Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chengjun Li, Wei Wu, Jing Tang, Fan Feng, Peng Chen, Bin Li
Summary: A study identified 883 miRNAs in Tribolium castaneum, with 102 miRNAs exhibiting stage-specific expression patterns. Knockdown of five differentially expressed miRNAs led to defects in metamorphosis and wing development. This study provides important insights into the roles of miRNAs in insect growth and development.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Soheila Fatehi, Michael Aikins, Thomas W. W. Philips, Susan Brown, Kun Yan Zhu, Erin D. D. Scully, Yoonseong Park
Summary: The study focuses on Tribolium castaneum, a model beetle, and its positive single-stranded RNA virus, Tribolium castaneum iflavirus (TcIV). It found that TcIV is prevalent among different laboratory cultures, strains, and the same strain maintained in different laboratories, as well as in the Tribolium cell line TcA. The study also supports transovarial transmissions and the virus' prevalence in the nervous system, offering an opportunity to study the interaction between the virus and the immune system in this model beetle species.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kun Qian, Yi Yang, Changyin Zhou, Haoyu Zhang, Nan Zhang, Xiangkun Meng, Jianjun Wang
Summary: In this study, two putative sodium channel genes, TcNav1 and TcNav2, were cloned and characterized in Tribolium castaneum, encoding proteins with amino acid similarities to Drosophila para. Knockdown of TcNav1 and TcNav2 adversely affected adult emergence and decreased sensitivity to insecticides. These findings suggest that duplication of sodium channel genes in T. castaneum has led to diversified developmental and toxicological functions.
PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Bjoern Trebels, Stefan Dippel, Brigitte Goetz, Maria Graebner, Carolin Hofmann, Florian Hofmann, Freya-Rebecca Schmid, Mara Uhl, Minh-Phung Vuong, Vanessa Weber, Joachim Schachtner
Summary: The study reveals that sensory neurons in the larval antennae of the red flour beetle are reused in the adult stage, while the structure of the antennal lobe undergoes transformation. The formation of adult glomeruli in the antennal lobe during mid-metamorphosis is a common feature among different insect species, although the role of Orco in development may vary.
Article
Agronomy
Janin Rosner, Johanne Tietmeyer, Hans Merzendorfer
Summary: The study focused on the potential functions of TcABCG and TcABCH genes in insecticide detoxification. Upregulation of some genes after insecticide treatment was found, but silencing these genes did not significantly increase susceptibility to insecticides, indicating an unspecific stress response rather than direct involvement in detoxification processes.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kenji Shimomura, Soshi Ino, Kazuya Tamura, Takehito Terajima, Motohiro Tomizawa
Summary: The study explored the repellency behavior of citronellal-derived compounds on red flour beetles, finding that TcTRPA1 and odorant receptor co-receptor played a significant role in mediating this behavior, suggesting potential implications for insect repellents involving citronella oil.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Ana Korsa, Lai Ka Lo, Shrey Gandhi, Corinna Bang, Joachim Kurtz
Summary: Recent studies have shown that the microbiome has a significant impact on many properties of an organism, and its composition can change under various conditions. In invertebrates, the presence of the gut microbiome has been found to be related to immune priming. This study found that the composition of the microbiome in red flour beetle changed following oral priming treatment with certain strains of bacteria, but there were no changes with injection priming treatment. This suggests that specific members of the microbiome may be involved in the oral priming response in the red flour beetle.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Kentarou Matsumura, Kyosuke Wakabayashi, Renya Kawakami, Takahisa Miyatake
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between reproductive traits and latitude in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. The results showed that there were significant differences in the reproductive traits of males but not females among field populations. Male reproductive traits exhibited latitudinal clines, while female reproductive traits were correlated with body size. The findings suggest that selection for male reproductive traits varies with latitude in T. castaneum.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Kenji Shimomura, Hinoki Oikawa, Maaya Hasobe, Nobuhiro Suzuki, Shunsuke Yajima, Motohiro Tomizawa
Summary: Beetles are highly destructive pests of agriculture and stored products. Researchers have explored alternatives to pesticides for more sustainable pest management, focusing on insect transient receptor potential channels. The repellent activities of l-menthol and menthoxypropanediol for the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum are mediated by TcTRPM, suggesting that contact repellency may be more significant for repelling beetles than olfactory responses.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Amy M. Osborne, Samira Beyramysoltan, Rabi Ann Musah
Summary: Insect infestation poses a significant threat to global food security, and a new technique called Direct Analysis in Real Time-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry was used to differentiate infested and uninfested flour samples through statistical analysis. This technique identified specific compounds responsible for the infestation, potentially leading to a rapid method for testing flour and other grains for insect infestation.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Janin Roesner, Hans Merzendorfer
Summary: ABC transporters are suggested to play a role in insecticide detoxification, with specific TcABCA-C genes being upregulated in response to insecticide exposure. Inhibition of ABC transporters enhances the toxicity of certain insecticides, while silencing of specific TcABCC genes increases susceptibility to particular insecticides. These findings highlight the potential involvement of ABC transporters in detoxification processes in insects.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Runnan Yu, Wenjing Zhang, Yanxiao Li, Jing Tang, KumChol Kim, Bin Li
Summary: ALKBH4 plays a crucial role in epigenetic regulation in mammals by repairing alkyl lesions, but its function in insects is not well understood. In this study, the TcALKBH4 gene was cloned and characterized in Tribolium castaneum. The expression pattern of TcALKBH4 showed high expression in early embryos and early pupae, and in the adult testis and ovary. RNA interference targeting TcALKBH4 at different developmental stages resulted in distinct phenotypes, including developmental failure in larvae, reduced food intake, and fertility deficiency in adults. However, TcALKBH4 RNAi did not affect 6mA levels in vivo. qRT-PCR analysis suggested that TcALKBH4 may mediate larval development through the 20E signaling pathway, and the fertility of female and male adults may be regulated by vitellogenesis and JH signaling pathways, respectively. These findings provide new insights into the potential function of ALKBH4 in insects.
INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Bjoern Trebels, Stefan Dippel, Janet Anders, Clara Ernst, Brigitte Goetz, Tim Keyser, Karl Heinz Rexer, Ernst A. Wimmer, Joachim Schachtner
Summary: Previously, it was believed that the paired antennal lobes were the only primary processing centers for olfactory input in holometabolous insects. However, we have discovered that in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, olfactory input from the palps is also processed separately at distinct neuronal centers. The antennal olfactory sensory neurons project into the antennal lobes, while the palps project into the paired glomerular lobes and the unpaired gnathal olfactory center.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Xin Xu, Nan Zhang, Xiangkun Meng, Heng Jiang, Huichen Ge, Yang Zheng, Kun Qian, Jianjun Wang
Summary: In this study, the role of FOXO in metabolic detoxification and regulation of the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway in insects was investigated using Tribolium castaneum as a model organism. The results showed that FOXO directly regulated the expression of CncC and indirectly regulated the expression of Keap1 through CncC. These findings provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms of the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway in insects.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Patchara Sirasoonthorn, Katsumi Kamiya, Ken Miura
Summary: The study demonstrates the importance of adult-specific cuticular protein genes in the antifungal properties of insect cuticle, with their combined knockdown leading to compromised host defense. Using RNA interference technology, researchers found that these genes play a crucial role in constructing the cuticle of adult insects and contribute significantly to defending against pathogenic fungi.
JOURNAL OF INVERTEBRATE PATHOLOGY
(2021)
