Unveiling the Genetic Symphony: Harnessing CRISPR-Cas Genome Editing for Effective Insect Pest Management

The biochemical and molecular mechanisms of plants: a review on insect herbivory

Biochemical and molecular mechanisms have been essential mechanisms to reduce various insect attacks on plants. The biochemical methods are wide involving direct and indirect defenses. The defensive chemical substances are secreted effectively to the wound caused by the herbivores (insects and phytopathogens) on plants. Plants responded by producing VOCs which draw the natural enemies of the insects and phytopathogens. The progress observed in the cognition of the stimulus in plants and their potential to control the responses is characterized by the modification observed in molecular mechanisms which shifts our attention to the development of the endogenous resistance methods of preserving crops. The main objective of implementing a biotechnological mechanism in crop production is to employ durable and multimechanistic alternatives to insect pests via the stimulus the plant produces upon encountering the insect attack.

Plant Defense Responses to Insect Herbivores Through Molecular Signaling, Secondary Metabolites, and Associated Epigenetic Regulation

Over millions of years of interactions, plants have developed complex defense mechanisms to counteract diverse insect herbivory strategies. These defenses encompass morphological, biochemical, and molecular adaptations that mitigate the impacts of herbivore attacks. Physical barriers, such as spines, trichomes, and cuticle layers, deter herbivores, while biochemical defenses include the production of secondary metabolites and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The initial step in the plant's defense involves sensing mechanical damage and chemical cues, including herbivore oral secretions and herbivore-induced VOCs. This triggers changes in plasma membrane potential driven by ion fluxes across plant cell membranes, activating complex signal transduction pathways. Key hormonal mediators, such as jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, and ethylene, orchestrate downstream defense responses, including VOC release and secondary metabolites biosynthesis. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of plant responses to herbivory, emphasizing early and late defense mechanisms, encompassing physical barriers, signal transduction cascades, secondary metabolites synthesis, phytohormone signaling, and epigenetic regulation.

Gene editing in agricultural, health, and veterinary pest arthropods: recent advances

Pest arthropods cause significant crop damage or are vectors of pathogens for both plants and animals. The current standard of pest management prevents against crop losses and protects human and animal health, but shortcomings exist, such as insecticide resistance and environmental damage to nontarget organisms. New management methods are therefore needed. The development of new tools, such as site-specific gene editing, has accelerated the study of gene function and phenotype in nonmodel arthropod species and may enable the development of new strategies for pathogen and arthropod control. Here, the most recent developments in gene editing in arthropod pests are briefly reviewed. Additionally, technological advances that could be applicable to new species or enhance the success rates of gene editing in species with already established protocols are highlighted.

Research Progress on Plant Responses to Stress Combinations in the Context of Climate Change

In the context of climate change, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are increasing, environmental pollution and global warming are exacerbated by anthropogenic activities, and plants will experience a more complex and variable environment of stress combinations. Research on plant responses to stress combinations is crucial for the development and utilization of climate-adaptive plants. Recently, the concept of stress combinations has been expanded from simple to multifactorial stress combinations (MFSCs). Researchers have realized the complexity and necessity of stress combination research and have extensively employed composite gradient methods, multi-omics techniques, and interdisciplinary approaches to integrate laboratory and field experiments. Researchers have studied the response mechanisms of plant reactive oxygen species (ROS), phytohormones, transcription factors (TFs), and other response mechanisms under stress combinations and reached some generalized conclusions. In this article, we focus on the research progress and methodological dynamics of plant responses to stress combinations and propose key scientific questions that are crucial to address, in the context of plant responses to stress assemblages, conserving biodiversity, and ensuring food security. We can enhance the search for universal pathways, identify targets for stress combinations, explore adaptive genetic responses, and leverage high-technology research. This is in pursuit of cultivating plants with greater tolerance to stress combinations and enabling their adaptation to and mitigation of the impacts of climate change.