Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is a devastating invasive pest originating from South America. It has spread rapidly to Europe, Africa, and Asia, and has invaded China in recent years, and now is a highly potential threat to the solanaceous crop industry in China. Due to its characteristics of leaf mining, fruit burrowing, short life history, high reproductivity, etc., its control effect relying on chemical pesticides is limited. Many theoretical studies and application explorations have been carried out for developing the biological control strategies for Tuta absoluta in the world, and a lot of biological control agents with high potential for usage have been screened. In this review, we summarized the research progress on the global biological control of Tuta absoluta, focusing on the parasitic and predatory natural enemy insects, the bio-control microbes, and the repellent plants and their chemical extracts. In the green control of Tuta absoluta in China, in-depth studies could be carried out on the introduction of biocontrol species suitable for the agricultural niche in China, the digging of local biocontrol resources, and the industrialization of these biocontrol organisms; meanwhile, the integrative utilization of these organisms could be promoted via the combined use of them and the ecological regulation of the agricultural landscape, so as to ensure the high-quality development of Chinese solanaceous crop industry.

In order to further understand the calling behavior of Mythimna separata (Walker) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) and explore the olfactory molecular recognition mechanism of male moths to intra- and inter-specific sex pheromones, the male moths collected by sex pheromone trapping with the mixture of Z11-16：Ac and Z11-16：OH in the field were used in this study. According to the reported fragment, we amplified the full-length sequence of MsepOR6 by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technology. The responses of MsepOR6 cRNA to pheromone compounds were identified by two-electrode voltage clamp. The behavioral responses of male moths to active compounds were further verified by sex pheromone trapping experiment in the field. Electrophysiological assay results showed that MsepOR6 is one of the sex pheromone receptor genes, which was sensitive to two intra-specific sex pheromones of Z11-16：Ald and 16：Ald, and four inter-specific sex pheromones of Z9-14：Ac, Z7-12：Ac, Z9-16：Ac, and Z9-14：OH. Field bioassay results showed that Z9-14：Ac was antagonist and Z7-12：Ac was synergist in sex pheromone trapping of male moths. This study identified the function of MsepOR6 in the natural population of male moths, which is helpful to understand the regulatory mechanism of calling behavior and provides theoretical support for further development of sex pheromone application technology.

In order to know the control potential of Orius sauteri to the first-instar larvae of oriental armyworm [Mythimna separata (Walker)], the predation ability of the fifth-instar nymphs, male adults and female adults of O. sauteri to the first-instar larvae of M. separata was determined in the laboratory, and the Holling Ⅱ and Hassell-Varley models were used for analyzing the functional response, searching efficiency and mutual interference of O. sauteri to the first-instar larvae of M. separata. The results showed that the female adults of O. sauteri had the strongest predation ability to the first-instar larvae of M. separata (the ratio of instantaneous attack rate to handling time on single prey was 19.692), and their theoretical maximum daily predation was 19.231 individuals, and their handling time on single prey was the shortest (0.052 d). The male adults of O. sauteri had the moderate predation ability to the first-instar larvae of M. separata (the ratio of instantaneous attack rate to handling time on single prey was 16.610), and their theoretical maximum daily predation was 16.949 individuals, and their handling time on single prey was 0.059 d. The fifth-instar nymphs of O. sauteri had the weakest predation ability to the first-instar larvae of M. separata (the ratio of instantaneous attack rate to handling time on single prey was 13.211), and their theoretical maximum daily predation was 13.103 individuals, and their handling time on single prey was the longest (0.076 d). The daily predation of O. sauteri was positively correlated with prey density and negatively correlated with searching efficiency. The predation rate of O. sauteri on the prey decreased with the increase of predator density, while the intra-species competition intensity enhanced with the increase of predator density. In conclusion, O. sauteri has the potential to control the first-instar larvae of M. separata, of which the female adults work best.

