Elongation factor (EF) is a key regulation factor for translation in many organisms, including plants, bacteria, fungi, animals and insects. To investigate the nature and function of elongation factor 1β' from Spodoptera exigua (SeEF-1β'), its cDNA was cloned. This contained an open reading frame of 672 nucleotides encoding a protein of 223 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 24.04...

The binary toxin 'Photorhabdus insect-related' proteins (PirAB) produced by Photorhabdus luminescens have been reported to possess both injectable and oral activities against a range of insects. Here, PirAB-fusion protein was constructed by linking pirA and pirB genes with the flexible linker (Gly4 Ser)3 DNA encoding sequence and then efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli. To better underst...

Pheromone and plant odorants are important for insect mating, foraging food sources and oviposition. To understand the molecular mechanisms regulating pheromone and odorant signaling, we employed qRT-PCR to study the circadian rhythms of ABP, OBP, PBP, and OR gene expression in the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua and their responses after a pre-exposure to sex pheromone compounds or plant vola...

The production of a multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), has been markedly increased by using juvenile hormone analog (JHA) technology to generate a supernumerary sixth instar in the species. In the current study we compared the incidence of cannibalism in S. exigua fifth and sixth instars reared at low (two larvae per...

The influence of an optical brightener, Tinopal LPW, on the activity of a purified genotype of the nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), was determined in second to fifth instar (L2-L5) S. exigua. When mixed with viral occlusion bodies (OB) 1% Tinopal LPW significantly reduced the median lethal dose (LD50) of the virus in all instars compared with insec...

BACKGROUND Oral toxicity of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) specific to integrin β1 subunit (SeINT) was known in a polyphagous insect pest, Spodoptera exigua. For an application of the dsRNA to control the insect pest, this study prepared a transformed Escherichia coli expressing dsRNA specific to SeINT. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The dsRNA expression was driven by T7 RNA polymerase overexpressed by an i...

BACKGROUND Bacillus thuringiensis X022, a novel strain isolated from soil in China, produces diamond-shaped parasporal crystals. Specific mineral nutrients, such as Mg, Cu, and Mn, influence insecticidal crystal proteins (ICP) expression and the effects of these elements vary significantly. However, the molecular mechanisms of the effects caused by mineral elements have yet to be reported. RE...

With the development of sensitive molecular techniques for detection of low levels of asymptomatic pathogens, it becoming clear that vertical transmission is a common feature of some insect pathogenic viruses, and likely to be essential to virus survival when opportunities for horizontal transmission are unfavorable. Vertical transmission of Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMN...

BACKGROUND RNA interference (RNAi) induced through double stranded RNA (dsRNA) has been used widely to study gene function in insects. Recently, it has been reported that gene knockdown in several insects can be induced successfully through feeding with dsRNA. However, it is still unknown whether phenotypic silencing of genes not expressed in the midgut occurs after ingestion of insect dsRNA. ...

Thirty Atriplex lines were examined for potential habitat improvement and phytoremediation of selenium (Se) contaminated sites. Studies were conducted to determine the biomass production, Se accumulation, and resistance of each line to the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, an agriculturally important insect. Plants were tested using three salinity treatments: (1) control, no Se; (2) NaCl and Ca...