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Abstract Non-retroviral endogenous viral elements (nrEVEs) are widely dispersed throughout the genomes of eukaryotes. Although nrEVEs are known to be involved in host antiviral immunity, it remains an open question whether they can be domesticated as functional proteins to serve cellular innovations in arthropods. In this study, we found that endogenous toti-like viral elements (ToEVEs) are ubiquitously integrated into the genomes of three planthopper species, with highly variable distributions and polymorphism levels in planthopper populations. Three ToEVEs display exon‒intron structures and active transcription, suggesting that they might have been domesticated by planthoppers. CRISPR/Cas9 experiments revealed that one ToEVE in Nilaparvata lugens, NlToEVE14, has been co-opted by its host and plays essential roles in planthopper development and fecundity. Large-scale analysis of ToEVEs in arthropod genomes indicated that the number of arthropod nrEVEs is currently underestimated and that they may contribute to the functional diversity of arthropod genes.

Herbivorous insects harbor a variety of insect-specific viruses (ISVs) some of which are considered to be valuable biological agents for potential applications in biological defense and control strategies. Leaf beetles with chewing mouthparts are particularly known for their capacity to disrupt plant tissue while feeding, often creating openings that can act as entry points for plant pathogens. In this study, we have identified two new negative-sense RNA viruses infecting the leaf beetle Aulacophora indica, an important member of the Chrysomelidae family. These recently discovered viruses belong to the viral families Nyamiviridae and Chuviridae and have been preliminarily named Aulacophora indica nyami-like virus 1 (AINlV1) and Aulacophora indica chu-like virus 1 (AIClV1), respectively. The complete genomic sequences of these viruses were obtained using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques. Detailed analysis of their genomic structures has confirmed their similarity to other members within their respective families. Furthermore, analysis of virus-derived small interfering RNA (vsiRNA) demonstrated a high abundance and typical vsiRNA pattern of AINlV1 and AIClV1, offering substantial evidence to support their classification as ISVs. This research enhances our understanding of viral diversity within insects.

Salivary elicitors secreted by herbivorous insects can be perceived by host plants to trigger plant immunity. Here, the authors show that the small brown planthopper salivary sheath protein LsSP1 binds to salivary sheath proteins and contributes to insect feeding by manipulating rice plant defenses.

Organic solid waste is a renewable resource as it can be transformed into a valuable product through various technologies. Composting is considered to be the most economical and effective technology for treating organic solid waste, but excessive amounts of heavy metals in organic solid waste compost are harmful to the environment. The current focus is on the addition of heavy metal passivators to organic solid waste to reduce the mobility and biotoxicity of heavy metals in situ or ex situ. The aims of this paper are to provide an overview of heavy metal passivators and their passivation mechanisms in the field of organic solid waste composting and to provide a reference for research on the control of heavy metal pollution in the treatment of organic solid waste.

The Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway is an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway that can regulate various biological processes. However, the role of JAK-STAT pathway in the persistent viral infection in insect vectors has rarely been investigated. Here, using a system that comprised two different plant viruses, Rice stripe virus (RSV) and Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV), as well as their insect vector small brown planthopper, we elucidated the regulatory mechanism of JAK-STAT pathway in persistent viral infection. Both RSV and RBSDV infection activated the JAK-STAT pathway and promoted the accumulation of suppressor of cytokine signaling 5 (SOCS5), an E3 ubiquitin ligase regulated by the transcription factor STAT5B. Interestingly, the virus-induced SOCS5 directly interacted with the anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) to accelerate the BCL2 degradation through the 26S proteasome pathway. As a result, the activation of apoptosis facilitated persistent viral infection in their vector. Furthermore, STAT5B activation promoted virus amplification, whereas STAT5B suppression inhibited apoptosis and reduced virus accumulation. In summary, our results reveal that virus-induced JAK-STAT pathway regulates apoptosis to promote viral infection, and uncover a new regulatory mechanism of the JAK-STAT pathway in the persistent plant virus transmission by arthropod vectors.

