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PubMed2026

Gastrointestinal digestion governs insect protein hydrolysis and predicted bioactive peptide release: Species-dependent implications for functional food applications.

This study investigates the digestion of insect proteins and the release of predicted bioactive peptides during human gastrointestinal digestion. Using the Infogest in vitro model, mealworm, cricket, and black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) proteins were digested and analyzed through discovery proteomics and bioinformatics to identify predicted bioactive peptides. Sequential windowed acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion mass spectra (SWATH-MS) quantified insect proteins including predicted bioactive peptide precursor proteins, the precursors of predicted bioactive peptides. Results indicated that gastrointestinal digestion strongly influences peptide release, with the gastric phase exhibiting a richer predicted bioactive peptide profile than the small intestinal phase. Many predicted bioactive peptides were rapidly hydrolysed under small intestine conditions, which may lead to reduced stability or diminished activity in vivo, potentially explaining why certain peptides show strong bioactivity in vitro but limited effects in vivo. Additionally, predicted bioactive peptide release varied by insect species, influenced by genetic factors and peptide abundance. These findings highlight the importance of species selection and consideration of proteolytic digestion patterns in optimizing insect-derived bioactive peptides for functional foods and nutraceutical applications.

Animals↗

PubMed1976

Control and management of insect populations by chemosterilants.

Chemosterilants, i.e., chemical compounds that interfere with the reproduction potential of sexually reproducing organisms, can be used in three new approaches to insect control. In the sterile-insect release technique, the principal problem is to develop compounds and methods for their application that would not result in introducing harmful residues into the environment. Because of the unusual and often unique circumstances connected with releasing large numbers of sterilized insects, the residue problem and its cost-benefit aspects must be examined individually for each intended control or eradication program. In the direct application technique, chemosterilants must meet the same efficiency and safety standards required from approved insecticides. Combined insecticidal and sterilizing activity is characteristic for some compounds now being investigated. In the genetic technique, chemosterilants may be used for inducing heritable changes in the insect's genome under laboratory conditions, and such procedures would not present any residue problems. Only the first two chemosterilant techniques are approaching practical application, and their safety aspects require detailed evaluation and assessment.

Chemosterilants↗

PubMed1978

Insects and other pests affecting man and animals in Saudi Arabia.

Survey of the insects and other pests attacking farmers and domestic animals was carried out during three successive years (1968, 1969 and 1970) in the Central province of Saudi Arabia. In this paper, the insects and other pests found were given. Also, location and time of appearance for each pest were mentioned. The pests recorded were 6 species of insects belonging to 5 families and 4 orders attacking farmers; 9 species of insects belonging to 8 families and 4 orders, and 9 species of mites and ticks belonging to 5 families attacking domestic animals.

Animal Diseases↗

PubMed2026

Genetic inference in social insects: The continued utility of microsatellites in the sociogenomic era.

Social insects differ from many other biological systems because colonies function as integrated reproductive, ecological, and evolutionary units, often conceptualized as superorganisms. This organization makes genetic inference inherently hierarchical, often requiring genotyping across multiple biological levels: the colony, the population, the individual, and, in some cases, the cellular level. Although whole-genome sequencing and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based approaches are now widely used in population genomics, microsatellites or short tandem repeats (STRs) remain a useful approach for cost-effective, low-input, and highly replicated genotyping, particularly in the hierarchical sampling designs common in social insect studies. Here, we review the utility and limitations of microsatellites in social insect research using a three-tiered framework spanning colony-, population-, and individual- or cellular-level analyses. Across these scales, microsatellites are especially valuable for colony delimitation, kinship inference, diagnostic screening of known reproductive systems, and low-input genotyping. By comparing the suitability of microsatellites with that of SNP-based and broader genomic approaches across these applications, this review links marker choice to biological scale, sampling design, and inferential goal in studies of social insects.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

The Adaptive Roles of Active Transposable Elements in Insect Hosts.

