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At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

(3Z,6Z,9Z, 12Z, 15Z)-Pentacosapentaene, a key pheromone component of the fir coneworm moth, Dioryctria abietivorella.

The sex pheromone of the fir coneworm moth consists of a blend of (3Z,6Z,9Z,12Z,15Z)-pentacosapentaene and (9Z, 11E)-tetradecadienyl acetate. Analogous blends of polyunsaturated, long-chain hydrocarbons with much shorter chain aldehydes or alcohols recently have been discovered in three other moth species in the superfamily Pyraloidea. These combinations of components from two distinct structural classes may represent an important and widespread new pheromone blend motif within the Lepidoptera.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Selective and pH-dependent binding of a moth pheromone to a pheromone-binding protein.

Fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) data suggest that the major pheromone-binding protein (PBP) from the wild silkmoth, Antheraea polyphemus, ApolPBP1, undergoes a pH-dependent conformational change similar to that previously observed for the PBP from the silkworm moth, Bombyx mori, BmorPBP. All three constituents of the sex pheromone, E6,Z11-16Ac, E6,Z11-16Ald, and E4,Z9-14Ac, bound to ApolPBP1 with apparent high affinity at high pH, but reduced binding at low pH when tested individually in a "cold binding assay." In competitive assays, however, ApolPBP1 showed considerable preference for the major constituent of the sex pheromone, E6,Z11-16Ac. These data suggest that specificity of PBPs contributes at least in part to the remarkable selectivity of moth's olfactory system.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

New pheromone components of the grapevine moth Lobesia botrana.

Analysis of extracts of sex pheromone glands of grapevine moth females Lobesia botrana showed three previously unidentified compounds, (E)-7-dodecenyl acetate and the (E,E)- and (Z,E)-isomers of 7,9,11-dodecatrienyl acetate. This is the first account of a triply unsaturated pheromone component in a tortricid moth. The monoenic acetate (E)-7-dodecenyl acetate and the trienic acetate (7Z,9E,11)-dodecatrienyl acetate significantly enhanced responses of males to the main pheromone compound, (7E,9Z)-7,9-dodecadienyl acetate, in the wind tunnel. The identification of sex pheromone synergists in L. botrana may be of practical importance for the development of integrated pest management systems.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Isothiocyanates stimulating oviposition by the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella.

Recognition of cabbage as a host plant for the diamondback moth (DBM) has previously been shown to depend on compounds that are extracted by soaking intact foliage in chloroform. Analysis of such chloroform extracts by open column chromatography has now resulted in the isolation of highly active fractions that elicit oviposition on treated filter papers. Further separation of these fractions by high-performance liquid chromatography revealed the presence of two distinct groups of active compounds that may be classified as volatile and non-volatile. The two prominent volatile components were separated and identified by mass spectrometry as the isothiocyanates, iberin (3-methylsulfinylpropyl isothiocyanate) and sulforaphane (4-methylsulfinyl-3-butenyl isothiocyanate). Subsequent bioassays of a range of isothiocyanates showed that iberin and sulforaphane were the most active of those tested. Other isothiocyanates with sulfur in the side chain were also active, whereas alkyl and phenyl isothiocyanates had only limited activity. In electrophysiological experiments, electroantennograms (EAGs) indicated positive responses of moth antennae to the isothiocyanates that were most active in behavioral assays. Since sulforaphane has been identified as a major inducer of anticarcinogenic activity in mouse tissue, a synthetic analog (exo-2-acetyl-5-isothiocyanatonorbornane) that shows similar inducer activity was tested on DBM. This bicyclic analog was highly active in both behavioral and EAG assays, suggesting similarity in receptor sites for the two types of biological activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Multiplication of a granulosis virus isolated from the potato tuber moth in a new established cell line of Phthorimaea operculella.

