down-regulated by a low and high dosage of JH. Expression of ZcVgs was down-regulated after 24 h of starvation and recovered to normal after nutritional supplementation. After micro-injection of the gene-specific double-stranded RNA, the ZcVgs’ expression was significantly suppressed, and ovarian development was delayed in Z. cucurbitae females. The results indicate that RNA interference of reproduction-related genes is a potential pest control method that works by manipulating female fertility.
Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) generally display tissue‐specific distributions, and testis‐specific lncRNAs form the highest proportion of lncRNAs in many species. Here, we presented a detailed analysis of testis‐specific lncRNAs in the melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae, a highly destructive insect pest of cucurbitaceous and other related crops. Most testis‐specific lncRNAs were found to be long intergenic non‐coding RNAs (lincRNA). The size distribution of these lncRNAs ranged between 600 and 1000 nucleotides. Testis‐specific lncRNAs that harboured one isoform number and two exons were the most abundant. Compared to other male tissues, the testis had more highly expressed lncRNAs. The quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction results of 10 randomly selected testis‐specific lncRNAs showed expression patterns consistent with RNA‐seq data. Further analysis of the most highly expressed testis‐specific lncRNA, lnc94638, was undertaken. Fluorescent in situ hybridization assays localized lnc94638 to the apical region of the testis that contains mature spermatozoa. RNA interference‐mediated knockdown of lnc94638 expression reduced spermatozoa numbers and impaired the fertility of Z. cucurbitae male. This study provides a catalogue of testis‐specific lncRNAs, shows that the testis‐specific lnc94638 is involved in spermatogenesis and has the potential to be used for treating male sterility.
Bactrocera minax (Enderlein) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is an important citrus pest in Asia with a non-uniform distribution. In some locations, it had been reported to occur but was either eradicated or disappeared itself. To understand species dispersal of B. minax, we collected and analyzed 359 individuals from 18 localities in China. One mitochondrial DNA gene fragment (nad4) was used to investigate the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of B. minax. The populations were divided by phylogenetic analyses and statistical parsimony haplotype networks into three branches: a Central China (CC) branch, a Western China (WC) branch, and a Southern China (SC) branch. A total of 93 variable sites (15.6% of the 595 bp alignment) and 91 unique haplotypes were observed in the 359 individuals scored from the nad4 gene of the 18 B. minax populations. This indicated that B. minax had a high level of genetic diversity. These populations also showed a discrete distribution in both the scatter plots of genetic versus geographical distance for pairwise population comparisons and the median-joining network of haplotypes, which revealed the strong genetic structure of B. minax.
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