Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are believed to play a key role in the chemosensory process in insects. Sequencing genomic DNA and RNA encoding CSP1, CSP2 and CSP3 in the sweet potato whitefly Bemisia tabaci showed strong variation between B and Q biotypes. Analyzing CSP-RNA levels showed not only biotype, but also age and developmental stage-specific expression. Interestingly, applying neonicotinoid thiamethoxam insecticide using twenty-five different dose/time treatments in B and Q young adults showed that Bemisia CSP1, CSP2 and CSP3 were also differentially regulated over insecticide exposure. In our study one of the adult-specific gene (CSP1) was shown to be significantly up-regulated by the insecticide in Q, the most highly resistant form of B. tabaci. Correlatively, competitive binding assays using tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular docking demonstrated that CSP1 protein preferentially bound to linoleic acid, while CSP2 and CSP3 proteins rather associated to another completely different type of chemical, i.e. α-pentyl-cinnamaldehyde (jasminaldehyde). This might indicate that some CSPs in whiteflies are crucial to facilitate the transport of fatty acids thus regulating some metabolic pathways of the insect immune response, while some others are tuned to much more volatile chemicals known not only for their pleasant odor scent, but also for their potent toxic insecticide activity.

Background: MicroRNAs are key regulators of plant growth and development with important roles in environmental adaptation. The microRNAs from the halophyte species Thellungiella salsuginea (salt cress), which exhibits extreme salt stress tolerance, remain to be investigated. The sequenced genome of T. salsuginea and the availability of high-throughput sequencing technology enabled us to discover the conserved and novel miRNAs in this plant species. It is interesting to identify the microRNAs from T. salsuginea genome wide and study their roles in salt stress response. Results: In this study, two T. salsuginea small RNA libraries were constructed and sequenced using Solexa technology. We identified 109 miRNAs that had previously been reported in other plant species. A total of 137 novel miRNA candidates were identified, among which the miR* sequence of 26 miRNAs was detected. In addition, 143 and 425 target mRNAs were predicted for the previously identified and Thellungiella-specific miRNAs, respectively. A quarter of these putative targets encode transcription factors. Furthermore, numerous signaling factor encoding genes, defense-related genes, and transporter encoding genes were amongst the identified targets, some of which were shown to be important for salt tolerance. Cleavage sites of seven target genes were validated by 5’ RACE, and some of the miRNAs were confirmed by qRT-PCR analysis. The expression levels of 26 known miRNAs in the roots and leaves of plants subjected to NaCl treatment were determined by Affymetrix microarray analysis. The expression of most tested miRNA families was up- or down-regulated upon NaCl treatment. Differential response patterns between the leaves and roots were observed for these miRNAs. Conclusions: Our results indicated that diverse set of miRNAs of T. salsuginea were responsive to salt stress and could play an important role in the salt stress response.

High-throughput farming of animals for an essential purpose such as large scale health and production of hogs is a challenge for the food industry in the modern world. The problem is that the breeding of livestock for fast growth or high yields of meat is often associated with illness and microbial infection that develop under the breeding conditions. Piglet diarrhea is most common pig disease, leading to heavy mortality and thereby economic loss. We proved that chemical drugs can relieve the symptoms of diarrhea in ill piglets, but they do not treat the underlying cause, i.e. significantly altered bacterial gut flora. Using Illumina sequencing of fecal DNA, we showed that the bacterial gut flora of piglets treated with antibiotics remain close to the ill conditions. However, using Illumina sequencing of fecal DNA from piglets treated with a specific Bacillus (Bacillus subtilis Y-15, B. amyloliquefaciens DN6502 and B. licheniformis SDZD02) demonstrated the efficiency of natural bioproducts not only on curing diarrhea, but also on beneficial bacteria to re-establish in the piglet gut. We therefore propose a new natural “medicine” to be explored by the world farm animal agriculture industry, particularly for sustainable improvement of swine livestock production and health.

In this review we present the developmental, histological, evolutionary and functional properties of insect chemosensory proteins (CSPs) in insect species. CSPs are small globular proteins folded like a prism and notoriously known for their complex and arguably obscure function(s), particularly in pheromone olfaction. Here, we focus on direct functional consequences on protein function depending on duplication, expression and RNA editing. The result of our analysis is important for understanding the significance of RNA-editing on functionality of CSP genes, particularly in the brain tissue.