Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chongyang Li, Jianmin Cao, Xiufang Wang, Pengjun Xu, Xinwei Wang, Guangwei Ren
Summary: By improving the GC-EAG-MS method for screening active compounds in insect behavior regulation, this study achieved high efficiency and consistency in accuracy and sensitivity compared to traditional methods. Analyzing the screening of known and unknown compounds using two methods demonstrated clear advantages of the improved method.
Article
Entomology
Vincas Buda, Sandra Radziute, Violeta Apsegaite, Laima Blazyte-Cereskiene, Rasa Cepulyte, Gabriele Bumbulyte, Raimondas Mozuraitis
Summary: The European cherry fruit fly is a significant pest of sweet and sour cherry fruit, which is challenging to control with conventional insecticides. Research has identified three volatile compounds that are attractive to females of this species, suggesting the potential for new attractants. Understanding the reactions of flies to host-plant volatile organic compounds could aid in the development of effective pest management strategies.
Article
Agronomy
Robert W. H. M. van Tol, Celia M. Diaz Rodriguez, Antje de Bruin, Daowei Yang, Tanvi Taparia, Frans C. Griepink
Summary: The effectiveness of a water trap with LED lights and semiochemicals in trapping Lygus rugulipennis was evaluated in this study. The results showed that the water trap with white LED light caught significantly more bugs than the sex pheromone-based traps in greenhouse experiments. Both males and females were attracted to ss-caryophyllene, but not in the presence of the sex pheromone. The pheromone plus bean plant odor was attractive to the insects, suggesting an interaction between plant odor and pheromone.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
G. Basana Gowda, Totan Adak, P. D. Kamala Jayanthi, P. Saravan Kumar, G. Guru-Pirasanna-Pandi, Naveenkumar B. Patil, M. Annamalai, P. C. Rath
Summary: This study aimed to isolate and identify potential attractants from the larval body wash of the rice moth to attract its parasitoid. It found that one compound significantly attracted a higher number of parasitoids, offering an opportunity for improved mass rearing efficiency.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Saeedeh Noushini, Soo Jean Park, Ian Jamie, Joanne Jamie, Phillip Taylor
Summary: Research on the rectal gland secretions of male and female Bactrocera bryoniae found that males had 6 compounds, while females had 23 compounds. Y-tube bioassays showed that male rectal gland substances and volatiles attracted both females and males, while female substances only attracted males.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sally Noushini, Soo Jean Park, Jeanneth Perez, Danielle Holgate, Vivian Mendez, Ian M. Jamie, Joanne F. Jamie, Phillip W. Taylor
Summary: This study identified the chemical profiles of rectal gland contents and volatiles emitted by both male and female Bactrocera kraussi, and evaluated their potential as pheromones mediating sexual interactions in this species.
Article
Entomology
Nan-Ji Jiang, Bao-Tong Mo, Hao Guo, Jun Yang, Rui Tang, Chen-Zhu Wang
Summary: The study identified the sex pheromone components of the fall armyworm using gas chromatography and other methods, and found that Z9-14:Ac and Z7-12:Ac are the principal sex pheromone components. This research provides important insights for the control and management of the fall armyworm.
