Efficacy and safety of intrathecal pemetrexed for TKI-failed leptomeningeal metastases from EGFR+ NSCLC: an expanded, single-arm, phase II clinical trial

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intrathecal pemetrexed (IP) for treating patients with leptomeningeal metastases (LM) from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who progressed from epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment in an expanded, prospective, single-arm, phase II clinical study (ChiCTR1800016615).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with confirmed NSCLC-LM who progressed from TKI received IP (50 mg, day 1/day 5 for 1 week, then every 3 weeks for four cycles, and then once monthly) until disease progression or intolerance. Objectives were to assess overall survival (OS), response rate, and safety. Measurable lesions were assessed by investigator according to RECIST version 1.1. LM were assessed according to the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria.

RESULTS

The study included 132 patients; 68% were female and median age was 52 years (31-74 years). The median OS was 12 months (95% confidence interval 10.4-13.6 months), RANO-assessed response rate was 80.3% (106/132), and the most common adverse event was myelosuppression (n = 42; 31.8%), which reversed after symptomatic treatment. The results of subgroup analysis showed that absence of brain parenchymal metastasis, good Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, good response to IP treatment, negative cytology after treatment, and patients without neck/back pain/difficult defecation had longer survival. Gender, age, previous intrathecal methotrexate/cytarabine, and whole-brain radiotherapy had no significant influence on OS.

CONCLUSIONS

This study further showed that IP is an effective and safe treatment method for the EGFR-TKI-failed NSCLC-LM, and should be recommended for these patients in clinical practice and guidelines.

Fatty Acid Elongase Gene PcELO7 is Essential for Lipid Accumulation and Fecundity of Panonychus citri (Acari: Tetranychidae)

RNA interference (RNAi) has been proposed as a promising strategy for sustainable and ecofriendly pest control. The insect cuticle lipids were deposited on the body surface and functioned as a defense against chemical xenobiotics. They consisted of aliphatic compounds, including free fatty acids (FFAs). However, elongase of very long chain fatty acids (ELOs) is essential for FFA biosynthesis; the function of ELO is still unknown in many arthropods, including Panonychus citri (P. citri). In this study, three ELOs were cloned. Developmental-specific mRNA expression results revealed that three PcELOs were highly expressed in egg and adult females. Whereas PcELO7 was dominantly expressed in adult females. Under spirobudiclofen stress, ELOs mRNA expression had different changes, and PcELO7 was down-regulated. The silencing of PcELO7 resulted in a dramatic reduction of oviposition and hatchability. Significant reduction of FFA contents was also examined within PcELO7-repressed P. citri. In addition, we found that PcELO7 mRNA levels were related to fecundity and could affect triacylglycerol (TG) contents. The findings demonstrated that the introduction of dsPcELO7 via oral feeding induced the RNA interference-mediated silencing of a special target gene and could result in mortality and reproduction. In conclusion, PcELO7 is a special RNAi target for P. citri control, and its lethal mechanism might be disturbing lipids biosynthesis.

Sublethal Effects of Emamectin Benzoate on Development and Reproduction and RNAi of the Vitellogenin Gene in Spodoptera frugiperda

Spodoptera frugiperda, one of the most destructive corn pests in the world, invaded China in December 2018. In this study, sublethal concentrations (LC10 and LC30) of emamectin benzoate (EB) were used to treat pesticide-free treatment (PFT) and EB treatment (ET) of S. frugiperda. In PFT, compared with the control (CK), the pupal weight, hatching rate, and pupation rate of LC10 and LC30 groups were significantly reduced. The fecundity and the expression of vitellogenin gene (SfVg) were decreased after LC30 treatment, while the LC10 treatment groups showed no significant difference from the control group. In ET, compared to CK, the fecundity was increased by 11.14 and 18.8%. The expression of SfVg was upregulated by 2.6 times after LC30 treatment. Moreover, RNAi-mediated SfVg knockdown resulted in a nearly 70% reduction in oviposition. The result provided a theoretical basis for optimizing the application of EB and Vg-dsRNA in the control of S. frugiperda.

Knockdown of the ABCG23 Gene Disrupts the Development and Lipid Accumulation of Panonychus citri (Acari/Tetranychidae)

Panonychus citri is a worldwide citrus pest that is currently controlled through the use of insecticides. However, alternative strategies are required to manage P. citri. Recent studies suggest that the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter G subfamily plays a crucial role in transporting cuticular lipids, which are essential for the insect's barrier function against microbial penetration. Therefore, investigating the potential of the ABC transporter G subfamily as a control measure for P. citri could be a promising approach. Based on the genome database, the gene was cloned, and the transcriptional response of ABCG23 for the different developmental stages of P. citri and under spirobudiclofen stress was investigated. Our results showed that the expression level of ABCG23 was significantly lower in adult females exposed to treatment compared to the control and was higher in females than males. The knockdown of ABCG23 using RNAi led to a decrease in the survival rate, fecundity, and TG contents of P. citri. Additionally, a lethal phenotype was characterized by body wrinkling and darkening. These results indicate that ABCG23 may be involved in cuticular lipid transportation and have adverse effects on the development and reproduction of P. citri, providing insight into the discovery of new targets for pest management based on the insect cuticle's penetration barrier function.