A newly established cell line was obtained from the culture of embryonic cells of the potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella in low temperature conditions (19 degrees C) using modified Grace's medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. The population doubling time was about 80 h when cells were cultivated at 19 degrees C and 38 h at 27 degrees C. The cell line had a relatively homogeneous population consisting of various sized spherical cells. The cells were cultivated for more than 25 passages. Their polypeptidic profile was different from profiles of other P. operculella cell lines we previously described and from other lepidopteran cells. The new cell line was designated ORS-Pop-95. The complete replication of the potato tuber moth granulosis virus (PTM GV) was obtained in vitro by both viral infection and DNA transfection. PTM GV multiplied at a significant level during several passages of the cell line that was maintained at 19 degrees C. As long as the cells were maintained at 19 degrees C, virus multiplication could also be obtained at the same rate at 27 degrees C. To compare PTM GV multiplied both in vivo and in vitro, we used morphological identification, serological, DNA probe diagnosis and endonuclease digest profile analysis and confirmed the identity of the virus.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Identification and characterization of a testis-specific isoform of a chaperonin in a moth, Heliothis virescens.

Two relatively abundant proteins having subunit molecular weights of 60,000 and 63,000 (p60 and p63, respectively) have been purified as a 16 to 18S complex from sperm mitochondria of a moth. Heliothis virescens. Although the function of these proteins had heretofore not been established, interest in the p63 polypeptide stemmed from its sperm-specific expression and its striking occurrence as a net charge variant among several insect species surveyed, using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Genomic and cDNA clones corresponding to the p63 protein have now been isolated and their sequencing has revealed extensive amino acid sequence identity with both the Escherichia coli GroEL protein and its eukaryotic homologues, the chaperonins. Immunoblot studies with a Tetrahymena chaperonin antiserum demonstrated that the p60 protein, which is expressed in all cell types, is structurally related to p63 and is itself a chaperonin subunit. While the chaperonin complex from Heliothis sperm shares certain properties with GroEL, including the ability to hydrolyze ATP and organization of its subunits into a seven-member ring, electron microscopic analysis revealed that its higher-order structure differed from GroEL (and other lower eukaryotic chaperonins) in that the native particle comprises one such ring rather than a doublet. It is not yet known whether the two chaperonin isoforms coexpressed in moth sperm assemble separately or give rise to hybrid particles. In either case, the existence of multiple chaperonin subunits in sperm leaves open the possibility that some aspect of mitochondrial biogenesis that is dependent upon the activity of these proteins is qualitatively or quantitatively different in this cell type.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1989

Release of PI-anchoring enzymes and other effects of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C from Bacillus thuringiensis on TN-368 cells from a moth ovary.

Release of PI-anchoring enzymes and other effects of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C from Bacillus thuringiensis on TN-368 cells from a moth ovary. Toxicon 27, 637-645, 1989.--The effect of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C(PIPLC) from Bacillus thuringiensis was investigated on TN-368 cells, derived from the ovary of a moth, Trichoplusia ni. Quantitative analysis of lipids showed that phosphatidylinositol (PI) was contained as one of the major phospholipids in TN-368 cells, whereas sphingomyelin and cholesterol were minor lipid components. When TN-368 cells were treated with PIPLC, significant amounts of alkaline phosphatase, 5'-nucleotidase and beta-glucosidase were released from these cells. Thus, these enzymes were shown to be PI-anchoring proteins in the plasma membrane of these cells. In the presence of 4.2 units of PIPLC, the cell growth of TN-368 was inhibited by 50%. In contrast with normal cells, the cells cultured in the presence of PIPLC became swollen and globular, losing their protoplasmic extensions. Also, there was degeneration of the interior of TN-368 cells cultivated in the presence of PIPLC. Mitochondria became swollen with a decrease in number of granules while the crista turned transparent. Also, an increase in lysosomes was observed and vacuoles seemingly derived from smooth endoplasmic reticula appeared.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Allergy to insects in Japan. III. High frequency of IgE antibody responses to insects (moth, butterfly, caddis fly, and chironomid) in patients with bronchial asthma and immunochemical quantitation of the insect-related airborne particles smaller than 10 microns in diameter.