Active transposable elements (TEs) are capable of generating new insertions in genomes and have historically been viewed as genomic parasites due to their largely detrimental or neutral effects. However, emerging evidence suggests that these elements also play a crucial role in driving adaptive evolution in insects. This mini-review synthesizes recent findings on how active TEs contribute to insect adaptation through various mechanisms, including regulation of gene expression, structural variation, and epigenetic effects. Notable examples of adaptation driven by active TEs include their roles in insecticide resistance, morphological adaptations, tolerance to harsh climates, and antiviral immune responses. We argue that while host silencing mechanisms, such as the piRNA pathway, tightly regulate TE activity to minimize harmful effects, the context-dependent activation of active TEs can generate beneficial genetic variation that enhances insect adaptations to anthropogenic and climatic pressures. Future research that integrates long-read sequencing, single-cell omics, and gene editing techniques will provide a robust mechanistic foundation for understanding the adaptive significance of active TEs in insects, with important implications for pest management, pollinator protection, and evolutionary biology.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1978

Is a urea cycle present in insects?

1. The presence of appreciable activity of the urea-cycle enzymes in the tissues of Sarcophaga ruficornis, a carnivorous dipteran insect, all through its life-cycle appears significant in view of their total absence barring arginase (L-arginine ureohydrolase, EC 3.5.3.1) in the phytophagous lepidopteran eri silkwork Philosamia ricini at any stage of development. Further, the variation of all these enzymes all through its development suggests the possibility of the operation of the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle in this carnivorous insect. 2. The almost parallel behaviour of arginase and ornithine delta-transaminase (L-ornithine-2-oxo acid aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.13) in both the insects suggests another important role of the former in proline biosynthesis in insects. 3. High proteolytic activity accompanied with significant protein depletion and simultaneous increase in arginine is suggestive of the degradation of proteins and peptides.

Animals↗

PubMed1977

Lysozyme from the insect Ceratitis capitata eggs.

1. Lysozyme from eggs of the Dipterous Ceratitis capitata (Wiedeman) has been purified by ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration and its physicochemical properties have been investigated. This is the first insect lysozyme characterized so far and it exhibits some properties different to those described for other animal lysozymes. 2. Lysozyme from the insect eggs has a molecular weight of about 23200 and a sedimentation coefficient of 2.4 S. Molecular weight determination by sodium dedecylsulphate gel electrophoresis indicates that the molecule consists of a single polypeptide chain. 3. This lysozyme preparation shows notable stability at acidic pH values and lability at alkline pH values. It shows a single optimum pH at about 6.5.4. Chitinase/muramidase specific activity ratio is around 350 times higher for the insect lysozyme than for the hen egg-white enzyme. 5. The amino-acid composition shows the presence of one tryptophan residue per molecule of enzyme. This fact differentiates the lysozyme from insect eggs from other animal and plant lysozymes. From the amino acid composition, the absorption coefficient and the partial specific volume are calculated. 6. Glycine is the N-terminal residue.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1978

Lipid-bound oligosaccharides in insects.

Membrane preparations from immature stages of the fruit fly Ceratitis capitata catalyze the transfer of mannose from GDP-[14C]mannose into lipid-linked oligosaccharides. These compounds behave as polyprenyl derivatives and their formation is stimulated by the addition of an acidic glycolipid fraction isolated from insects. The mannose-labeled oligosaccharides are attached to the poly-isoprenol by a pyrophosphoryl linkage and can be released by mild acid hydrolysis. The trisaccharide lipid has been partially characterized. The results indicate that the compound is polyprenyl-pyrophosphate-N,N'-diacetylchitobiose-mannose. Incubation of dolichyl phosphate [14C]mannose or lower 14C-labeled oligosaccharide lipids with unlabeled GDP-mannose and the insect enzyme leads to the labeling of a higher lipid-bound oligosaccharide. When UDP-N-acetyl[14C]glucosamine was incubated with insect membranes a 14C-labeled chitobiosyl lipid was synthesized. If unlabeled GDP-mannose was also present, the 14C label appeared in the trisaccharide and higher oligosaccharide lipids. Preliminary evidence indicates that the insect polyprenyl oligosaccharides described here might participate in glycoprotein biosynthesis.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

A horizontally acquired gene mediates insect cocoon pigmentation in the eri silkmoth, Samia ricini.