Chronic lead exposure prolongs the immature stages of brown-legged grain mite, Aleuroglyphus ovatus, in a long-term population study

An important aspect of environmental pollution, lead contamination is a widespread problem in several ecosystems. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential effects of low concentration lead stress on the development and reproduction of Aleuroglyphus ovatus. They were fed with artificial diet containing four different concentrations of lead (12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg). The results showed that there were both accelerating effect of lead (at low concentrations), as well as retarding effects (at high concentrations) on the development of the mite, and lead stress significantly prolonged the immature stages of A. ovatus and this inhibitory effect was greater with greater lead concentrations. The immature stages in the L group were shorter than those in the S group. In the S and L groups, the oviposition periods were significantly longer in the treatments with lower lead concentrations than in the control, while they were significantly shorter in those treatments of higher lead concentrations. Age-specific survival rate (lx) started to decline earlier in the S group, whereas there were no differences between the L group and CK. Age-specific fecundity rate (mx) peaked earlier in the S group than in CK, while mx peaked later in L1 and L2 than in CK. The rm value and net reproduction rate (R0) of treated A. ovatus decreased with increasing lead concentrations. Lower lead concentrations could promote population expansion while higher concentrations could inhibit population size. These results confirmed the developmental effect of lead stress on A. ovatus, highlighting that heavy metal contamination has negative effects on organisms in their natural environment.

Regulation of three subtypes of SOD gene in Aleuroglyphus ovatus (Acari:Acaridae) under lead stress

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an important enzyme that acts as the first line of protection in the mite antioxidant defense system, involved in eliminating reactive oxygen species (ROS) under harsh environmental conditions. Nevertheless, the SOD gene family was yet to be reported in stored grain pest mite (Aleuroglyphus ovatus). In this study, A. ovatus was used to evaluate the response of SOD gene during lead stress. A. ovatus were separately exposed to different concentration lead (12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg), which induce the dynamic trend of SOD enzyme activity initially increased and then reduced with an increase in lead concentration, whereas they were still substantially higher than the control group. Moreover, after lead stress, it was found that all of the three SOD genes showed enhanced relative messenger RNA expression at high concentrations and decreased relative expression at low concentrations, which indicated that lead stress induces the expression of AoSODs. The present work implies that AoSODs play an important role in resisting oxidative damage caused by lead stress.

Stress response and tolerance mechanisms of spirobudiclofen exposure based on multiomics in Panonychus citri (Acari: Tetranychidae)

The toxicity of insecticides used in the field decreases gradually to sublethal concentrations over time. Therefore, it is necessary to study sublethal effects of pesticides for controlling population explosion. Panonychus citri is a global pest which control is based on insecticides. This study explores the stress responses of spirobudiclofen on the P. citri. Spirobudiclofen significantly inhibited survival and reproduction of P. citri, and the effects aggravated as concentration increased. The transcriptomes and metabolomes of spirobudiclofen-treated and control were compared to characterize spirobudiclofen molecular mechanism. Transcriptomics indicated stress induced by spirobudiclofen stimulated immune defense, antioxidative system, cuticle formation, and lipid metabolism, as deduced from RNA-seq analysis. Meanwhile, our study found that tolerance metabolism in P. citri was regulated by promoting the metabolism of glycerophospholipids, glycine, serine, and threonine. The results of this study can provide a basis for exploring the adaptation strategies of P. citri to spirobudiclofen stress.

The metabolism and detoxification effects of lead exposure on Aleurolyphus ovatus (Acari: Acaridae) via transcriptome analysis

Aleurolyphus ovatus Troupeau is one of the most predominant species of the Acaridae family worldwide. Recent reports have demonstrated that the accumulation of lead in stored grains and dietary items exceeds the required standards. However, the molecular mechanism of heavy metal stress on mites has not been reported. To understand the mechanism underlying the heavy metal response of A. ovatus, comparative transcriptome analysis was performed in this study using an Illumina high throughput mRNA sequencing (RNA-seq) platform. A. ovatus was fed on artificial diets containing two different concentrations of lead, namely, a low concentration of 12.5 mg/kg (LAO) and a high concentration of 100 mg/kg (HAO), while the mites in the control (NAO) group were not exposed to lead. A total of 44,362 unigenes, with an average length of 1547 bp, were identified. Of these, 996 unigenes were successfully annotated in seven functional databases. The number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in A. ovatus under different lead concentrations was compared. In NAO versus LAO group, including 310 up-regulated and 1580 down-regulated DEGs. In NAO versus HAO group, including 3928 up-regulated and 1761 down-regulated DEGs. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment indicated that detoxification enzyme genes were significantly expressed in pathways, such as cytochrome P450 foreign body metabolism, glutathione metabolism and drug metabolism-cytochrome pathway. The results of gene annotation and quantitative real-time PCR showed that high concentration of lead significantly stimulated the expression of metabolic detoxification enzyme genes such as glutathione S transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), while low concentration inhibited their expression. This study will provide a basis for the molecular mechanism of A. ovatus in response to heavy metal lead stimulation in stored grain.

