Journal of insect physiology最新文献

Diapause history has lasting effects on adult brain gene expression in monarch butterflies 滞育史对黑脉金斑蝶成虫脑基因表达有持久影响。

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-10-20 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104893

Samuel M. Stratton, Delbert A. Green II

{"title":"Diapause history has lasting effects on adult brain gene expression in monarch butterflies","authors":"Samuel M. Stratton, Delbert A. Green II","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104893","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104893","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diapause is an environmentally induced, transcriptionally driven alternative developmental program that enables organisms to withstand adverse environmental conditions. The lasting consequences of diapause experience once development is resumed in permissible conditions have not been extensively explored. The monarch butterfly provides an interesting system to address this question as reproductive diapause is a critical component of their annual North American migration. Post-diapause female monarchs remigrate to the southern US after mating at overwintering sites in Mexico yet show evidence of potentially increased robustness (greater reproductive capacity and longevity) compared to summer non-migratory monarchs. Here we further investigate the phenotypic effects of diapause experience on monarch butterflies. Monarchs reared under different pre-adult conditions, either natural fall (diapause inducing) or laboratory summer-like (non-diapause development), were shifted to identical natural fall conditions upon eclosion and then assayed for adult brain transcription under identical controlled conditions. We find that fall conditions during pre-adult development are necessary to induce diapause. Diapause history is a strong predictor of adult brain transcription. Post-diapause individuals retained signatures of diapause maintenance-like processes, such as altered protein production, mitochondrial metabolism, and lipid regulation. However, the post-diapause response is transcriptionally distinct. Genes related to translation, with particular emphasis on mitochondrial ribosomal proteins, have increased expression post-diapause, while genes enriched for phospholipid metabolism and neurodevelopmental function have decreased expression in post-diapause individuals. Post-diapause individuals also show evidence of enhanced stress response and mechanisms that promote longevity. Overall, diapause history has lasting consequences on environmental response that may impact monarchs’ remigratory flights.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"167 ","pages":"Article 104893"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145337116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Urban substrates alter the nutritional composition of an emerging model insect, Tenebrio molitor 城市基质改变了新兴模式昆虫黄粉虫的营养成分。

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-10-03 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104892

Rory Lockett , Milena Figueiredo de Sousa , Katherine A Nicoluzakis , Arianne Cease , Karen L Sweazea

{"title":"Urban substrates alter the nutritional composition of an emerging model insect, Tenebrio molitor","authors":"Rory Lockett , Milena Figueiredo de Sousa , Katherine A Nicoluzakis , Arianne Cease , Karen L Sweazea","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104892","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104892","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although mealworms (<em>Tenebrio molitor</em>) typically consume grains, studies reveal they also consume decaying plant matter, animal waste, and even plastics. The goal of this work was to study mealworms as an emerging model organism to understand how feeding in an urban environment impacts the nutritional composition of insects. We evenly divided 3500 mealworms among each of the following seven substrates designed to model potential food sources in urban versus more natural areas: wheat germ (control); Styrofoam (STY); mixture of soil, grasses, and leaves from urban (UL) or rural lawns (RL); wheat germ with carrot slices (WG + CAR); and organic potting soil in the absence (PS) or presence of Turf Builder (PS + TB). Mealworms were fed for three weeks, after which we measured whole body mass, protein, crude fat, total sugars, glucose, water, and oxidized lipoproteins. No significant differences in nutrient composition were found between mealworms fed soil or lawn substrates. Mealworms fed PS, PS + TB or WG + CAR had lower oxidized lipoproteins compared to the WG diet, likely attributed to antioxidants present in PS and carrots. Mealworms consuming soils or lawns were relatively deficient in proteins, fats, and sugar nutrients compared to WG or WG + CAR, although they maintained higher water content. In contrast, mealworms consuming Styrofoam contained less dietary fat and total sugars than WG or WG + CAR, and less water, but more crude fat, than either soil substrate. These findings demonstrate that mealworms consuming urban-associated substrates (i.e. potting soil, lawns, Styrofoam) are nutritionally deficient compared to those consuming wheat germ with or without carrots.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 104892"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145232645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

A piRNA modulates the levels of 20-hydroxyecdysone in the ovary of the German cockroach 一种piRNA调节德国蟑螂卵巢中20-羟基蜕皮激素的水平。

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-09-26 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104891

Judit Gonzalvo , Nuria Farrus , Jorge Escudero , Petra Berková , Martin Moos , Marcela Nouzova , Fernando G. Noriega , David Pujal , Josep Bau , Maria-Dolors Piulachs