Simple Summary: Insect-specific negative-sense RNA viruses are widespread, exhibiting a diverse range of characteristics. Leaf beetles within the Chrysomelidae family, known for their chewing mouthparts, are significant agricultural pests. Despite this, reports of negative-sense RNA viruses in leaf beetles are scarce. In this study, we have identified two novel negative-sense RNA viruses in a globally distributed leaf beetle species, Aulacophora indica (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae). The complete genomes of two insect-infecting viruses (ISVs) were successfully obtained through metatranscriptome analysis and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), named Aulacophora indica nyami-like virus 1 (AINlV1) and Aulacophora indica chu-like virus 1 (AIClV1). Phylogenetically, AINlV1 falls into an unclassified clade within the Nyamiviridae virus family, while AIClV1 is classified as a member of the Scarabeuvirus genus within the Chuviridae family. Both viruses exhibit typical genome structures associated with their respective families. Additionally, they activate small RNA interference responses, with virus-derived small RNAs (vsiRNAs) from AINlV1 and AIClV1 showing a consistent pattern peaking at 21 nucleotides, biased towards A/U at the 5′-terminal. Our study provides valuable insights into insect-specific viruses (ISVs) affecting leaf beetles. Herbivorous insects harbor a variety of insect-specific viruses (ISVs) some of which are considered to be valuable biological agents for potential applications in biological defense and control strategies. Leaf beetles with chewing mouthparts are particularly known for their capacity to disrupt plant tissue while feeding, often creating openings that can act as entry points for plant pathogens. In this study, we have identified two new negative-sense RNA viruses infecting the leaf beetle Aulacophora indica, an important member of the Chrysomelidae family. These recently discovered viruses belong to the viral families Nyamiviridae and Chuviridae and have been preliminarily named Aulacophora indica nyami-like virus 1 (AINlV1) and Aulacophora indica chu-like virus 1 (AIClV1), respectively. The complete genomic sequences of these viruses were obtained using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques. Detailed analysis of their genomic structures has confirmed their similarity to other members within their respective families. Furthermore, analysis of virus-derived small interfering RNA (vsiRNA) demonstrated a high abundance and typical vsiRNA pattern of AINlV1 and AIClV1, offering substantial evidence to support their classification as ISVs. This research enhances our understanding of viral diversity within insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the treatment of pig manure for land application is an important issue. In this paper, green synthesized iron nanoparticles (G-nFe) were evaluated for their effectiveness in the aerobic composting of pig manure. G-nFe were evenly mixed into the compost, and the pH and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of the compost in the presence of G-nFe both decreased. FTIR showed that G-nFe promoted the formation of humus during composting. The addition of G-nFe (200 mL kg−1) to the compost also promoted bacterial growth, significantly increasing the colony-forming units (CFU, up to 25.6 × 104 CFU mL−1) and OD600 (up to 0.634) in 5 days. Furthermore, G-nFe promoted the fermentation of the pig manure, thus reducing the phytotoxicity of the compost produced. For example, the final volatile solids (VS) degradation rate and seed germination index (GI) of the compost were the highest and reached 20.8% and 0.76%, respectively. Finally, G-nFe improved both the bacterial diversity and community richness of the compost. This indicated that the addition of G-nFe could result in the prolonging of the acidic fermentation time during composting, leading to increased compost maturity. Overall, the beneficial impact of G-nFe on compost was far greater than the potential harm to bacterial communities in the compost and perceived phytotoxicity.

Abstract A large number of insect-specific viruses (ISVs) have recently been discovered, mostly from hematophagous insect vectors because of their medical importance, but little attention has been paid to important plant virus vectors such as the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, which exists as a complex of cryptic species. Public SRA datasets of B. tabaci and newly generated transcriptomes of three Chinese populations are here comprehensively investigated to characterize the whitefly viromes of different cryptic species. Twenty novel ISVs were confidently identified, mostly associated with a particular cryptic species while different cryptic species harbored one or more core ISVs. Microinjection experiments showed that some ISVs might cross-infect between the two invasive whitefly cryptic species, Middle East Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED), but others appeared to have a more restricted host range, reflecting the possibility of distinct long-term coevolution of these ISVs and whitefly hosts. Moreover, analysis of the profiles of virus-derived small-interfering RNAs indicated that some of the ISVs can successfully replicate in whitefly and the antiviral RNAi pathway of B. tabaci is actively involved in response to ISV infections. Our study provides a comprehensive analysis of the RNA virome, the distinct relationships and cross-cryptic species infectivity of ISVs in an agriculturally important insect vector.

Throughout evolution, arboviruses have developed various strategies to counteract the host's innate immune defenses to maintain persistent transmission. Recent studies have shown that, in addition to bacteria and fungi, the innate Toll-Dorsal immune system also plays an essential role in preventing viral infections in invertebrates. However, whether the classical Toll immune pathway is involved in maintaining the homeostatic process to ensure the persistent and propagative transmission of arboviruses in insect vectors remain unclear. In this study, we revealed that the transcription factor Dorsal is actively involved in the antiviral defense of an insect vector (Laodelphax striatellus) by regulating the target gene, zinc finger protein 708 (LsZN708), which mediates downstream immune-related effectors against infection with the plant virus (Rice stripe virus, RSV). In contrast, an antidefense strategy involving the use of the nonstructural-protein (NS4) to antagonize host antiviral defense through competitive binding to Dorsal from the MSK2 kinase was employed by RSV; this competitive binding inhibited Dorsal phosphorylation and reduced the antiviral response of the host insect. Our study revealed the molecular mechanism through which Toll-Dorsal-ZN708 mediates the maintenance of an arbovirus homeostasis in insect vectors. Specifically, ZN708 is a newly documented zinc finger protein targeted by Dorsal that mediates the downstream antiviral response. This study will contribute to our understanding of the successful transmission and spread of arboviruses in plant or invertebrate hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common complication after cardiac surgery that influences the clinical outcomes and quality of life of patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Shenmai injection (SMI) on POCD of patients who underwent cardiac valve replacement under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods This prospective, randomized, controlled trial was conducted from September 2014 to January 2017. Eighty-eight patients receiving cardiac valve replacement under CPB were randomized into the control (C) or the SMI (S) group. SMI (0.6 mL/kg) was administered intravenously from the time of anesthesia induction to the beginning of CPB. Cognitive function was assessed at 3 days before surgery and 3 days, 7 days, and 1 month after surgery using the Beijing version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-BJ) score. The serum levels of neuroglobin (Ngb), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were measured at 30 min after induction (T0), immediately after the endonasal temperature rewarmed to 36 °C (T1), and 1 h (T2), 6 h (T3), 24 h (T4), 48 h (T5), and 72 h (T6) after CPB. Results Compared with the baseline values at T0, the serum Ngb levels in group C were significantly decreased at T1–2 and then increased at T3–6, while the levels in group S were decreased at T1–2 and increased at T4–6, compared to group C (p