After recognizing that moth, butterfly, caddis fly, and chironomid were the insects predominantly found in our environment, reaginic sensitivities to these insects in patients with asthma were investigated with extracts of silkworm wing for the detection of moth and/or butterfly allergy, caddis fly wing for caddis fly allergy, and chironomid whole body for chironomid allergy. At least 50% of 56 randomly selected patients with asthma had positive intracutaneous reactions to these insect extracts, and at least 80% of the skin reaction positive patients had specific IgE antibodies. An immunochemical assay of these insect-related aeroallergens in the dust collected 18.6 m above ground revealed the presence in the air of insect-related particles less than 10 microns in diameter with two peaks a year, one in the spring (silkworm wing, 3.18 ng protein equivalent to that of the crude extract per cubic meter of air; caddis fly wing, 3.08 ng/m3; and chironomid whole body, 5.21 ng/m3) and one in the autumn (silkworm wing, 8.24 ng/m3; caddis fly wing, 4.74 ng/m3; and chironomid whole body, 18.19 ng/m3). Although we have no idea whether or not such peak values are enough to cause asthmatic symptoms, seasonal fluctuations of specific IgE antibodies to these insects appeared to be similar to those of atmospheric insect allergens measured by this method. These findings suggest that insects are widespread and common inhalant allergens.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

In vivo mass production in the cabbage moth (Mamestra brassicae) of a heterologous (Panolis) and a homologous (Mamestra) nuclear polyhedrosis virus.

In preparation for field trials, a nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) of the pine beauty moth, Panolis flammea, was mass produced in vivo in an alternative (heterologous) host, the cabbage moth, Mamestra brassicae. Simultaneously, Mamestra NPV was also produced in M. brassicae. This homologous NPV/host system was a consistently more efficient production system than the heterologous one. Evidence is presented that increased humidity may improve levels of infection and, therefore, yield achieved. Full purification of the resultant product through a sucrose gradient resulted in a loss of virus of about 30%.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

The use of polymerase chain reaction and shortwave UV irradiation to detect baculovirus DNA on the surface of gypsy moth eggs.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology was employed to detect baculovirus DNA sequences from viral occlusion bodies (OB) contaminating the surface of gypsy moth eggs. The level of sensitivity of the technique was as low as 5 viral genome copies and DNA from 1 OB equivalent. Thirty minutes of shortwave UV irradiation of eggs contaminated with 8.4 x 10(4) OBs prevented amplification of viral DNA sequences from OBs on the egg surface. These methods are important for providing a better understanding of gypsy moth virus epizootiology as well as for the examination of insect eggs for the persistence of baculovirus gene sequences inside the egg or on the egg surface. In addition, these methods can be easily modified for monitoring the persistence of genetically engineered baculoviruses in insect populations as well as the fate of genes that these viruses might carry.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Brush border membrane aminopeptidase-N in the midgut of the gypsy moth serves as the receptor for the CryIA(c) delta-endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis.

Aminopeptidase-N (AP-N) was purified from gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar, L.) brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) proteins by mono-Q chromatography and Superdex-75 gel filtration in the presence of the zwitterionic detergent, CHAPS, using FPLC. The purified AP-N, identified by its enzymatic activity, had an apparent size of 100 kDa, and was identified as the unique Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal toxin, CryIA(c), binding protein. AP-N clearly displayed strong binding to CryIA(c), exhibiting little or no binding to CryIA(a) or CryIA(b), and showing no binding for the coleopteran-specific toxin, CryIIIA. Protein blots of the BBMV proteins probed with biotin-labeled and 125I-labeled insecticidal proteins revealed that CryIAc binds only to 120 kDa protein which is a slightly larger size in comparison to purified AP-N. Antibodies raised against the gypsy moth AP-N demonstrated that the purified AP-N and the 120 kDa CryIA(c) binding protein of total BBMV proteins are antigenically identical.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Phylogenetic studies of ribosomal RNA variation in higher moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera: Ditrysia).