Article
Agronomy
Junjie Yan, Mengdi Zhang, Abid Ali, Xia Du, Xiangdong Mei, Yulin Gao
Summary: The study compared the sex pheromone titers released by Phthorimaea operculella females and the electroantennogram (EAG) responses of male antennae to pheromone compounds. The optimal sex pheromone ratio was screened in the field, with different ratios found to be most attractive to males in tobacco and potato fields. Mass trapping using sex pheromones effectively reduced the population of Phthorimaea operculella in the potato and tobacco fields over two years.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Louison Dumond, Pui Ying Lam, Gijs van Erven, Mirjam Kabel, Fabien Mounet, Jacqueline Grima-Pettenati, Yuki Tobimatsu, Guillermina Hernandez-Raquet
Summary: The study found that the gut microbiomes of termites have the potential to degrade lignin under anaerobic conditions, effectively removing lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose, indicating a partial deconstruction of lignin.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Yu Cao, Qiqi Hu, Lujie Huang, Christos G. Athanassiou, Filippo Maggi, Ilaria D'Isita, Yangyang Liu, Onofrio Marco Pistillo, Mingzhi Miao, Giacinto Salvatore Germinara, Can Li
Summary: The influence of stored cereal volatiles on the behavior of Sitophilus oryzae was explored by studying the olfactory responses of adult rice weevils to the volatiles of different rice cultivars. The results showed that S. oryzae exhibited significantly different preferences for these rice cultivars, with a particular preference for Red brown rice. In addition, several compounds in Red brown rice were identified as being the most abundant and were able to elicit significant electroantennography (EAG) and behavioral responses from S. oryzae at optimal concentrations. These findings provide new insights into the mechanism of host preferences of stored-grain pests and suggest the potential use of nonanal as a monitoring and control tool against this storage-beetle pest.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
R. Keating Godfrey, Jill T. Oberski, Taylor Allmark, Caleb Givens, Jessica Hernandez-Rivera, Wulfila Gronenberg
Summary: This study investigated three species of odorous ants and found that brain structures were not related to colony size, but olfactory components involved in nestmate recognition in the antennal lobe were not scaled with body size. The authors suggest a potential link between colony size and sensory trait evolution based on differences observed in closely related species.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nisansala N. Perera, Paul A. Weston, Russell A. Barrow, Leslie A. Weston, Geoff M. Gurr
Summary: Volatile cues play a significant role in the location and discrimination of food resources by insects. This study investigated the behavioral responses and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the dung beetle Bubas bison to different types of animal dung. The results showed that horse dung attracted B. bison more strongly than cattle dung, and the diet of the horses also influenced their preference. Furthermore, the abundance and composition of VOCs varied with dung type and livestock diet.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Zachary Foulks, Jennifer Parks, William Stoecker, Charles Kristensen, Eileen A. Hebets, Honglan Shi
Summary: This study developed a novel method for analyzing potential pheromones and biomolecules emitted by brown recluse spiders, successfully identifying 11 airborne biomolecules. The method was also applied to study the airborne biochemicals of another hunting spider, demonstrating differences in signaling molecule concentrations between the two species.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Bing Lyu, Xiaoyan Zhang, Jingguang Li, Lei Zhang, Yuxin Zhong, Yongning Wu
Summary: The present study evaluated two GC-MS/MS instruments with different ion sources for detecting trace levels of PCDD/Fs in various foods. The GC-MS/MS methods showed good sensitivity, repeatability, and reproducibility, and the results were comparable to those obtained with GC-HRMS.
JOURNAL OF FOOD COMPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Chao Han, Chaoqun Huang, Qinting Jiang, Li Chen, Yi Li, Chengjie Lou, Hailing Lu, Yan Shen
Summary: A novel and accurate method for the determination of folpet and phthalimide residues in tea has been developed, using solid-phase extraction combined with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The method proposes converting all folpet to phthalimide prior to sample extraction and purification, and utilizes an isotopic internal standard for quantification. The study confirms the accurate determination of phthalimide content and its conversion to folpet content.
MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Dorota Konvalinkova, Frantisek Dolnicek, Michaela Hovorkova, Jakub Cerveny, Ondrej Kundrat, Helena Pelantova, Lucie Petraskova, Josef Cvacka, Margarita Faizulina, Beena Varghese, Petr Kovaricek, Vladimir Kren, Pavel Lhotak, Pavla Bojarova
Summary: This study reports the synthesis of potential galectin ligands based on the calix[4]arene core and investigates the influence of linkers and core structure on their affinity. Competitive assays using ELISA and biolayer interferometry demonstrate significant differences in affinity based on linker length and the position of the triazole unit. Atomic force microscopy detects the formation of supramolecular clusters.
ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Damien Gergonne, Romain Fougeyrollas, Chantal Poteaux, Yves Roisin, Inge Armbrecht, Jan Sobotnik, Cynthia S. Valladares Romero, Juliette M. Berthier, David Sillam-Dusses, Virginie Roy
Summary: The study reveals the presence of hybridization and incongruences between mitochondrial and nuclear genes in two related termite species observed in the sympatry zone of the western Andes. This suggests that the formation of the Andes and changes in geographical and climatic conditions have influenced the evolutionary history of these species.
ORGANISMS DIVERSITY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
David Sillam-Dusses, Vojtech Jandak, Petr Stiblik, Olivier Delattre, Thomas Chouvenc, Ondrej Balvin, Josef Cvacka, Delphine Soulet, Jiri Synek, Marek Brothanek, Ondrej Jiricek, Michael S. Engel, Thomas Bourguignon, Jan Sobotnik
Summary: The study reveals that vibration and chemical signals are the main means of alarm communication in termites and wood roaches. Vibration signals are a shared characteristic of both termites and wood roaches, while chemical signals have independently evolved in multiple cockroach groups and at least two termite species. The complexity of vibration and chemical alarm signaling patterns is correlated with phylogenetic position, food type, foraging area size, and nesting habits.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Barbora Kloudova, Timotej Strmen, Vladimir Vrkoslav, Zdenek Chara, Ondrej Paces, Josef Cvacka
Summary: Electrospray may not have efficient ionization in some applications, but alternative methods such as atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and photoionization (APPI) can be used. However, there is a lack of APCI and APPI sources specifically designed for very low sample flow rates. In this study, we developed a nebulizer with a gas dynamic virtual nozzle (GDVN) and demonstrated its suitability for APCI at microliter-per-minute flow rates. The GDVN nebulizer showed improved detection sensitivity and stability compared to traditional APCI sources, making it a promising option for low-polar analytes.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Amrita Chakraborty, Jan Sobotnik, Katerina Votypkova, Jaromir Hradecky, Petr Stiblik, Jiri Synek, Thomas Bourguignon, Petr Baldrian, Michael S. Engel, Vojtech Novotny, Inaki Odriozola, Tomas Vetrovsky
Summary: This study evaluated the influence of wood age on the gut microbial communities associated with termites. The concentration of secondary metabolites decreased with wood age but had no effect on the termite gut microbiome. Termite feeding activities and wood age influenced the wood microbiome.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Cedric Aumont, Tereza Berankova, Dino P. McMahon, Renate Radek, Pierre D. Akama, David Sillam-Dusses, Jan Sobotnik
Summary: This study investigated a new genus of termites called Verruco-sitermes, characterized by unique outgrowths on their head capsule, antennae, and maxillary palps, which are not found in other termites. The ultrastructure of the rostral gland in Verru-cositermes tuberosus soldiers was examined, revealing that it consists of class 3 secretory cells producing peptide-derived components with unclear function. The potential role of the rostral gland as an adaptation to soil pathogens encountered during foraging for new food resources is also discussed.
ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stanislav Machacek, Michal Tupec, Natan Horacek, Martina Halmova, Amit Roy, Ales Machara, Pavlina Kyjakova, Ondrej Luksan, Iva Pichova, Robert Hanus
Summary: Through studying the FAD homologs from 57 species of termites and their close relatives, researchers have identified the evolutionary origin of termites' ability to reproduce and digest, which is crucial for their ecological success.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Simona Sedlackova, Martin Hubalek, Vladimir Vrkoslav, Miroslava Blechova, Petr Kozlik, Josef Cvacka
Summary: A typical bottom-up proteomic workflow often fails to fully describe certain domains or parts of proteins. This study introduces an alternative approach using acetylation and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) mass spectrometry. By acetylating peptides obtained through chymotrypsin or Glu-C digestion, APCI and APPI ionizations significantly improved the detection and sequence coverage of peptides compared to electrospray ionization (ESI). This method provides complementary data to classical bottom-up proteomics analysis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vladimir Vrkoslav, Petra Horka, Jindrich Jindrich, Milos Budesinsky, Josef Cvacka
Summary: In this study, an alternative approach based on Ag-HPLC/APCI-MS was used to separate and detect cuticular hydrocarbons (HCs) from the flesh fly and cockroach. The method achieved a significantly higher number of HCs detected compared to GC or MALDI-MS. The separation and quantitative detection of HCs were based on the number of double bonds, cis/trans isomerism, and position of double bonds.