Holometabolous insects make cocoons during larval-pupal metamorphosis to protect the pupal phase. The materials used for cocoon construction vary widely. Lepidopteran insects typically secrete silk to form cocoons, which display diverse colors. The eri silkworm, Samia cynthia ricini, is an economically important domesticated species that mostly produces white cocoons, with some varieties producing red cocoons. The enzyme kynureninase (KYNU), acquired from bacteria by horizontal gene transfer, has previously been implicated in insect coloration, while the tryptophan metabolite 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA) has been identified as a red pigment. However, exactly how KYNU is involved in cocoon pigmentation remains unclear. Here, we report that a horizontally transferred bacterial gene encoding KYNU regulates red cocoon formation. Metabolomic analysis revealed a high accumulation of 3-HAA in red cocoons, confirming its role as the primary pigment and associating the coloration with tryptophan metabolism. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis indicated that SrKYNU is highly expressed in the silk glands and significantly downregulated in the red cocoon strain compared to the white cocoon strain. Genomic sequencing identified a 141 bp deletion in the upstream regulatory region of KYNU in the red cocoon strain compared to the white cocoon strain. Dual-luciferase assays confirmed that this deletion significantly reduced promoter activity. CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of SrKYNU in the white-cocoon strain resulted in mutants producing red cocoons with elevated 3-HAA content. These findings reveal that the horizontally transferred gene SrKYNU exhibits tissue-specific expression and regulates cocoon coloration in S. ricini, illustrating that horizontal gene transfer can play an important role in regulating an insect physiological process.

Animals↗

PubMed1977

Excretion in insects: function of gut and rectum in concentrating and diluting the urine.

The diverse excretory systems of insects exhibit several features that appear unusual when comparisons are made with the mammalian kidney. Secretion by the Malpighian tubules of a fluid that is unlike the blood in composition, substitutes for glomerular filtration. Various reabsorptive functions, such as volume reduction, regulation of individual electrolytes, adjustment of osmotic concentration and pH regulation, which are associated with distinct renal segments in the mammalian kidney, all occur simultaneously in the rectum of terrestrial insects. Involvement of an extracellular molecular sieve in selective reabsorption is novel. As far as water transport is concerned, the rectal pads of the cockroach and locust appear to accomplish, across a single layer of cells, the same function as the countercurrent multiplier system of the mammalian kidney with its several epithelial layers. Direct absorption of water vapor in the rectum of some insects from atmospheres of low relative humidity, clearly involves quite different and unknown mechanisms. Finally, saline-water insect larvae produce hyperosmotic excreta by direct secretion of ions into the rectal lumen. They can adjust individual transport processes to form various secretions, which are appropriate to the natural waters of diverse chemical types in which these larvae thrive.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1976

Biochemical adaptations for flight in the insect.

1. Flight by insects is characterized by the most intense respiration known in biology and also the most controlled. Thus insect flight muscle may be the tissue of choice for the study of biochemical adaptation in the control of catabolism and biological oxidations, and many of the results obtained with insects have a significance and a relevance that transcend the boundaries between classes. In insects, such as the blowfly, flight is distinguished additionally by high wingbeat frequencies and an asynchronous type of excitation-contraction coupling. In spite of this intense muscular work, metabolic processes are not limited by the availability of oxygen. Also of importance is the morphological organization of the flight muscle and mitochondria, which have evolved ultrastructurally and biochemically into an effective catabolic machine. 2. In the fly, carbohydrate, principally glycogen, is the sole metabolic fuel; fats are not used in flight and enzymes concerned with fatty acid utilization are virtually lacking. Glycogenolysis does not lead to lactic acid; instead, the end products of glycolysis are pyruvate and alpha-glycerophosphate. The alpha-glycerophosphate cycle provides a mechanism not only for the reoxidation of glycolytically produced NADH but also for the stoicheiometric formation from each molecule of hexose equivalent of two molecules of pyruvate, which are then available for oxidation via the tricarboxylate cycle. The absence of dicarboxylate and tricarboxylate carriers from the mitochondria ensures that tricarboxylate-cycle intermediates do not exit from the mitochondrion but that pyruvate is oxidized to completion. On initiation of flight, mitochondrial oxidation of pyruvate is impeded by the lack of tricarboxylate-cycle intermediates for the generation of oxaloacetate. This is circumvented by the oxidation of proline. 3. The controls on metabolism in flight muscle, i.e. (1) glycogenolysis at phosphorylase and phosphorylase kinase, (2) glycolysis at phosphofructokinase, (3) alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase, (4) proline dehydrogenase and (5) tricarboxylate cycle at isocitrate dehydrogenase, are effected by the phosphate potential and/or Ca2+. It is suggested that the metabolic changes, such as those seen in the rest-to-flight transition, are achieved by the concerted actions of these effectors at the different loci.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed2026