Age-Stage, Two-Sex Life Table and Functional Response of Amblyseius orientalis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) Feeding on Different Nutrient Sources

Amblyseius orientalis Ehara is a predatory mite that belongs to the family Phytoseiidae. It is mainly found in Jiangxi, Shanghai, Guangdong, and other areas of China. Although A. orientalis is a dominant predatory mite species in China and is also important for agriculture and biological control, not many studies have investigated it. Thus, research on A. orientalis is necessary. However, its application in biological control is hindered by the absence of techniques for the mass rearing of A. orientalis in captivity. We conducted experiments to determine the growth, development, reproduction, and functional response of A. orientalis in this study by indoor single-head rearing at 25 ± 1 °C, 65 ± 5% relative humidity, and a photoperiod of a 16 h:8 h light/dark cycle under laboratory conditions. The results of the age stage, two-sex life table showed that the individuals in the pollen + yeast and pollen + yeast + sucrose groups had significantly higher oviposition period, fecundity, net reproductive rate (R₀), and gross reproduction rate (GRR) than those in the pollen group. The results of the function response showed that the pollen + yeast + sucrose group was the most favorable for captive breeding of A. orientalis and had the best predatory ability along with rejuvenation and recovery ability. The results of the study provided a theoretical basis for indoor rearing, propagation, and utilization of A. orientalis.

Knockdown of hexokinase in Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) by RNAi inhibits chitin synthesis and leads to abnormal phenotypes

BACKGROUND

Silencing specific genes in pests using RNA interference (RNAi) technology is a promising new pest-control strategy. The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, is the most important citrus pest because it transmits Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, which causes huanglongbing. Chitin is essential for insect development, and enzymes in this pathway are attractive targets for pest control.

RESULTS

The hexokinase gene DcHK was characterized from D. citri to impair proper growth and chitin synthesis through RNAi. The transcription of DcHK was more highly developed in third-instar nymphs, adults and the Malpighian tube. The RNAi needed for D. citri is dose-dependent, with 600 ng μl^-1 dsDcHK sufficient to knockdown endogenous DcHK expression. The messenger RNA (mRNA) level was lowest at 36 h after dosing, and there were significant effects on the relative levels of mRNA in the chitin synthesis pathway (DcTre, DcG6PI, DcGNAT, DcGFAT, DcPGM, DcUAP and DcCHS), leading to mortality, reduced body weight and abnormal or lethal phenotypes.

CONCLUSION

RNAi can be triggered by orally delivered double-stranded RNA in D. citri. These results can provide support for HK genes as a new potential target for citrus psyllid control. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Idea leuconoe (Lepidoptera: Danaidae) and related phylogenetic analyses

In the present study, we first sequenced and determined the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the giant Danaidae butterfly, Idea leuconoe (Lepidoptera: Danaidae). The mitogenome was a typical closed, circular, double-stranded DNA molecule of 15,278 bp length (GenBank accession number: KR815449), similar to the metazoan mitogenomes containing 37 genes and one A + T-rich region. All the protein-coding genes (PCGs) were initiated with a typical ATN codon. Seven genes (COII, ATP6, COIII, nad4, nad4L, cytb, and nad1) adopted the standard ATG start codon, but the remaining six genes were initiated with ATA. All the 13 PCGs harbored complete termination codons (TAA). The overlap nucleotides ATGATAA were conserved for the ATP8/ATP6 gene. The largest intergenic spacer was located between trnGln and nad2, a common finding in Lepidoptera butterflies. All the transfer RNA genes in the I. leuconoe mitogenome could be folded into typical clover-leaf secondary structures, except for trnSer (AGN) that lacked a dihydrouridine arm. The control region with 94.8% A + T content was 444 bp in length and located between rrnS and trnMet. Finally, the phylogenetic relationships obtained using the maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods confirmed two well-supported phylogenetic trees of Danaidae, Papilionidae, and Nymphalidae from the order Lepidoptera, which were consistent with the traditional morphological classification. Results provided additional information for butterfly phylogenetic analysis and insights into the evolution of genomes.

Characterization of Chitin Synthase A cDNA from Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae) and Its Response to Diflubenzuron

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama is the vector of HLB and one of the most common pests in citrus orchards in southern China. One of the most significant genes in D. citri's growth and development is the chitin synthase gene. In this study, the CHS gene (DcCHSA) of D. citri was cloned and analyzed by bioinformatics. According to RT-qPCR findings, DcCHSA was expressed at many growth processes of D. citri, with the greatest influence in the fifth-instar nymph. The molting failure rate and mortality of D. citri rose as DFB concentration increased in this research, as did the expression level of DcCHSA. Feeding on DcCHSA caused a large drop in target gene expression, affected nymph molting, caused failure or even death in freshly eclosion adults, increased mortality, and reduced the molting success rate over time. These findings showed that DcCHSA was involved in nymph to adult development and may aid in the identification of molecular targets for D. citri regulation. It provided new ideas for further control of D. citri.

Sublethal effects of bifenazate on biological traits and enzymatic properties in the Panonychus citri (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Panonychus citri, a major citrus pest. In pest management, bifenazate is a novel acaricide with high biological activity against red mites, such as Tetranychus urticae Koch. However, in the field, pests are frequently exposed to sublethal or lethal concentrations of pesticides. At present, its sublethal effects on P. citri have not been reported. Therefore, in order to investigate sublethal effect of bifenazate on biological traits and enzymatic properties of P. citri. The newly emerged females were treated with two concentrations of bifenazate: LC₁₀ and LC₃₀, the development and fecundity were observed. The results showed that female adult duration, fecundity, oviposition days, longevity were decrease compared with control, but pre-oviposition period was longer, net reproductive rate (R₀), mean generation (T) were decreased, intrinsic rate of increase (rm), finite rate (λ) were decreased in LC₃₀, however, doubling time was increased. Enzymatic tests showed that CAT, POD, CarE activities were higher in treatments than control. The SOD and GST activities were lower in LC₃₀ than control and LC₁₀, the CYP450 activity was decreased with the increasing concentrations. This study demonstrated that low lethal concentrations of bifenazate adversely affected life table parameters, enzymatic properties in P. citri. Therefore, bifenazate has the potential to control this pest.