Article
Biology
Jigyasa Arora, Ales Bucek, Simon Hellemans, Tereza Berankova, Johanna Romero Arias, Brian L. L. Fisher, Crystal Clitheroe, Andreas Brune, Yukihiro Kinjo, Jan Sobotnik, Thomas Bourguignon
Summary: Termites host diverse communities of gut microbes, with bacteria mostly transferred vertically. Coevolution patterns have been identified between termites and certain gut bacteria, suggesting a long-term association. Horizontal transfer rates are low, indicating vertical transmission as the dominant route.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lukas Cudlman, Ales Machara, Vladimir Vrkoslav, Miroslav Polasek, Zuzana Bosakova, Stephen J. Blanksby, Josef Cvacka
Summary: The synthesis and mass spectrometry analysis of triacylglycerol estolides (TG-EST) were conducted to facilitate the identification of these biologically active lipids in biological samples.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Johanna Romero Arias, Simon Hellemans, Esra Kaymak, Pierre. D. D. Akama, Thomas Bourguignon, Yves Roisin, Rudolf. H. H. Scheffrahn, Jan Sobotnik
Summary: While new species of termites are discovered every year, the description of species that are distantly related to known termite species is rare. This paper describes Engelitermes zambo sp.n., an African Termitidae species belonging to a completely new lineage of termites, for which a new subfamily, Engelitermitinae subfam.n., is created.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jan Philipp Menzel, Reuben S. E. Young, Aurelie H. Benfield, Julia S. Scott, Puttandon Wongsomboon, Lukas Cudlman, Josef Cvacka, Lisa M. Butler, Sonia T. Henriques, Berwyck L. J. Poad, Stephen J. Blanksby
Summary: This study introduces a workflow for discovering new fatty acids, which adds more than 100 fatty acids to the human lipidome. The traditional methods often fail to detect the isomers of unsaturated fatty acids. By coupling liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry with gas-phase ozonolysis of double bonds, this workflow enables the rapid identification of fatty acids in complex media and even in instances of incomplete chromatographic separation. The application of this method can reveal changes in lipid metabolism.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Doroteja Loncaric, Fahimeh Movahedifar, Jakub Radek Stocek, Martin Dracinsky, Josef Cvacka, Shanshan Guan, Benjamin J. Bythell, Ivana Cisarova, Eric Masson, Jiri Kaleta
Summary: Cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) can encapsulate positively charged guests in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The addition of certain alkali and alkaline earth cations to the CB[7]/guest complexes can trigger their cation-mediated trimerization, which is favored in DMSO due to the reduced penalty for desolvation.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Miluse Vlachova, Van Nguyen Tran, Jakub Cerveny, Frantisek Dolnicek, Lucie Petraskova, Helena Pelantova, Ondrej Kundrat, Josef Cvacka, Zuzana Bosakova, Vladimir Kren, Pavel Lhotak, Jitka Viktorova, Pavla Bojarova
Summary: Elevated levels of galectin-3 are associated with tumorigenesis. Inhibition of galectin-3 with high-affinity carbohydrate ligands offers new therapeutic possibilities. Intracellular targeting of galectin-3 is challenging, but novel biomedical research tools, glycocalix[4]arenes, show potential for entering epithelial cells to interact with galectin-3.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