{"title":"A piRNA modulates the levels of 20-hydroxyecdysone in the ovary of the German cockroach","authors":"Judit Gonzalvo , Nuria Farrus , Jorge Escudero , Petra Berková , Martin Moos , Marcela Nouzova , Fernando G. Noriega , David Pujal , Josep Bau , Maria-Dolors Piulachs","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104891","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104891","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, typically 26 to 31 nucleotides long, originally known for silencing transposable elements (TEs), thus maintaining genomic stability. However, recent research has revealed additional regulatory roles. In this study, we investigate piRNA-305221, which is highly expressed in the ovaries of the German cockroach, <em>Blattella germanica</em>, to understand its involvement in oogenesis and reproduction. piRNA-305221 is found in germinal and somatic cells during the gonadotropic cycle, and is maternally provided to the egg. Its expression correlates with critical ovarian events, such as endoreplication and follicular cell differentiation, suggesting regulatory functions beyond TE silencing. Functional knockdown using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) resulted in delayed oviposition, malformed oothecae, and reduced offspring viability. Gene expression analysis revealed that the reduction of piRNA-305221 decreased <em>shade</em> (Cyp314a1) mRNA levels, impairing the conversion of ecdysone to its active form, 20-hydroxyecdysone, and a concomitant increase in expression of upstream steroidogenic genes (<em>spook</em> (Cyp307a1), <em>phantom</em> (Cyp306a1), <em>disembodied</em> (Cyp302a1)). These results indicate that piRNA-305221 may regulate steroidogenesis through direct or indirect control of mRNA targets. This study highlights the broader regulatory functions of piRNAs and demonstrates the utility of ASO-mediated knockdown in functional studies of non-coding RNAs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 104891"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Lifespan after desiccation stress is genetically variable and partially associated to head traits in a set of recombinant lines in Drosophila melanogaster 干燥胁迫后的寿命在遗传上是可变的，部分与黑腹果蝇重组系的头部性状有关

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-09-24 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104890

María C. Viegas , Federico H. Gomez , Mariana Loyo Anguiano, Fabian M. Norry

{"title":"Lifespan after desiccation stress is genetically variable and partially associated to head traits in a set of recombinant lines in Drosophila melanogaster","authors":"María C. Viegas , Federico H. Gomez , Mariana Loyo Anguiano, Fabian M. Norry","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104890","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104890","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Desiccation stress is one of the most critical stress forms in terrestrial environments under climate change and global warming. To search for genetic variation and any possible associations between lifespan after desiccation and two morphometric traits of head in flies, we used two sets of recombinant inbred lines (RIL) of <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em>. Desiccation survival was measured as lifespan at 25 °C by exposing flies to a desiccation environment for 1.5 h at 2, 4, and 6 days of age. This desiccation treatment decreased dramatically (2.5 times, in average) lifespan in treated flies as compared to control flies. There was high variation in desiccation survival across lines within each of two RIL panels, with mean survival ranging between 5 and 27 days across RIL. Composite interval mapping revealed 5 QTLs, all of them on chromosome 2 in females. The genetic basis of survival after desiccation episodes was found to be partially different from the genetic basis of survival under permanent desiccation studied previously in these RIL. Desiccation survival (lifespan after desiccation stress) was significantly correlated not to body size but rather to two parts of the head capsule that are well known to be related in a trade-off in Drosophila: frons and eye size. These associations between lifespan and head morphology appeared after non-lethal desiccation episodes rather than under permanent desiccation stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 104890"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145155602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Cinnabar-dependent eye pigmentation mediates light input for circadian behavior synchronization in Spodoptera frugiperda 朱砂依赖性眼睛色素沉着介导了夜蛾昼夜行为同步的光输入

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-09-20 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104888

Zi-Jing Zheng , Shen-Lei Li , Shu-Ting Fan , Ze-Yuan Zhang , Shang-Huan Huang , Xi-Yu Ye , Guan-Heng Zhu

{"title":"Cinnabar-dependent eye pigmentation mediates light input for circadian behavior synchronization in Spodoptera frugiperda","authors":"Zi-Jing Zheng , Shen-Lei Li , Shu-Ting Fan , Ze-Yuan Zhang , Shang-Huan Huang , Xi-Yu Ye , Guan-Heng Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104888","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104888","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The fall armyworm, <em>Spodoptera frugiperda</em>, is a key lepidopteran pest of numerous agricultural and industrial crops worldwide. The effects of environmental factors, such as light, on the behavior of the fall armyworm have been poorly studied. Here, in this study, CRISPR/Cas9 was employed to generate a germline knockout of the eye color genes, <em>cinnabar</em> and <em>cardinal</em>. The homozygous <em>cinnabar</em> mutants (<em>cin<sup>−/−</sup></em>) initially exhibited a pale-yellow eye phenotype, which gradually deepened to red over time, while wild-type with black compound eyes. The <em>cin<sup>−/−</sup></em> were used for behavioral observations, indicating that adult mutants exhibited abnormal rhythmic patterns in eclosion, mating, and oviposition behaviors, suggesting that rhythmicity was significantly disrupted due to the loss of eye pigmentation. At two days post-eclosion observation of paraffin sections revealed that the pigment in the compound eye almost completely disappeared. Further, real-time quantitative PCR revealed that the expression of photosensitive and rhythm genes was completely disordered. These findings showed that the presence of <em>cinnabar</em> is essential for the color of the compound eye and is necessary for the fall armyworm to adjust the rhythms by sensing light through compound eye pigmentation, providing new insights into the relationship between eye and circadian rhythms in insects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 104888"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Structural organization of excretory organs in Phasmatodea based on micro-computed tomography 基于微计算机断层扫描的Phasmatodea排泄器官的结构组织

