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The vegetative insecticidal protein Vip3Aa from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been produced by transgenic crops to counter pest resistance to the widely used crystalline (Cry) insecticidal proteins from Bt. To proactively manage pest resistance, there is an urgent need to better understand the genetic basis of resistance to Vip3Aa, which has been largely unknown. We discovered that retrotransposon-mediated alternative splicing of a midgut-specific chitin synthase gene was associated with 5,560-fold resistance to Vip3Aa in a laboratory-selected strain of the fall armyworm, a globally important crop pest. The same mutation in this gene was also detected in a field population. Knockout of this gene via CRISPR/Cas9 caused high levels of resistance to Vip3Aa in fall armyworm and 2 other lepidopteran pests. The insights provided by these results could help to advance monitoring and management of pest resistance to Vip3Aa. The insecticidal protein Vip3Aa is used in genetically engineered crops to overcome pest resistance to other insecticidal transgenes. This study shows that insertion of a transposable element into a gut-specific chitin synthase gene causes Vip3Aa resistance in field-collected individuals of the lepidopteran pest Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study published in the journal Clinical & Translational Medicine suggests that analyzing microbial communities could be a useful tool for diagnosing and predicting the prognosis of pancreatic tumors. The researchers examined fecal and intratumor microbial samples from patients with pancreatic tumors and healthy volunteers. They discovered that specific bacteria in fecal samples could potentially serve as non-invasive biomarkers for early detection of pancreatic tumors. Furthermore, they observed differences in the microbial composition of pancreatic tissues between malignant and non-malignant tumors. These findings indicate that microbial profiling may offer a promising approach for improving the early detection and treatment of pancreatic tumors. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: This study aims to analyze the relationship between reproductive tract microecological changes, metabolic differences, and pregnancy outcomes at different time points in the frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycle while patients are undergoing hormone replacement therapy, which will be a breakthrough point for improving outcomes., Methods: A total of 20 women undergoing frozen-thawed single blastocyst transfer for the first time at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Fujian Maternal and Child Health Hospital between July 2022 and January 2023 were recruited for this study. Their vaginal and cervical secretions were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics analysis on days 2-5 of menstruation, day 7 after estrogen replacement therapy started, the day when progesterone was added, and the day of transplantation. The subjects were divided into different groups according to their clinical pregnancy status and the sequencing results were analyzed using bioinformatics methods., Results: 1) The alpha-diversity index of the vaginal and cervical microbiota was higher on days 2-5 of menstruation ( P <0.01), but did not differ significantly on day 7 after oral estrogen replacement therapy started, the day of progesterone administration, and the day of transplantation ( P ≥0.1). 2) Both the pregnant group and the non-pregnant group showed a variety of microorganisms and metabolites with significant differences in the lower reproductive tract at different time points. 3) Microbial analysis at different time points showed that there were significant differences in vaginal flora, including Peptoniphilus , Enterocloster , Finegoldia , Klebsiella , Anaerobutyricum , Agathobaculum , Sporanaerobacter , Bilophila , Prevotella , and Anaerococcus in the pregnant group ( P <0.05). 4) Metabolite analysis at different time points showed that there were significant differences in 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, linatine, (R)-amphetamine, hydroxychloroquine, and L-altarate in the vaginal secretions of the pregnant group ( P <0.05), and that there were significant differences in isocitric acid, quassin, citrinin, and 12(R)-HETE in the cervical secretions ( P <0.05). 5) Metabolite analysis at different time points showed that, in the non-pregnant group, there were significant differences in linatine, decanoyl-L-carnitine, aspartame, sphingosine, and hydroxychloroquine in the vaginal secretions ( P <0.05), and the isocitric acid, quassin, ctrinin, and 12(R)-HETE in the cervical secretions ( P <0.05). 6) Combined microbiome and metabolomics analysis showed that certain metabolites were significantly associated with microbial communities, especially Klebsiella ., Conclusions: Significant differences in the microbiota genera and metabolites at different time points were found during the frozen-embryo transfer cycle of hormone replacement therapy, which may be used as potential biomarkers to predict pregnancy outcomes of embryo transfer., Competing Interests: 利益冲突　所有作者均声明不存在利益冲突, (© 2024《四川大学学报（医学版）》编辑部 版权所有Copyright ©2024 Editorial Office of Journal of Sichuan University (Medical Sciences).)