Long lifetime of bialkali photocathodes operating in high gradient superconducting radio frequency gun

High brightness, high charge electron beams are critical for a number of advanced accelerator applications. The initial emittance of the electron beam, which is determined by the mean transverse energy (MTE) and laser spot size, is one of the most important parameters determining the beam quality. The bialkali photocathodes illuminated by a visible laser have the advantages of high quantum efficiency (QE) and low MTE. Furthermore, Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) guns can operate in the continuous wave (CW) mode at high accelerating gradients, e.g. with significant reduction of the laser spot size at the photocathode. Combining the bialkali photocathode with the SRF gun enables generation of high charge, high brightness, and possibly high average current electron beams. However, integrating the high QE semiconductor photocathode into the SRF guns has been challenging. In this article, we report on the development of bialkali photocathodes for successful operation in the SRF gun with months-long lifetime while delivering CW beams with nano-coulomb charge per bunch. This achievement opens a new era for high charge, high brightness CW electron beams.

Knockdown of the Trehalose-6-Phosphate Synthase Gene Using RNA Interference Inhibits Synthesis of Trehalose and Increases Lethality Rate in Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)

Simple Summary

In this study, we cloned and characterized a trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) gene from D. citri (DcTPS) for the first time. Meanwhile, we used RNA interference (RNAi) technology to efficiently disrupt DcTPS gene function in order to elucidate its role in the growth and development of D. citri. Our results suggest that dsRNA-mediated gene-specific silencing resulted in a strong reduction in relative expression of DcTPS and survival rate of nymphs, as well as an increase in malformation. This work was undertaken to establish a foundation for further research on the functions of D. citri trehalose-6-phosphate synthase. This will provide a new target for the control of D. citri in the field.

Abstract

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama is the vector of citrus “huanglongbing”, a citrus disease which poses a significant threat to the global citrus industry. Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) plays an important role in the regulation of trehalose levels of insects, while its functions in D. citri are unclear. In this study, full-length cDNA sequences of the TPS gene from D. citri (DcTPS) were cloned and its expression patterns at various developmental stages were investigated. The results indicated that DcTPS mRNA was expressed at each developmental stage and the highest DcTPS expression was found in the fifth-instar nymphs of D. citri. Additionally, mortality and deformity of D. citri were observed after 24 and 48 h by feeding with three different dsRNA concentrations (20, 100 and 500 ng/μL). The results indicated that DcTPS expression was declined, and mortality and malformation in nymphs were increased via feeding with dsDcTPS. Moreover, the enzyme and trehalose content were decreased, while the content of glucose was significantly higher than that of untreated (control) individuals. This suggests that DcTPS might be vital for the growth and development of D. citri and further studies of the genes should be related to molting and metabolism for controlling D. citri.

High-Brightness Continuous-Wave Electron Beams from Superconducting Radio-Frequency Photoemission Gun

Continuous-wave photoinjectors operating at high accelerating gradients promise to revolutionize many areas of science and applications. They can establish the basis for a new generation of monochromatic x-ray free electron lasers, high-brightness hadron beams, or a new generation of microchip production. In this Letter we report on the record-performing superconducting rf electron gun with CsK_{2}Sb photocathode. The gun is generating high charge electron bunches (up to 10  nC/bunch) and low transverse emittances, while operating for months with a single photocathode. This achievement opens a new era in generating high-power beams with a very high average brightness.

Experimental Demonstration of Hadron Beam Cooling Using Radio-Frequency Accelerated Electron Bunches

Cooling of beams of gold ions using electron bunches accelerated with radio-frequency systems was recently experimentally demonstrated in the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Such an approach is new and opens the possibility of using this technique at higher energies than possible with electrostatic acceleration of electron beams. The challenges of this approach include generation of electron beams suitable for cooling, delivery of electron bunches of the required quality to the cooling sections without degradation of beam angular divergence and energy spread, achieving the required small angles between electron and ion trajectories in the cooling sections, precise velocity matching between the two beams, high-current operation of the electron accelerator, as well as several physics effects related to bunched-beam cooling. Here we report on the first demonstration of cooling hadron beams using this new approach.

Isolation and sequence analysis of the complete VP2 gene of canine parvovirus from Chinese domestic pets and determination of the pathogenesis of these circulating strains in beagles

Canine parvovirus (CPV) causes acute gastroenteritis in domestic dogs, cats, and several wild carnivore species. In this study, the full-length VP2 gene of 36 CPV isolates from dogs and cats infected between 2016 and 2017 in Beijing was sequenced and analyzed. The results showed that, in dogs, the new CPV-2a strain was the predominant variant (n = 18; 50%), followed by the new CPV-2b (n = 6; 16.7%) and CPV-2c (n = 3; 8.3%) strains, whereas, among cats, the predominant strain was still CPV-2 (n = 9; 25%). One new CPV-2a strain, 20170320-BJ-11, and two CPV-2c strains, 20160810-BJ-81 and 20170322-BJ-26, were isolated and used to perform experimental infections. Multiple organs of beagles that died tested PCR positive for CPV, and characteristic histopathological lesions were observed in organs, including the liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, small intestines, and lymph nodes. Experimental infections showed that the isolates from the epidemic caused high morbidity in beagles, indicating their virulence in animals and suggesting the need to further monitor evolution of CPV in China.