The selection of exemplars has been shown both theoretically and empirically to affect tree topology, but the importance of the number and nature of taxa used to represent higher taxonomic lineages in molecular studies is rarely stressed. In our rRNA study of higher moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera: Ditrysia), the selection of different exemplars and outgroups caused major tree rearrangements. We also examined the effectiveness with which conserved rRNA regions track the diversification of Lepidoptera. Homoplasy is as prevalent at the few variable sites of conserved regions (18E, 18J, 28F) as at the many variable sites of a more rapidly evolving region (28B). Finally, 28B sequence variation differs qualitatively among lepidopteran superfamilies of presumed comparable age, the Papilionoidea (true butterflies) and Noctuoidea (cutworm moths and relatives).

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Stimulation of cyclic AMP formation and nerve electrical activity by octopamine in the terminal abdominal ganglion of the female gypsy moth Lymantria dispar.

The biogenic amine octopamine is known to be present in the abdominal ganglia of some insects, but the expression of functional octopamine receptors in these neuronal structures has not yet been characterized. In the present study, we describe the presence in the female gypsy moth terminal abdominal ganglion (TAG), a key structure in the control of the insect reproductive behavior, of an octopamine receptor coupled to stimulation of adenylyl cyclase through the GTP-binding protein G(s). The rank order of potency of different antagonists, which discriminate between the different classes of octopamine receptors, indicated the involvement of the neuronal type 3 receptor. The octopamine-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity was inhibited by Ca(2+) in the low micromolar range and by activation of either protein kinase A or protein kinase C. In the isolated TAG, bath application of octopamine caused an increase of the spontaneous bursting activity of the emerging nerve of the 5th pair (V), whereas the antagonist mianserin reduced the nerve spiking activity and blocked the stimulatory effect of octopamine. These data demonstrate that the gypsy moth TAG expresses functional octopamine receptors, which may participate in the neuronal control of the insect reproductive behavior.

Abdomen↗
PubMed2006

Gene expression in the gut of keratin-feeding clothes moths (Tineola) and keratin beetles (Trox) revealed by subtracted cDNA libraries.

Few lineages of insects are able to feed on keratin (hair, feathers) and it remains unknown which genes enable this metabolism and what is their evolutionary origin. We conducted a transcriptomic study of two keratin-feeding insects, the clothes moth Tineola bisselliella (Lepidoptera) and the keratin beetle Trox sp. (Coleoptera). Using subtracted cDNA libraries enriched for gut-expressed transcripts, a total of 672 clones sequenced per library resulted in > 150 tentative unique sequences for each species. Sequence similarity predictions identified 22.4% (Tineola) and 6.8% (Trox) of the ESTs as proteases, and mainly as serine proteases of the trypsin and chymotrypsin type, while lacking cysteine proteases. None of the sequences showed similarity to subtilisin type proteases that confers keratinolytic activities in prokaryotes and fungi. Neighbor-Joining trees grouped Tineola and Trox serine proteases near other lepidopteran and coleopteran sequences, respectively, but distant from each other. A few abundant ESTs had no database matches but their presence suggests a role specific to these keratin-feeding insects. While high expression of specific serine proteases appears linked to keratin digestion in both species, it remains to be established if their action requires additional enzymatic or physiological functions to initiate the degradation of the abundant cysteine bonds of keratins. These catabolic pathways are of great interest in the leather industry for the removal of hair, while proteinase inhibitors could prevent damage from clothes moths.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Development of the larval ovary in the moth, Plodia interpunctella.

