RESUMO
Leucoptera sinuella is a leaf-miner moth present in several regions in the world, which has been recently introduced into Chile. The larvae feed exclusively on the leaves of poplar and willow trees, and the damage caused by the feeding behavior poses a threat to the wood-producing industry. Besides, L. sinuella larvae invade nearby orchards for pupation, causing rejections in Chilean fresh fruit for export. Here we report the identification of the female-produced sex pheromone of L. sinuella as a first step towards the development of pheromone-based methods for pest management of this species. First, we analyzed hexane extracts of the abdominal glands of virgin females by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and identified the major compound in these extracts to be 3,7-dimethylpentadecane, while minor compounds in the extracts proved to be 3,7-dimethyltetradecane and 7-methylpentadecane. Structure assignments were carried out by comparison of retention times and mass spectra of the natural products with those of authentic reference samples. Second, we conducted field tests, which showed that traps baited with synthetic 3,7-dimethylpentadecane were significantly attractive to males in a dose-dependent response. Our results also showed that a mixture of 3,7-dimethylpentadecane, 3,7-dimethyltetradecane, and 7-methylpentadecane in proportions similar to those found in gland extracts was the most attractive lure.
Assuntos
Lepidópteros/fisiologia , Populus/parasitologia , Salix/parasitologia , Atrativos Sexuais/química , Animais , Feminino , Folhas de Planta/parasitologiaRESUMO
We characterized new transgenic varieties of poplar with multiple insect-resistant and salt stress tolerant genes. Two insect-resistant Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes, Cry1Ac and Cry3A, and a salt-tolerant gene, Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) were inserted into a vector, p209-Cry1Ac-Cry3A-BADH. The clone of Populus x euramericana was transformed by the vector using the Agrobacterium-mediated method. Three transgenic lines were assessed using genetic detection and resistance expression analysis. PCR revealed that exogenous genes Cry1Ac, Cry3A, BADH and selective marker gene NPTII were present in three transgenic lines. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) showed significant differences in the transcriptional abundance of three exogenous genes in different lines. Results of assays for Bt toxic proteins showed that the Cry1Ac and Cry3A toxic protein content of each line was 12.83-26.32 and 2108.91-2724.79 ng/g, respectively. The Cry1Ac toxic protein content of different lines was significantly different; the Cry3A toxic protein content was about 100 times higher than that of the Cry1Ac toxic protein. The insect-resistance test revealed the mortality rate of transgenic lines to Hyphantria cunea L1 larvae varied by 42.2-66.7%, which was significantly higher than non-transgenic lines. The mortality rate of L1 and L2 Plagiodera versicolora larvae was 100%. The insecticidal effect of transgenic lines to P. versicolora larvae was higher than that to H. cunea larvae. NaCl stress tolerance of three transgenic lines under 3-6% NaCl concentration was significantly higher than that of non-transgenic lines.
Assuntos
Controle Biológico de Vetores/métodos , Populus/genética , Tolerância ao Sal/genética , Transgenes , Bacillus thuringiensis/genética , Toxinas Bacterianas/genética , Populus/parasitologia , Populus/fisiologiaRESUMO
Poplar-cotton agro-ecosystems are the main agricultural planting modes of plain cotton fields in China. Here, we performed a systematic survey of the diversity and population of arthropod communities in four different combination of poplar-cotton eco-systems, including I) non-transgenic poplar and non-transgenic cotton fields; II) non-transgenic poplar and transgenic cotton fields [Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton]; III) Bt transgenic poplar (high insect resistant strain Pb29) and non-transgenic cotton; and IV) transgenic poplar and transgenic cotton fields, over a period of 3 years. Based on the statistical methods used to investigate community ecology, the effects of transgenic ecosystems on the whole structure of the arthropod community, on the structure of arthropods in the nutritive layer, and on the similarity of arthropod communities were evaluated. The main results were as follows: the transgenic poplar-cotton ecosystem has a stronger inhibitory effect on insect pests and has no impact on the structure of the arthropod community, and therefore, maintains the diversity of the arthropod community. The character index of the community indicated that the structure of the arthropod community of the transgenic poplar-cotton ecosystem was better than that of the poplar-cotton ecosystem, and that system IV had the best structure. As for the abundance of nutritional classes, the transgenic poplar-cotton ecosystem was also better than that of the non-transgenic poplar-cotton ecosystem. The cluster analysis and similarity of arthropod communities between the four different transgenic poplar-cotton ecosystems illustrated that the structure of the arthropod community excelled in the small sample of the transgenic poplar-cotton ecosystems.
Assuntos
Artrópodes/classificação , Biodiversidade , Ecossistema , Gossypium/parasitologia , Plantas Geneticamente Modificadas , Populus/parasitologia , Algoritmos , Animais , China , Gossypium/genética , Modelos Teóricos , Populus/genéticaRESUMO
The typhlocybine, Zygina nivea Mulsant & Rey 1855, was found in urban areas of Argentina colonizing trees of poplar (Populus alba L. and P. nigra L.). This is the first mention of the genus Zygina Fieber from the Neotropical region. In this paper redescription of the male, description of the female, distributional and host plant data, and behavioural observations of this species are given.
Assuntos
Comportamento Animal , Hemípteros/classificação , Populus/parasitologia , Animais , Argentina , Feminino , Masculino , Pigmentação , Densidade DemográficaRESUMO
Species belonging to the genus Populus (poplars) produce a series of defensive proteins in response to insect damage. Proteinase inhibitors, polyphenol oxidases, and chitinases are the most relevant and intensively studied proteins. Most of the knowledge about the relation between these proteins and herbivores has been obtained from studies with chewing insects. Nothing is known about whether phloem-feeder insects such as aphids are able to trigger a comparable response. In the current study, the expression of genes encoding a Kunitz trypsin inhibitor 3 (KTI3), a polyphenol oxidase 1 (PPO1), and a class I chitinase (CHI) was characterized in two poplar hybrids (one resistant hybrid and one susceptible hybrid, to aphids) attacked by the aphid Chaitophorus leucomelas Koch. The expression pattern was analyzed using a semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction approach. The expression of KTI3 was increased by aphids only in the aphid-susceptible hybrid. Differently, PPO1 expression was increased by aphids in the aphid-resistant hybrid. The expression of CHI was down-regulated by aphids in the susceptible hybrid. This is the first study to report the differential expression of poplar defense genes in response to phloem-feeder insects such as aphids. The findings from the current study suggest that the expression levels of defensive proteins are affected by poplar genotype and by aphid infestation.