pUC18-CpG stimulates RAW 264.7 via TBK1-mediated pathway and presents adjuvanticity in mice

Phosphorothioate CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) are reported to be recognized by the membrane-bound TLR9 and trigger the MyD88-dependent up-regulation of Type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Whether plasmids containing multiple CpG motifs stimulate the same signaling pathway is yet to be determined. The present results show that the CpG motifs enrich plasmid pUC18-CpG stimulates RAW 264.7 in vitro, mainly through the TBK1-mediated signaling pathway, causing the up-regulation of IFN-β, and pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6. When pUC18-CpG is co-administered with the recombinant Echinococcus granulosus antigen, the antigen-specific antibody titers are markedly increased compared to the Quil-A adju- vanted group. Antigen specific cytokine quantification shows that cytokine profiles from the pUC18-CpG adjuvanted-group are switched to a Th1-biased immune response.

Genotyping and pathogenic characterization of canine distemper virus based on mutations in the hemagglutinin gene in Chinese domestic dogs

Canine distemper virus (CDV) infects wild and domestic Canidae worldwide. The hemag- glutinin (H) gene has the highest genetic variation in the genome of this virus. Thus, the H gene is commonly used for lineage identification and genetic analyses. In order to study the genetic characteristics and pathogenicity of CDV strains prevalent in China, 132 samples were collected from domestic dogs with suspected CDV infection, 58 samples were confirmed to be positive, and the H gene was successfully amplified from 15 samples. The epidemic strain was identified as type Asia-1 and the novel mutations, A51T, V58I, R179K and D262N, were detected in this strain. Isolated strains, BJ16B53, BJ16B14, and BJ17B8, were used for an animal infection experiment in raccoon dogs. BJ16B53 and BJ16B14 were found to cause clinical symptoms, death, and exten- sive lesions in various organs. These results are expected to facilitate the development of effective strategies to monitor and control CDV infection in China.

Phospholipase C signaling is involved in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection in cell cultures

The phospholipase C (PLC) is a family of kinases that hydrolyze phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] to generate two second messengers, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG), which stimulate distinct downstream signaling. Recently, it has been reported that PLC signaling is activated by multiple viruses for efficient replication and the virus-induced inflammatory response. In this study, we demonstrated that PLC-specific inhibitor U73122 strongly suppressed porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) productive infection in cell cultures. The inhibitor affected both viral post-binding cell entry and post-entry processes. The virus infection led to an early transient activation of PLCγ-1 at 0.5 h post-infection (hpi), and sustained event at a stage from 4 to 16 hpi in MARC-145 cells. In addition, U73122 inhibited the activation of p38 MAPK signaling stimulated by PRRSV infection, suggesting that PLC signaling may be associated with the virus infection-induced inflammatory response. Taken together, these studies suggested that PLC signaling played an important role in PRRSV infection or pathogenesis. Keywords: PRRSV; U73122; phospholipase C; PLCγ-1.

Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) in China: Two Invasion Routes and Three Transmission Paths

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) is one of the most common pests impacting citrus orchards in southern China. Samples of D. citri were collected in southern China in order to systematically explore the genetic architecture of the species. Mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) and cytochrome coxidase subunit I (COI) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) which allowed highlighting low haplotype and nucleotide diversities among the population. Two clades could be observed in the haplotype network. Moreover, Bayesian and maximum parsimony phylogenetic trees were constructed based on the sequences of Cytb and COI. Here, we report on the significant genetic variation of the species when comparing southwestern China with other regions of southern China (southern and southeastern). This analysis also suggested that the genetic structure of D. citri in China originates may from long-term climate fluctuations concomitant with recent disturbances resulting from human activity. Combined with previous data, the present work indicates that D. citri potentially entered China through two distinct invasion routes and spread within the country via three transmission paths.

Differential expression patterns of two delta-9-acyl-CoA desaturases in Thitarodes pui (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) during different seasons and cold exposure

Thitarodes pui larvae have a limited distribution in the Tibetan Plateau and are the host of a parasitic fungus, Ophiocordyceps sinensis. Low temperature is a main environmental stress. However, understanding of T. pui cold adaptation mechanisms is insufficient. Delta‐9‐acyl‐CoA desaturase (D9D) is closely correlated with cold adaptation for many organisms. To further understand the cold adaptation processes in T. pui larvae, two D9Ds, TpdesatA and TpdesatB were sequenced, and expression patterns were investigated during different seasons and cold exposure (under 0°C) in the laboratory. The full lengths of two cDNAs are 1,290 bp and 1,603 bp, and the ORFs encode a polypeptide of 348 and 359 amino acids, respectively. Four transmembrane domains, three conserved histidine residues and five hydrophobic regions exist in these two sequences. The expression level of TpdesatA is up‐regulated in the long‐term cold exposure and negatively correlated with temperature in seasonal patterns. TpdesatB responds to cold temperature in short‐term cold exposure and positively corresponds temporarily in seasonal expression. Two D9Ds may have different substrate specificities, TpdesatA tends to use C16:0 and C18:0 as substrate while TpdesatB prefers C18:0. In conclusion, TpdesatA may play a very important role in T. pui cold tolerance and TpdesatB regulates function in short‐term cold exposure and content change of fatty acids in the body.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Thitarodes sejilaensis (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae), a host insect of Ophiocordyceps sinensis and its implication in taxonomic revision of Hepialus adopted in China