Museum specimens reveal the genomic consequences of long-term population decline in an insect pollinator.

Global insect pollinator populations are under threat, with reported declines attributed to increasing habitat loss, pesticide use, and disease. Tracking how genetic diversity has changed over time could reveal the rate and extent of these declines, and the adaptive capacity of affected species-providing an important complement to habitat-based conservation efforts. However, few studies have been able to reconstruct suitable historical baselines to link genomic changes with population change. Here, we use whole genome data from 101 museum specimens of the declining moss carder bumblebee (Bombus muscorum) collected across Britain and Ireland between 1894 and 2019 to reveal a dramatic drop in genetic diversity over the last century. We find a substantial (∼24.6%) reduction in genome-wide heterozygosity across Britain during this period. In England and Wales, where habitat fragmentation is most pronounced, we observe a 2.86-fold increase in runs of homozygosity, commensurate with population fragmentation and isolation. Our results reveal the extent to which human-induced environmental change can lead to severe decadal-scale genomic erosion in a functionally important insect. Identified using DNA from historic museum collections, our approach has widespread applicability for insect conservation and understanding the evolutionary consequences of environmental change.

Animals↗

PubMed2025

Abiotic conditions can modify the penetrance of transgene-based lethality systems for insect population control.

Modern genetic biocontrol techniques for insect pest management, when compared to chemical insecticide spraying, offer high species specificity and reduced environmental impact, and some of these methods require the environmental release of genetically modified (GM) insects. Because organisms exposed to different environments often show variability in phenotype and gene expression, it is likely that GM insects will also experience environmentally mediated variation, potentially compromising pest control efficiency. This study examines the impact of temperature and nutrition on the early embryonic Tet-off conditional lethality system in Drosophila melanogaster. By independently manipulating parental and offspring environments, we assessed how exposure to variable environments influenced the probability of larval hatching and the transcript abundance of the transgenic system. Our findings revealed that: (i) transgene performance distinctly responds to temperature and nutrition; (ii) thermal stress has a greater impact when embryos, rather than parents, are exposed; and (iii) extreme nutritional conditions can markedly reduce the penetrance of transgenic lethality. Although changes in transgene transcript abundance were observed across environments, these changes did not fully explain the phenotypic variation, suggesting that factors downstream of transcription probably drive variation in transgenic lethality.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Analogs of juvenile hormones in the control of insects of medical or sanitary importance].

The growth and moulting or immature insects is related to three main groups of hormones : cerebral, ecdysonal and juvenile. Juvenile hormone analogues mark a new stage in the control of detrimental insects, and have significant advantages over the conventional insecticides. In order to establish the effectiveness of juvenile hormone analogues a series of biotests were performed : the wax pupal test, injections, systemic and topical applications, the treatment of food, pulverizations and exposure to vapors. In the laboratory, the efficiency of the analogues was tested against the following genera : Anopheles, Aedes, Culex, Culiseta, Musca, Stomoxys and Blattella, obtaining several effects, such as : lengthening of the larval stages, blocking of metamorphosis and ecdysis, blocking of the emergence of adults, morphogenetic ovicide, sterilizing and lethal effects, etc. Exploratory trials were performed in the field with compounds whose effectiveness had been demonstrated, against some Aedes, Musca, Stomoxys, Pediculus and Bovicola species. Laboratory experiments showed, however, that the insects might become resistant to juvenile hormone analogues.