Potato virusY (PVY) and its nonvector insect of potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella) are important disease and pest in global potato industry. In order to investigate whether PVY infection changed the physiological responses of potato plant to P. operculella, we studied performances of P. operculella on PVY-infected and non-infected healthy plants, and carried out the phytohormone analysis and comparative transcriptomic analysis for potato leaves which were affected by PVY infection and herbiory stimuli (dealing with the oral secretions of potato tuber moth), or co-stressed treatment. The results showed that the resistance to P. operculella was significantly increased in potato plants infected by PVY. Moreover, PVY infection also inhibited the increase of abscisic acid induced by herbivory stimuli. Compared with the healthy control plants, herbivory stimuli and PVY infection treatments produced 3 998 and 104 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), respectively; while 9 178 DEGs were induced by co-stressed treatment, suggesting that the co-stressed treatment may greatly affected the physiological responses in potato plants. Compared with the herbivory stimuli, the co-stressed plants had 743 DEGs, and many of them belong to the transferase activity, the protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, and the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways. And the expression levels of many genes in abscisic acid synthesis pathway were also down-regulated, which was consisted with the change of this phytohormone. In summary, this study systematically analyzed the physiological responses of potato plant confronted by the single- and co-stressed treatments of PVY infection and herbivory stimuli, which may provide scientific basis for exploring plant-virus-nonvector insect interactions.

In this study, we explored the taxonomic status of Endoclita minanus Yangin Hepialidae based on the mitochondrial genome level. The complete mitochondrial genome of Endoclita minanus was sequenced by using Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform, and its general features and base composition were analyzed. The phylogenetic tree of mitochondrial genomes of nine species in Hepialidae was constructed by using maximum likelihood method, and their phylogenetic relationships within Hepialidae were analyzed. The results showed that the mitochondrial genome of Endoclita minanus is a circular molecule of 15 248 bp, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and an A+T-rich region with a typical gene arrangement of the mitochondrial genome in Lepidoptera. The A+T content is 81.18%. The gene order of trnI-trnQ-trnM in the mitochondrial genome of Endoclita minanus is consistent with the other species of Hepialidae, which is different from the gene order of trnM-trnI-trnQ in all previously sequenced species of Lepidoptera. The phylogenetic relationships of nine species within Hepialidae based on mitochondrial genomes present as Ahamus+[Napialus+(Endoclita+Thitarodes)]. Gene rearrangement existed in the mitochondrial genome of Endoclita minanus. The phylogenetic analyses strongly supported that Endoclita minanus and Endoclitasignifer gathered into one clade. This study provides an informative reference for understanding the evolution laws of Hepialidae and lays a certain theoretical basis for exploring the phylogeny and evolution of Lepidoptera.

Flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) participate in endogenous and exogenous metabolisms in organisms, and exist widely in plants, animals and microorganisms. To explore the function of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus FMOs (BxFMOs) in the host colonization and in response to the nematicide stress, we firstly screened and identified 13 Bxfmos from the genome of B. xylophilus by means of bioinformatics, and then analyzed the physicochemical properties, evolutionary development, protein structures, and gene expression patterns of these genes. The results showed that, the Bxfmos distributed on the five chromosomes; their numbers of amino acids were from 432 to 572; their molecular weights were between 49.77 kDa and 66.09 kDa; and their isoelectric points were between 6.26 and 9.27. The structures of BxFMOs were relatively conservative. The gene expression patterns revealed that the BxFMOs had significant effects on the colonization of B. xylophilus and its respondence to nematicidal agents. The above results have important guiding significance and theoretical value for exploring the colonization mechanism of B. xylophilus in the host and seeking the molecular targets to control B. xylophilus.

Chinese bayberry is a characteristic and native fruit of China, which is popular for its unique flavor and juicy taste. However, Chinese bayberry fruit has a short harvesting period and poor storability, thus is highly depending on the postharvest preservation and transportation technologies. There are numerous studies on the postharvest preservation and transportation of Chinese bayberry fruit. Based on these, this paper reviewed the research progress on postharvest quality change, disease and pest occurrence, storage and logistics technologies of Chinese bayberry fruit. After combing and looking forward to some researching key points, it is concluded that the reasons for the poor harvesting of Chinese bayberry fruit are diverse and complex, and the importance of forming a comprehensive technical system from many aspects is put forward. This paper provides some theoretical references for the research and application of postharvest preservation technologies of Chinese bayberry fruit.

Vertebrate embryonic development is a complex process in which cells self-organize into a completely formed organism via cell behaviors such as division, proliferation, differentiation, migration, and programmed cell death (PCD). Among these cell behaviors, PCD exists in all stages of embryonic development, playing important roles in organogenesis, morphogenesis, and maintenance of tissue homeostasis. In this review, we summarized recent research progress on the regulation of vertebrate embryonic development by PCD, including the biological function and regulatory mechanism of PCD and clearance of dead cells during early embryonic development, focusing on the close link between PCD and embryonic developmental processes. We hope this review will help build a more comprehensive understanding of the roles of PCD in vertebrate embryonic development, and provide insights into how PCD is manipulated to improve the quality of embryonic development in the future.