The mitochondrial genome is widely used for phylogenetic analyses and evolutionary biology. The complete mitochondrial genome of Thitarodes sejilaensis (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) was sequenced and analyzed in this study. This mitogenome is a typical circular molecule of 15,290bp, with the gene content, orientation and order identical to other insects in the family Hepialidae. The genome nucleotide composition is heavily biased towards As and Ts, accounting for 80.87% of total nucleotide content. The major strand shows a positive AT-skew and negative GC-skew. All 13 protein-coding genes (PCG) are initiated by the canonical putative start codons ATN, except for COI and ND1 that use the initiation codons CGA and TTG, respectively. Nine PCGs share the complete termination codons TAA, while the remaining PCGs use an incomplete termination codon T. Additionally, the codon distribution and Relative Synonymous Codon Usage of all PCGs in the T. sejilaensis mitogenome are consistent with other Hepialidae mitogenomes. Among 22 transfer RNAs, 21 have the typical clover-leaf structure, while tRNASer(AGN) does not possess the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm and could not form a stable stem-loop structure. The secondary structures of 2 ribosomal RNA genes broadly conform to the proposed models of these genes documented in other lepidopteran insects. T. sejilaensis AT-rich region exhibits three repetitive sequences of 118bp. Other regions contain 22-bp overlapping nucleotides and 72-bp intergenic nucleotides. The phylogenetic relationships were constructed by two datasets, the amino acid sequence derived from protein-coding genes and the nucleotide sequence of 13 PCGs and 2 rRNAs. Using Maximum Likelihood (ML), we reconstructed a phylogenetic tree which supported a more primitive taxa of Hepialoidea within Lepidoptera. Moreover, according to comparisons based on the CytB sequences and morphological characteristic, Hepialus species reported in China should be revised. Our taxonomic recommendations include assigning these species to the following genera: Thitarodes, Ahamus, Hepialus and Parahepialus.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Trabala vishnou guttata (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) and the related phylogenetic analyses

The bluish yellow lappet moth, Trabala vishnou guttata is an extraordinarily important pest in China. The complete mitochondrial genome is sequenced and determined firstly, which is based on traditional PCR amplification and primer walking methods with a length of 15,281 bp, including 13 protein-coding (PCG) genes, 22 transfer RNA (rRNA) genes, two ribosomal RNA (tRNA) genes, and an A + T-rich region. The gene order and orientation of the T. vishnou guttata mitogenome were identical to the other sequenced Lasiocampidae species. The overall nucleotide composition of T. vishnou guttata is A (40.27 %), T (40.59 %), C (11.58 %) and G (7.56 %), respectively. All the PCGs initiate with the three orthodox start codons ATN except for coxI with CGA start codon. Three PCGs (coxI, coxII and nad4) used incomplete stop codon T, while the other 10 PCGs terminate with complete stop codon TAA. All tRNA genes have a typical clover-leaf structure except for the absence of a dihydrouridine arm in trnS (AGN). The length of A + T-rich region is 383 bp. Phylogeny is established to reveal the genetic relationship between T. vishnou guttata and other lepidopteran species based on 13 PCGs nucleotide sequences of the sequenced species (32 taxa) by Maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. Phylogenetic analyses presents that T. vishnou guttata and its closely related species (Dendrolimus taxa) are clustered on Lasiocampidae group. It is a sister clade relationship between Lasiocampidae and other families in Bombycoidea with a bootstrap value of 83 % and a posterior probability of 0.75. This study supports that Lasiocampidae may be independent from Bombycoidea.

Effect of photoperiod on development and demographic parameters of Neoseiulus barkeri (Acari: Phytoseiidae) fed on Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Acari: Acaridae)

Effects of five photoperiods (Light:Dark = 4:20, 8:16; 12:12, 16:8, 20:4) on the development, survival and reproduction of Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes fed on storage mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) were examined under laboratory conditions at 85 % relative humidity and 24 °C. Development time of almost all immature stages in N. barkeri was the shortest (5.43 ± 0.12 days) under 12 h of daylight. Total duration of immature stages was as high as 8.55 ± 0.16 days during the longest photoperiod. Photoperiod had no effect on hatching rate, but did affect survival of larvae, protonymphs and deutonymphs. Total survivorship ranged from 20 (4:20) to 60 % (12:12). Under 12 h daylight, female adults had the shortest pre- and post-oviposition period, longest oviposition period and longevity, largest total number of eggs (15.95) and and highest daily egg production (1.43) per female. Under 12 h light, N. barkeri experienced its highest net reproductive rate (R 0  = 11.791), intrinsic rate of increase (r m  = 0.180), and finite rate of increase (λ = 1.197), and lowest mean generation time (t = 13.71 days) and population doubling time (DT = 3.86 days). All demographic parameters displayed a parabolic relationship with photoperiod. The results of the present study indicated that the photoperiod of 12:12 is optimal for the development and reproduction of N. barkeri fed on T. putrescentiae, and that N. barkeri may serve most efficiently as a biological control agent under this regime.