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-09-20 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104889

Matan Shelomi , Fabian Bäumler , Thies H. Büscher

引用次数: 0

Arachidonic acid regulates hormonal crosstalk to promote molting success and mediate a life-history trade-off in a wolf spider 花生四烯酸调节激素串扰促进狼蛛成功换羽和调节生活史权衡。

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-09-18 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104887

Lelei Wen , Lieping Wang , Xiaoguo Jiao , Haixin Zhang , Lang Hu , Zhilin Zhang , Baoyu Peng , Yu Peng , Changchun Li

{"title":"Arachidonic acid regulates hormonal crosstalk to promote molting success and mediate a life-history trade-off in a wolf spider","authors":"Lelei Wen , Lieping Wang , Xiaoguo Jiao , Haixin Zhang , Lang Hu , Zhilin Zhang , Baoyu Peng , Yu Peng , Changchun Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The biochemical composition of prey is a critical factor shaping the life-history strategies of obligate predators, yet the molecular mechanisms through which specific nutrients regulate complex developmental processes remain largely unknown. Using the wolf spider <em>Pardosa pseudoannulata</em> as a model, where arachidonic acid (ARA) is indispensable for preventing molting death, we integrated life-history analysis and RNA sequencing to elucidate its regulatory role. We discovered a significant life-history trade-off: while essential for survival, dietary ARA significantly prolonged early instar duration. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that ARA orchestrates a two-phase developmental strategy to resolve this conflict. The “preparation” phase, marked by the upregulation of juvenile hormone synthesis (<em>JHAMT</em>), corresponds to the developmental delay and facilitates resource accumulation. This is followed by an “execution” phase, where ARA triggers the entire ecdysone cascade, from biosynthesis (e.g., <em>Spook</em>, <em>Shade</em>) and signaling (<em>USP</em>) to catabolism (<em>CYP18A1</em>). This hormonal activation was coupled with the substantial upregulation of downstream effector genes, including dozens of cuticular proteins. Our findings indicate that ARA acts as a key signaling molecule that coordinates the hormonal crosstalk between developmental timing and molting. This study provides a comprehensive molecular model for the nutritional regulation of arthropod development, linking nutrition, physiology, and survival.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 104887"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145103002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Maxillary palp gustatory receptors mediate aphid corpses avoidance in Harmonia axyridis 上颌触须感受器介导舌蚜避尸。

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-09-17 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104886

Yi Zhang , Ya-Nan Liu , Yu-Dan Li , Tong-Xian Liu , Xing-Xing Wang

{"title":"Maxillary palp gustatory receptors mediate aphid corpses avoidance in Harmonia axyridis","authors":"Yi Zhang , Ya-Nan Liu , Yu-Dan Li , Tong-Xian Liu , Xing-Xing Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104886","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ladybird <em>Harmonia axyridis</em> is an important predatory natural enemy with a broad dietary spectrum and few avoided food sources. Nevertheless, it shows avoidance behavior toward aphid corpses, likely to minimize the risk of pathogen infection in the wild. The molecular basis of this behavior remains unclear, and gustatory receptors (GRs) are hypothesized to be involved. Here, we examined the avoidance of <em>H. axyridis</em> toward pea aphid (<em>Acyrthosiphon pisum</em>) corpses and investigated the role of candidate <em>GR</em> genes in contact chemoreception via the maxillary palps. Using SEM and immunofluorescence, we characterized the microstructure of the maxillary palps and mapped neuronal distributions. Behavioral assays combined with RNAi were performed to evaluate three candidate <em>GR</em> genes associated with corpse recognition. Our results show that feeding behavior on <em>A. pisum</em> is largely determined by gustatory input through maxillary palp contact. The palp surface is densely covered with sensilla, and internally the tissue displays a complementary distribution of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons. RNAi assays demonstrated that three <em>GR</em> genes (<em>GR2-like</em>, <em>GR28b-like</em>, and <em>GR64e-like</em>) mediate corpse avoidance. Silencing <em>GR2-like</em> alone significantly reduced avoidance, while simultaneous knockdown of <em>GR28b-like</em> and <em>GR64e-like</em> further weakened the response, suggesting functional interactions among gustatory receptors in <em>H. axyridis</em>. These findings reveal a gustatory mechanism underlying corpse avoidance in predatory insects and provide insights relevant to biological control and artificial diet development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 104886"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145086104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