To evaluate phytotoxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on plants, the effects of 0, 5, 50, 250 mg/L ZnO NPs on nutrient uptake and photosynthesis of lettuce were studied using hydroponic culture with Zn²⁺ and^{bulk ZnO as comparisons. The results showed that ZnO NPs inhibited the growth of lettuce, and biomass of lettuce decreased obviously with the increase of ZnO NPs concentration. Under the 5-250 mg/L ZnO NPs treatments, the contents of magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) in the shoots of lettuce were reduced by 18.0%-33.3%, 19.0%-28.6%, 17.2%-28.3% and 17.4%-33.8%, respectively. Further-more, 50 and 250 mg/L ZnO NPs treatments significantly decreased the chlorophyll content and chloroplast activity of lettuce. Under the 5-250 mg/L ZnO NPs treatments, net photosynthetic rate (P_n), stomatal conductance (G_s), intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (C_i) and transpiration rate (T_r) of lettuce decreased by 33.7%-75.0%, 21.3%-36.7%, 11.2%-29.0% and 30.7%-83.4%, respectively; the maximum photochemical efficiency (F_v /F_m), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), actual photochemical quantum yield (Φ_PSⅡ), and electron transport rate decreased by 6.3%-18.8%, 7.0%-14.0%, 5.0%-20.0% and 5.8%-20.7%, respectively. The inhibition of 250 mg/L ZnO NPs on the photosynthesis of lettuce was much greater than that of the corresponding Zn2+ release amount and bulk ZnO with the same concentration. These results indicate that ZnO NPs can inhibit the photosynthesis of lettuce by affecting the mineral nutrient absorption, hindering the chlorophyll synthesis, and reducing the photosystem Ⅱ activity.}

Rhizosphere microorganisms play an important role in plant growth and adaptation to the environment. In order to reveal the characteristics of rhizosphere bacterial community of endangered plant Cupressus gigantea in Tibet, we employed 16S rRNA gene high-throughput amplicon sequencing technology combined with soil chemical properties to examine the rhizosphere bacterial composition and diversity in Bayi District, Milin County, and Langxian County of Nyingchi City in Tibet and their influencing factors. The results showed that the diversity of bacteria in the rhizosphere of C. gigantea was rich, and the dominant bacterial phylum were Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, and Acidobacteriota. There were 757 shared genera (65.83%) of rhizosphere bacteria in C. gigantea in Langxian County, Bayi District, and Milin County, with 125 (10.87%), 39 (3.39%) and 41 (3.56%) unique genera, respectively, and the β-diversity analysis of non-metric multidimensional scaling based on Bray-Curtis distance revealed significant differences among populations. The positive correlation of the co-occurrence network of bacterial communities was more than 68%, and the cooperative relationship was greater than the competitive relationship. Soil available phosphorus (AP), total phosphorus (TP), and ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) were important factors driving changes in the structure of rhizosphere bacterial community. In order to adapt to different growth environments, various groups of C. gigantea have formed unique rhizosphere bacterial communities. The above results can provide a reference for studying the role of rhizosphere microorganisms in the growth and environmental adaptation of C. gigantea and the protection of C. gigantea resources.

Developmental pluripotency-associated 2 and 4 (DPPA2/DPPA4) are important regulators of genome activation in 2-cell-like embryonic stem cells (2CL ESCs), meanwhile, they can regulate the proliferation of ESCs. However, the functions of DPPA2/DPPA4 during early bovine embryo development and their potential mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, RNA interference technology combined with embryo microinjection technology were used to knock down DPPA2/DPPA4 in bovine embryos. It was found that, compared with the negative control (NC) group, there was no significant difference in the cleavage rate from 8-cell to 16-cell stages and blastocyst rate at the blastocyst stage, but the total cell number, trophoblast cell number, and inner cell mass (ICM) cell number of blastocysts were significantly decreased in the knockdown (KD) group (P＜0.001, P＜0.05, and P＜0.01). RNA-sequencing analysis further showed that, when compared with the NC group, the core transcription factor RBPJ (recombination signal binding protein gene for immunoglobulin kappa J region) of NOTCH signaling pathway was significantly down-regulated (P＜0.05) in the late morula stage at the KD group. The previous studies demonstrated that RBPJ knockdown would lead to severe damage to blastocyst quality of early bovine embryos. Therefore, the results revealed that DPPA2/DPPA4 can affect cell proliferation by regulating the expression of RBPJ duringbovine preimplantation embryo development.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of FYN binding protein (FYB) gene mutation on lactation performance of Holstein cows in southern China. The lactation traits of 785 Holstein cows from 2014 to 2020 were collected, and the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FYB gene were detected by SNaPshot and the effects of the mutation on structural and physicochemical properties of FYB protein were analyzed. The associations between the mutations and lactation traits and serum biochemical indexes were analyzed by the least square method. The results showed that the allele frequencies of C and T at rs109262355 in FYB gene were 0.36 and 0.64, respectively, which were consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P＞0.05). An extra hydrogen bond with a length of 3.34 ? in the related region of FYB protein caused by the mutation from C to T at rs109262355 was formed, which reduced the hydrophobicity and flexibility of the protein in this region. 305 d milk yield, peak milk yield, and milk fat rate between CC and TT genotype individuals in rs109262355 was significantly different (P＜0.05), with the dominant allele T of milk yield and the dominant allele C of milk fat rate. The serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was significantly different between CC and TT genotype individuals (P＜0.05); alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total cholesterol (TC) in serum were highly significantly different between CC and TT genotype individuals (P＜0.01). The rs109262355 mutation in FYB gene can affect the milk yield and milk fat percentage of dairy cows, which could be used as a candidate genetic marker in lactation traits of Holstein cows in southern China of marker-assisted selection breeding.