Design of a high-bunch-charge 112-MHz superconducting RF photoemission electron source

High-bunch-charge photoemission electron-sources operating in a continuous wave (CW) mode are required for many advanced applications of particle accelerators, such as electron coolers for hadron beams, electron-ion colliders, and free-electron lasers. Superconducting RF (SRF) has several advantages over other electron-gun technologies in CW mode as it offers higher acceleration rate and potentially can generate higher bunch charges and average beam currents. A 112 MHz SRF electron photoinjector (gun) was developed at Brookhaven National Laboratory to produce high-brightness and high-bunch-charge bunches for the coherent electron cooling proof-of-principle experiment. The gun utilizes a quarter-wave resonator geometry for assuring beam dynamics and uses high quantum efficiency multi-alkali photocathodes for generating electrons.

Population genetic structure of Cheyletus malaccensis (Acari: Cheyletidae) in China based on mitochondrial COI and 12S rRNA genes

Cheyletus malaccensis is a predatory mite widely distributed in grain storages. It has been regarded as an important biological control agent for pest mites. In this study, we investigated the population genetic structure of C. malaccensis distributed in China based on the partial regions of mitochondrial COI and 12S rRNA genes. We collected 256 individuals of C. malaccensis from stored grain in 34 sites of China. We detected 50 COI gene haplotypes and nine 12S rRNA gene haplotypes. There were three clades in the haplotype network and Bayesian and maximum parsimony phylogenetic trees based on COI sequences, and two based on 12S rRNA sequences. The clustering of haplotypes was not correlated with their geographical distributions. The analysis of molecular variance, AMOVA, indicated that the genetic differentiation between populations was relatively weak. The major genetic differentiation was found within populations. We suggest that the genetic structure of C. malaccensis observed in this study may be the result of long-term climate fluctuations and recent human disturbances.

First Measurement of Electron Neutrino Appearance in NOvA

We report results from the first search for ν_{μ}→ν_{e} transitions by the NOvA experiment. In an exposure equivalent to 2.74×10^{20} protons on target in the upgraded NuMI beam at Fermilab, we observe 6 events in the Far Detector, compared to a background expectation of 0.99±0.11(syst) events based on the Near Detector measurement. A secondary analysis observes 11 events with a background of 1.07±0.14(syst). The 3.3σ excess of events observed in the primary analysis disfavors 0.1π<δ_{CP}<0.5π in the inverted mass hierarchy at the 90% C.L.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Euthrix laeta (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)

The complete mitochondrial genome of Euthrix laeta (GenBank accession number KU870700) was sequenced by traditional PCR amplification and primer walking methods. The total length was 15,368 bp, including 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and a A + T-rich region. The base composition of the genome was A (40.85%), T (39.34%), C (12.01%) and G (7.8%), respectively. The arrangement of all genes was identical to other lepidopteran insects. The phylogenetic relationships were established based on the nucleotide sequences of 13 protein-coding genes of mitochondrial genomes by the neighbor-joining method. The molecular-based phylogeny supported the traditional morphological classification on relationships within Lepidoptera species.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Cryptolestes turcicus (Grouvelle) (Coleoptera:Laemophloeidae)

We presented the complete mitogenome of Cryptolestes turcicus (GenBank accession number KT070712) in this study. The total length of mitochondrial DNA is 15 517 bp and contains 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a control region. The overall base composition of the genome is A (39.48%), T (37.38%), C (13.97%), and G (9.16%) with an A + T-rich hallmark. The start codon was ATN in all the mitochondrial protein-coding genes, such as ND2, COI, ATP6, ND5, ND4L and ND1 start with ATA, COII, ATP8, ND3, and ND6 genes employing ATT, while the rest using ATG as a start codon. The stop codon was mainly TAA or TAG in most of the mitochondrial protein-coding genes, wherever T(A) was found in COII, COIII, ND4, and ND4L genes. The A + T-rich region is located between 12S rRNA and tRNA(Ile) with a length of 857 bp.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Cryptolestes pusillus (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae)

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Cryptolestes pusillus (GenBank accession number KT070713) was sequenced by long PCR and primer walking methods. The total length of mitochondrial DNA is 15 502 bp and contains 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a A + T-rich region. The base composition of the genome is A (39.04%), T (37.07%), C (23.4%), and G (14.6%). Except for COI and ATP8 with TCC and ATC as start codon, respectively, the remaining protein-coding genes initiated with the three orthodox start codons. Two complete stop codons (TAA and TAG) and two incomplete stop codons (COIII stop with T and ND5 stop with TA) were used in the protein-coding genes. The A + T-rich region is located between 12s rRNA and tRNA(Ile) with the length of 859 bp. The phylogenetic relationships of Coleoptera species were constructed based on the nucleotide sequences of 13 protein-coding genes of mitogenome using the neighbor-joining method. The molecular-based phylogenetic analysis supported the traditional morphological classification on relationships within Coleoptera species.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae)

We determined the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequence of Cryptolestes ferrugineus (GenBank accession number KT182067) by the long PCR and primer walking method. The mitochondrial genome is a typical circular DNA molecule of 15 511 bp in length, and contains 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a A + T-rich region (D-loop). The order of 37 genes was typical of insect mitochondrial DNA sequences described to date. The base composition of the genome is A (39.17%), T (37.24%), C (14.22%), and G (9.37%) with an A + T-rich hallmark as that of other invertebrate mitochondrial genomes. All protein-coding genes start with ATN codon and terminate with the stop codon T (AA) or TAG. The A + T-rich region is located between 12S rRNA and tRNA(Ile). In this study, the phylogenetic relationships of Coleoptera species were constructed based on the nucleotides sequences of 13 PCGs of mitogenomes. The molecular-based phylogeny supported the traditional morphological classification on relationships within Coleoptera species.