An insulin-like peptide mediates trehalose storage in the western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus. 一种胰岛素样肽介导褐藻糖储存在西部褐变植物昆虫，Lygus hesperus。

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-09-15 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104885

Devin T Mazolewski, J Joe Hull, Colin S Brent, Andrew B Nuss

{"title":"An insulin-like peptide mediates trehalose storage in the western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus.","authors":"Devin T Mazolewski, J Joe Hull, Colin S Brent, Andrew B Nuss","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104885","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104885","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Insulin signaling controls many physiological processes in insects, and it has a demonstrated role in cellular uptake of circulating sugars. Although model insects have pioneered much of our understanding of insulin signaling, high throughput genetic sequencing has enabled opportunities for the physiological study of less explored insect species. Lygus hesperus, the western tarnished plant bug, is a significant agricultural pest of numerous crops and recent efforts have focused on molecular approaches for identifying new pest management strategies. In this work, three insulin like peptides (LhILP1, LhILP2, and LhILP3) were characterized from the transcriptome of L. hesperus. LhILP1 and LhILP2 structurally resemble classic insulin like peptides while LhILP3 resembles arthropod Insulin-like Growth Factors (aIGFs). All three LhILPs were primarily expressed in the head, and were observed throughout development. We examined their function by observing clearance rates of injected trehalose from the hemolymph in adult L. hesperus males following RNAi knockdown of the respective LhILPs. Untreated males cleared the trehalose within 6 h and showed a corresponding increase in glycogen content. While knockdown of LhILP1 did not impact clearance rate, knockdown of LhILP2 prevented clearance of circulating trehalose and glycogen accumulation. Knockdown of LhILP3 also prevented trehalose clearance, but this appears to be influenced by co-knockdown of LhILP2, rather than a direct effect. Head ligation stopped the release of head-produced LhILPs, preventing the clearance of injected trehalose, a condition that could be rescued with co-injection of heterologous insulin. Stage-specific expression in LhILP RNAi insects suggest that LhILPs have multiple additional roles besides hemolymph carbohydrate homeostasis in L. hesperus that remain to be explored.</p>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":" ","pages":"104885"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145080874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Improvement of RNAi efficiency by delivering of dsRNA formulated with cell-penetrating disulfide polymer in the fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda 利用细胞穿透二硫聚合物制备的dsRNA在秋粘虫体内的传递提高RNAi效率

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-09-11 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104881

Xu Wu , Wen-Mei Li , Qiang Xu , Xiao-Ping Yi , Da-He Zhang , Ming-Zhe He , Yu-Hong Ren

{"title":"Improvement of RNAi efficiency by delivering of dsRNA formulated with cell-penetrating disulfide polymer in the fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda","authors":"Xu Wu , Wen-Mei Li , Qiang Xu , Xiao-Ping Yi , Da-He Zhang , Ming-Zhe He , Yu-Hong Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104881","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104881","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>RNA interference (RNAi) has shown excellent potential for pest management worldwide. However, the application of RNAi against insects can be inefficient and unreliable. Finding a better delivery system is a crucial factor for enhancing RNAi efficacy. Here, we present a novel and effective approach of conjugating double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) with a cell-penetrating disulfide polymer (CPD) to improve dsRNA stability and RNAi efficiency. The fall armyworm (FAW), <em>Spodoptera frugiperda</em>, is a globally agricultural insect. Chitin synthase B (<em>CHSB</em>) and methoprene-tolerant (<em>Met</em>) genes, which are essential for the development and growth of FAW, were selected as target genes. The CPD was synthesized using a two-step method for dsRNA delivery. The synthesized CPD/dsRNA complex protected dsRNA from nuclease degradation. The biological application of CPD in Sf9 cells demonstrated low cytotoxicity and high cell viability. Moreover, the CPD-loaded dsRNA entered the cells within 6 h. Bioassays of FAW showed that the relative expression levels of the <em>CHSB</em> and <em>Met</em> genes were reduced. Specifically, at 72 h, the relative expression levels of the <em>CHSB</em> and <em>Met</em> genes were 48.14 % and 37.60 % of those in the control group, respectively. The weight and body length of the larvae decreased significantly, and the mortality rate of CPD/ds<em>CHSB</em> reached 30 %. This CPD was demonstrated for the first time to have excellent delivery performance in insects and is expected to become a new and effective tool for pest control, representing a significant advancement in pest management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 104881"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0