The morphogenesis of ovaries and the organization of germ cells within them were visualized during the larval stages of the moth, Plodia interpunctella. The germ cells were observed by utilizing confocal microscopy coupled with immuno-fluorescent staining for the alpha-crystallin protein 25 (alphaCP25). The alphaCP25 was previously shown to be specific to germ cells of pupae and adults, and this study shows that alphaCP25 is present in larval germ cells as well. A cluster of 28 germ cells that stain for alphaCP25 was found in the gonads of newly hatched first instar larvae. The founding germ cells became segregated into four clusters, most likely by somatic cell intrusion, around the beginning of the second instar. Division of the primary germ cells began by the end of the second instar and the formation of all cystoblasts appeared to be completed within the four ovarioles by the end of the third instar. Within the ovarioles of third instar larvae, the germ cells were organized with a distal cap of seven germ cells which was segregated from the majority of the germ cells. The main body of germ cells was arranged around a central germ cell-free core as a spiral. Divisions of the cystoblasts to form cystocyte clusters were nearly completed during the fourth (last) larval instar. These features suggest that the strategy to produce follicles in moths is fundamentally different from the fruitfly, Drosophila. It appears that during the initial stages of ovary development in P. interpunctella, the primary germ cells undergo stage-complete divisions that are completed prior to the onset of the next set of divisions, which results in a complete complement of follicles available by the time of adult eclosion, while in Drosophila the primary germ cell divisions are initiated in the adult stage, and follicles are produced individually as resources are available.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Cold hardiness of Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of pyralid moths.

The ectoparasitoid Habrobracon hebetor (Say) attacks stored-product infesting pyralid moths that are able to overwinter under extremely cold conditions. The extent to which H. hebetor can withstand these conditions is not known, but has important implications for the ability of H. hebetor to provide long-term suppression of these pests in temperate climates. We investigated basic cold hardiness aspects of a mutant eye-color strain of H. hebetor. Feeding larvae and adults of H. hebetor had supercooling points (SCPs) at temperatures higher than those of eggs and pupae. Mean SCPs of females and males were equivalent, as were those of naked and silk-encased pupae. Feeding on honey prior to being subjected to low temperatures significantly increased the SCP of adult females by approximately 8 degrees C. Mortality of pupae and adults increased significantly whenever the temperature dropped below the mean SCP, indicating that H. hebetor does not tolerate freezing. For pupae and adults exposed to -12 and -5 degrees C, the hourly mortality rate increased with time of exposure. Pupae and adults exposed to -12 degrees C for different time intervals showed high mortality after only 1d of exposure. At -5 degrees C, none survived 12d of exposure. A better understanding of how well this parasitoid tolerates low temperatures will be useful in evaluating its potential as a biological control agent of stored-product moths in temperate regions.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2004

Horizontal transmission of Hz-2V by virus infected Helicoverpa zea moths.

Helicoverpa zea female moths productively infected with Hz-2V have malformed reproductive tissues and are sterile. Virus replication in infected females occurs primarily in the reproductive tissues and culminates with the accumulation of virus-filled vesicles, which form plugs of virus covering the reproductive openings of these insects. The location of this large concentration of virus particles at the terminal abdominal segment of infected females suggests that it may serve as a source of virus that can be transmitted horizontally between moths during mating. In mating experiments it was found that healthy males are attracted to and attempt to mate with infected females, and that these males are able transmit Hz-2V to healthy females during subsequent matings, giving rise to virus infected progeny.

Abdomen↗
PubMed2005

Genotypic variation and presence of rare genotypes among Douglas-fir tussock moth multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (OpMNPV) isolates in British Columbia.

The Douglas-fir tussock moth (Orgyia pseudotsugata) multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (OpMNPV) is periodically applied to suppress Douglas-fir tussock moth populations in British Columbia and in the western United States. The strain of OpMNPV in the product currently used for suppression is not genetically distinct from naturally occurring OpMNPV. To separate the mortality caused by the applied virus from that caused by the naturally occurring virus, a rare and genetically distinct strain of OpMNPV must be applied. To learn more about the genotypic diversity of OpMNPV populations in BC and to identify rare strains in this region, viral DNA was extracted from larvae reared from 208 field-collected egg masses found in five geographic regions of British Columbia and subjected to REN analysis. Nine, 12, and 9 different genotypes were detected using PstI, SalI, and HindIII, respectively. When the PstI, SalI, and HindIII profiles for each pure (single strain) isolate were grouped and considered as a combined PstI-SalI-HindIII genotype, 23 different genotypes were identified among 185 isolates. Nine rare OpMNPV genotypes were selected as ideal candidates for use as a potential 'marker strain' to accurately determine the efficacy of the treatment.

Animals↗