Aedes↗

PubMed1978

Allergy to insect stings. IV. Diagnosis by radioallergosorbent test (R.A.S.T.).

Radioallergosorbent tests (RAST(s)) have been developed and assessed for the diagnosis of insect hypersensitivity by using a purified allergen from honeybee venom, phospholipase A, and crude yellow jacket venom. Sera from 193 patients positive both by history and skin test to one of these insects were compared with various groups of control sera. Eighty percent of sera from skin test-positive patients were RAST positive; positive RAST were found in 16% of sera tested from skin test-negative patients. A highly positive RAST correlates well with a positive skin test and clinical sensitivity, but serum IgE is not measurable in many patients with mast cell or basophil bound antibody. Since biologically important reactions of antigen with IgE require that the antibody be cell bound, skin testing would be preferred to RAST if one were limited to a single test for the diagnosis of insect allergy.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

A comparative ultrastructural study of blood cells from nine insect orders.

An ultrastructural study of hemocytes from 9 different insect orders has led to the identification of 8 cell types: (1) Plasmatocytes, whose cytoplasm is filled with small dense lysosomes and large heterogeneous structures, are phagocytic cells. (2) Granulocytes, filled with uniformly electron dense granules, are involved in capsule formation. (3) Coagulocytes, which contain granules and structured globules and which possess a well developed RER, are involved in phagocytosis. (4) Spherule cells are filled with large spherical inclusions. (5) Oenocytoids are large cells with few cytoplasmic organelles. These 5 hemocyte types represent the majority of insect blood cells. (6) Prohemocytes, blastic cells which are one of the stem cells a hemocytes, are very few in number in each species investigated. (7) Thrombocytoids and (8) Prodocytes are restricted to a small number of insect species. The ultrastructural characteristics of these hemocyte types are discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed1977

Fatty acid synthetase complex from the insect Ceratitis capitata.

Fatty acid synthesis capacity of the insect Ceratitis capitata has been investigated in vitro from [1-14C]acetyl-CoA using homogenates at different stages of development. A maximum activity was observed after 5--6 days of larval development. But homogenates of the pharate adult insect did not show synthetic capacity of fatty acids. Fatty acid synthetase complex has been isolated from the particle-free supernatant fraction of homogenates from the 6-day C. capitata larvae. The enzyme complex was purified 182-fold with respect to the protein contained in the crude extract. The complex was homogeneous when analysed by gel filtration and by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight was 5.2X10(5). The enzyme was dissociated into half-molecular subunits. Amino acid analysis, general properties, stability and kinetic constants (V and Km) for the substrates are reported. The fatty acid synthetase complex from the insect contains 42+/-1-SH residues and one phosphopatetheine moiety per 5.2X10(5). Activity was dependent on the presence of NADPH; FMN strongly inhibited the enzyme activity promoted by NADPH. The enzyme complex synthesized a range of fatty acid (10:0--18:0), palmitate being the predominant end product. The proportions of fatty acids synthesized varied with substrate concentrations. Fatty acids released from the complex were almost completely in the free form.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1979

Immunologic and biochemical evaluation of the potency of whole insect body extracts.

Recent studies have indicated that currently available whole body extracts have little potency and are ineffective for diagnosis and treatment of stinging insect allergy. Pure venom is a potent effective allergen but is difficult to obtain in sufficient quantities from all Hymenoptera species. In these studies, an attempt was made to prepare a potent whole body extract. Whole bee body extracts were prepared with different extraction periods and at cold and room temperatures. Potency was examined biochemically by measurements of phospholipase A (PLA) activity and immunologically by PLA and bee venom radioallergosorbent test (RAST) inhibition experiments and gel diffusion studies with the use of rabbit antisera. All extracts prepared in the laboratory had some potency, indicating that it is possible to make a whole body extract containing small quantities of PLA or bee venom. However, the potency of these extracts was minimal as compared with bee venom. Three commercial extracts were almost devoid of detectable immunologic activity. While further attempts may be made to prepare a potent whole body insect extract, these results suggest that it is necessary to obtain venom in relatively pure form for the diagnosis and treatment of stinging insect allergy.

Animals↗