The codling moth Cydia pomonella, a major invasive pest of pome fruit, has spread around the globe in the last half century. We generated a chromosome-level scaffold assembly including the Z chromosome and a portion of the W chromosome. This assembly reveals the duplication of an olfactory receptor gene (OR3), which we demonstrate enhances the ability of C. pomonella to exploit kairomones and pheromones in locating both host plants and mates. Genome-wide association studies contrasting insecticide-resistant and susceptible strains identify hundreds of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) potentially associated with insecticide resistance, including three SNPs found in the promoter of CYP6B2. RNAi knockdown of CYP6B2 increases C. pomonella sensitivity to two insecticides, deltamethrin and azinphos methyl. The high-quality genome assembly of C. pomonella informs the genetic basis of its invasiveness, suggesting the codling moth has distinctive capabilities and adaptive potential that may explain its worldwide expansion.

Rice stripe virus (RSV) is the type member of the genus Tenuivirus, which relies on the small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus Fallén) for its transmission in a persistent, circulative-propagative manner. To be transmitted, virus must cross the midgut and salivary glands epithelial barriers in a transcytosis mechanism where vector receptors interact with virions, and as propagative virus, RSV need utilize host components to complete viral propagation in vector cells. At present, these mechanisms remain unknown. In this paper, we screened L. striatellus proteins, separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), as potential RSV binding molecules using a virus overlay assay of protein blots. The results, five L. striatellus proteins that bound to purified RSV particles in vitro were resolved and identified using mass spectrometry. The virus-binding capacities of five proteins were further elucidated in yeast two-hybrid screen (YTHS) and virus-binding experiments of expressed proteins. Among five proteins, the receptor for activated protein kinase C (RACK) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH3) did not interact with RSV nucleocapsid protein (NCP) in YTHS and in far-Western blot, and three ribosomal proteins (RPL5, RPL7a and RPL8) had specific interactions with RSV. In dot immunobinding assay (DIBA), all five proteins were able to bind to RSV particles. The five proteins' potential contributions to the interactions between RSV and L. striatellus were discussed. We proposed that RACK and GAPDH3 might be involved in the epithelial transcytosis of virus particles, and three ribosomal proteins probably played potential crucial roles in the infection and propagation of RSV in vector cells.

Field bindweed, a member of the Convolvulaceae family, is a problematic perennial weed in cotton fields and orchards in northwest China. The species exhibits strong seed dormancy, causing delayed germination. A clear understanding of the mechanisms involved in alleviating seed dormancy is important for effective plant propagation and successful management of field bindweed. Experiments were conducted to investigate seed germination and radicle growth of field bindweed by breaking seed dormancy using mechanical scarification, sulfuric acid, hot-water scarification, cold stratification, and chemical treatment. Chemical treatments (gibberellic acid or potassium nitrate) had no effect on breaking seed dormancy, whereas mechanical scarification (sandpaper and blade) resulted in 92% to 98% seed germination, indicating that seed dormancy of field bindweed was mainly due to the presence of a hard seed coat. Seeds pretreated with 80% sulfuric acid for 15 to 60 min or 98% sulfuric acid for 15 to 30 min had germination rates above 80%, and soaking seeds in 70 C water for 4 to 16 min or in boiling water for 5 to 20s were effective in breaking seed dormancy but had no effect on the radicle growth of field bindweed. Cold stratification at 5 C for 2 to 8wk partially accelerated seed dormancy release, resulting in 53% to 67% seed germination. Results indicated that field bindweed could potentially form a persistent soil seed bank with physically dormant seed; therefore, strategies for eliminating seed production should be adopted.