To explore the function and potential applications of heat shock transcription factor (HSF) gene family on heat tolerance of Zizania latifolia of ‘Longjiao No. 2’, twenty-eight HSF proteins were identified and analyzed by bioinformatics methods. The physicochemical analysis showed that the theoretical isoelectric point was 4.77 to 11.63, and the molecular weight was 16.77-101.29 kDa, and the protein length was 239-661 amino acids, and the instability indexes of the whole family were more than 40. The multiple sequence alignment revealed that the DNA-binding domain of HSF protein was highly conserved with a length of about 100 amino acids. The phylogenetic tree of HSF proteins of Z. latifolia, Arabidopsis thaliana, Phyllostachys edulis, and Oryza sativa L. was constructed by MEGA 7.0 and the HSF proteins could be divided into A, B, and C classes. In the HSF family of Z. latifolia, there were 17 members in class A, seven in class B, and four in class C. The expression profiles of HSF genes under the heat stress was analyzed by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the physiological indexes under the heat stress were also measured. The results showed that 14 HSF genes were at high expression levels (the expression levels were increased by more than 10 times) after the heat stress (42 ℃, 12 h). Among them, the expression levels of ZlHSF-04, ZlHSF-12, and ZlHSF-27 were up-regulated most obviously, which increased by 37, 36, and 44 times when compared with the normal temperature treatment (CK), respectively. Moreover, under the heat stress, the leaves became dry and curled with a large area of water loss and chlorosis, and the maximum photochemical efficiency (F_v /F_m) of photosystem Ⅱ was significantly reduced by 49.9% compared with the CK. Besides, the relative electrical leakage (REL), and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), proline (Pro), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) increased significantly by 409%, 97%, 396%, and 99%, respectively. These results lay theoretical foundations for further study of the functions of the HSF gene family under heat stress of Z. latifolia.

This study aims to design and optimize the main structure of a stable and lightweight unmanned vehicle-based field crop phenotyping platform. In order to meet the requirement of high safety, high stability, and lightweight, Pro/Engineer Wildfire 5.0 software was used to design the main structure model of the platform, and HyperWorks 2020 software was employed to perform the finite element analysis and optimize the structure model. Meanwhile, the statics and dynamics analysis of the structure was implemented during the design process. Taking the main structural mass as the objective function, with the material yield limit and the first-order mode as the constraints, the design of experiment (DOE) method was applied to extract the structural parameters of parts with the high sensitivity to the first-order mode and stress under multi-working conditions as design variables, which greatly reduced the variable number. Then, the adaptive response surface method (ARSM) was applied for iterative calculation to obtain the optimal variables. Compared with the corresponding output response of the actual finite element model, the ARSM approximate model produced a low error of 3.79% and 4.32% in the main structure mass and the first-order modal frequency, respectively, which also obtained the maximum stress error of 4.24%, 4.14%, and 1.26% under the static and uniform speed conditions, starting conditions, and emergency shutdown conditions, respectively. These results show that the ARSM approximate model has a high accuracy and the error is less than 5%. Compared with the original structure, the final overall mass was reduced by 63.61% at maintaining the safety factor of each working condition above 5.0. As a result, the main structure of field crop phenotyping platform is obtained with high safety factor and meeting usage requirements.