Project description:One of the most thoroughly studied insect species, with respect to locomotion behaviour, is the stick insect Carausius morosus. Although detailed information exists on premotor networks controlling walking, surprisingly little is known about neuropeptides, which are certainly involved in motor activity generation and modulation. So far, only few neuropeptides were identified from C. morosus or related stick insects. We performed a transcriptome analysis of the central nervous system to assemble and identify 65 neuropeptide and protein hormone precursors of C. morosus, including five novel putative neuropeptide precursors without clear homology to known neuropeptide precursors of other insects (Carausius neuropeptide-like precursor 1, HanSolin, PK-like1, PK-like2, RFLamide). Using Q Exactive Orbitrap and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, 277 peptides including 153 likely bioactive mature neuropeptides were confirmed. Peptidomics yielded a complete coverage for many of the neuropeptide propeptides and confirmed a surprisingly high number of heterozygous sequences. Few neuropeptide precursors commonly occurring in insects, including those of insect kinins and sulfakinins, could neither be found in the transcriptome data nor did peptidomics support their presence. The results of our study represent one of the most comprehensive peptidomic analyses on insects and provide the necessary input for subsequent experiments revealing neuropeptide function in greater detail.
Project description:The first GSSM of V. vinifera was reconstructed (MODEL2408120001). Tissue-specific models for stem, leaf, and berry of the Cabernet Sauvignon cultivar were generated from the original model, through the integration of RNA-Seq data. These models have been merged into diel multi-tissue models to study the interactions between tissues at light and dark phases.
Project description:Ssr4 was experimentally proven to be required for radial growth, aerial conidation, insect infection and virulence-related cellular events in the insect mycopathogen Beauveria bassiana. For in-depth insight into the essential role of Ssr4 in the insect mycopathogen, transcriptomic analysis was carried out via high throughput sequencing (RNA-Seq), resulting in nearly one fourth of the whole genome differentially expressed in the Dssr4 mutant versus wild-type strain.
Project description:The present study performed the proteomic and biological activities of Peruvian Crotalus durissus, an endangered species reported to cause neuro and myotoxic symptoms. Due to the severity of its envenomation and to its geographical location, Peruvian Crotalus durissus is considered of public health importance in Peru. Snakebite treatment depends on rapid administration of appropriate antivenom. In this sense, the recognition of Peruvian Crotalus durissus venom (PCdV) by Brazilian and Peruvian antivenoms was tested. The results of this study increase the scarce knowledge about PCdV composition and demonstrate antivenom recognition of PCdV proteins, indicating a possible efficiency of these antivenoms to treat Peruvian Crotalus durissus accidents
Project description:All the reports on insect small RNAs come from holometabolous insects. However, small RNAs of hemimetabolous insects have not yet been investigated.Study of hemimetabolous insect small RNAs could provide more insights into evolution and function of small RNAs in hemi- and holometabolous insects. The locust is an important, economically harmful hemimetabolous insect and its phase changes is an interesting phenomenon.Here, we used high-throughput sequencing to characterize and compare the small RNA transcriptomes of gregarious and solitary phases in locusts. We found abundant small RNAs and their different expression profiles in the two phases.