Correlation research on the protein expression (p75NTR, bax, bcl-2, and caspase-3) and cortical neuron apoptosis following mechanical injury in rat

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we aimed to survey the role of p75NTR, bax, bcl-2, and caspase-3 in the progress of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A mechanical trauma model of vital neurons was established by putting external pressure, contusion and centrifugal acceleration on neurons. Morphological change, survival rate, assay of LDH activity, and apoptosis rate were evaluated for mild, medium and severe injury models. The expression of bax, bcl-2, caspase-3, p75NTR, p75NTR mRNA was determined by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, Western blotting and RT-PCR.

RESULTS

There was a transient high level Bcl-2 protein within 2 h after injury to increase neuronal tolerance and avoid apoptosis. Subsequently p75NTR, Bax/Bcl-2, and Caspase-3 reached their peaks from 48 to 72 h accompanied with the maximum apoptosis rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that apoptosis ratio in varying degree injury groups are correlated with the expression level of p75NTRmRNA, p75NTR, Caspase-3, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio.

The ADAMTS1 Gene Is Associated with Familial Mandibular Prognathism

Mandibular prognathism is a facial skeletal malocclusion. Until now, the genetic mechanism has been unclear. The goal of this study was to identify candidate genes or genomic regions directly associated with mandibular prognathism development, by employing whole genome sequencing. A large Chinese family was recruited, composed of 9 affected and 12 unaffected individuals, and the inheritance pattern of this family tends to be autosomal dominant. A single-nucleotide missense mutation in the ADAMTS1 gene (c. 742I>T) was found to segregate in the family, given that the affected individuals must be heterozygous for the mutation. For mutation validation, we screened this candidate mutation and 15 tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the coding sequence of ADAMTS1 among 230 unrelated cases and 196 unrelated controls using Sequenom Massarray and found that 3 in 230 cases carried this mutation and none of the controls did. Final results suggested that 2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs2738, rs229038) of ADAMTS1 were significantly associated with mandibular prognathism.

The mitochondrial genome of Cethosia biblis (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

We present the complete mitogenome of Cethosia biblis (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in this article. The mitogenome was a circle molecular consisting of 15,286 nucleotides, 37 genes, and an A + T-rich region. The order of 37 genes was typical of insect mitochondrial DNA sequences described to date. The overall base composition of the genome is A (37.41%), T (42.80%), C (11.87%), and G (7.91%) with an A + T-rich hallmark as that of other invertebrate mitochondrial genomes. The start codon was mainly ATA in most of the mitochondrial protein-coding genes such as ND2, COI, ATP8, ND3, ND5, ND4, ND6, and ND1, but COII, ATP6, COIII, ND4L, and Cob genes employing ATG. The stop codon was TAA in all the protein-coding genes. The A + T region is located between 12S rRNA and tRNA(M)(et). The phylogenetic relationships of Lepidoptera species were constructed based on the nucleotides sequences of 13 PCGs of mitogenomes using the neighbor-joining method. The molecular-based phylogeny supported the traditional morphological classification on relationships within Lepidoptera species.

The mitochondrial genome of Papilio demoleus Linnaeus (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)

We determined the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequence of Papilio demoleus (GenBank accession number KR024009) by long PCR and primer walking methods. The total length of mitochondrial DNA is 15,249 bp containing 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and a control region. The overall base composition of the genome is A (39.31%), T (41.57%), C (11.33%) and G (7.78%) with an A + T-rich region, similar to other invertebrate mitochondrial genomes. The start codon was mainly ATG in most of the mitochondrial protein-coding genes such as COII, ATP6, COIII, ND4, ND4L, Cob and ND1, while ATA for ND2, COI, ATP8, ND3, ND5 and ND6 genes. The stop codon was mainly TAA in most of the mitochondrial protein-coding genes, whereas TAG was found in ND1 gene only. The A + T region is located between 12S rRNA and tRNA(M)(et) with a length of 403 bp.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Cacopsylla coccinae (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)

In this study, the first complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequence of Cacopsylla coccinae was determined by long PCR and primer walking methods. The complete mitochondrial genome is 14,832 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes as well as a control region. The overall base composition of the genome is A (38.16%), T (33.88%), C (17.95%) and G (10.01%). Stop codon was incomplete for coxII gene and ND1 gene. The gene overlaps were suggested between 13 pairs of the contiguous genes in C. coccinae. The mitogenome would contribute to resolving phylogenetic position and interrelationships of Cacopsylla.

Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Euseius nicholsi (Ehara et Lee) (Acari:Phytoseiidae)

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequence of Euseius nicholsi (Acarinae: Phytoseiidae) was determined by long PCR and primer walking methods. The complete mitochondrial genome is 15,561 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 21 transfer RNA genes. The overall base composition of the genome is A (34.69%), T (43.14%), C (8.06%) and G (14.10%). Stop codon was missed for the COXIII gene in E.nicholsi. The mitogenome would contribute to resolving phylogenetic position and interrelationships of Euseius.