@article{dhammi_krestchmar_zhu_ponnusamy_gould_reisig_kurtz_roe_2022, title={Impact of Caterpillar Increased Feeding Rates on Reduction of Bt Susceptibility}, volume={23}, ISSN={["1422-0067"]}, url={https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/23/14856}, DOI={10.3390/ijms232314856}, abstractNote={The use of insect-resistant transgenic crops producing Bacillus thuringiensis protein Cry toxins (Bt) to control caterpillars is wide-spread. Development of a mechanism to prevent Bt from reaching its target site in the digestive system could result in Bt resistance and resistance to other insecticides active per os. Increased feeding rates by increasing temperature in tobacco budworms, Chloridea virescens, and bollworms, Helicoverpa zea, decreased Bt Cry1Ac susceptibility and mortality. The same was found in C. virescens for Bollgard II plant extract containing Bt Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab2 toxins. Furthermore, H. zea from the same inbred laboratory colony that fed faster independent of temperature manipulation were less susceptible to Bt intoxication. A laboratory derived C. virescens Bt resistant strain demonstrated a higher feeding rate on non-Bt artificial diet than the parental, Bt susceptible strain. A laboratory-reared Bt resistant fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, strain also fed faster on non-Bt diet compared to Bt susceptible caterpillars of the same species, both originally collected from corn. The studies in toto and the literature reviewed support the hypothesis that increased feeding rate is a behavioral mechanism for reducing caterpillar susceptibility to Bt. Its possible role in resistance needs further study.}, number={23}, journal={INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES}, author={Dhammi, Anirudh and Krestchmar, Jaap B. and Zhu, Jiwei and Ponnusamy, Loganathan and Gould, Fred and Reisig, Dominic and Kurtz, Ryan W. and Roe, R. Michael}, year={2022}, month={Dec} }
 @article{deguenon_travanty_zhu_carr_denning_reiskind_watson_roe_ponnusamy_2019, title={Exogenous and endogenous microbiomes of wild-caught Phormia regina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) flies from a suburban farm by 16S rRNA gene sequencing}, volume={9}, ISSN={["2045-2322"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-56733-z}, DOI={10.1038/s41598-019-56733-z}, abstractNote={Abstract The black blow fly, Phormia regina (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is one of the most abundant carrion flies in North America. Calliphorids are important in agriculture and animal production, veterinary sciences, forensics and medical entomology. While the role of flies in the epidemiology of human and animal diseases is an active area of research, little is known about the microorganisms associated with these insects. We examined the diversity of wild-caught black blow fly endogenous (internal body) and exogenous (external body) microbial communities using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Overall, 27 phyla, 171 families and 533 genera were detected, and diversity was significantly higher ( P < 0.05) on external body surfaces. At the genus level, Dysgonomonas , Ignatzschineria , Acinetobacter , Vagococcus , Myroides , and Wohlfahrtiimonas were predominant. Cloning and sequencing of nearly full-length fragments of the 16S rRNA gene showed that some of the species identified are known to be pathogenic to humans, animals, and plants. Myroides odoratimimus and Acinetobacter radioresistens are well-known, multi-drug resistant bacteria. These results provide a snapshot of the microbial communities harbored by adult black blow flies and call for more comprehensive studies to better characterize the role these flies may play in the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms.}, journal={SCIENTIFIC REPORTS}, author={Deguenon, Jean M. and Travanty, Nicholas and Zhu, Jiwei and Carr, Ann and Denning, Steven and Reiskind, Michael H. and Watson, David W. and Roe, R. Michael and Ponnusamy, Loganathan}, year={2019}, month={Dec} }
 @article{zhu_dhammi_kretschmar_vargo_apperson_roe_2018, title={Novel use of aliphatic n-methyl ketones as a fumigant and alternative to methyl bromide for insect control}, volume={74}, ISSN={["1526-4998"]}, DOI={10.1002/ps.4749}, abstractNote={BACKGROUND
Fumigants like phosphine, methyl bromide and sulfuryl fluoride are highly effective for the control of structural, storage and agricultural arthropod pests. Unfortunately, many of these synthetic compounds are highly toxic to people, many pests have developed resistance to these compounds and methyl bromide, the 'gold standard' for fumigants, was de-registered because of its contribution to depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer. Alternative fumigant chemistry is needed.


RESULTS
Several plant species produce n-aliphatic methyl ketones to prevent plant herbivory. To examine the use of methyl ketones as a fumigant, structure-mortality studies were conducted using the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, as a model. A new easy-to-use, inexpensive and disposable bioassay system was developed for this study. The LC50 values for heptanone, octanone, nonanone and undecanone were 4.27, 5.11, 5.26 and 8.21 µg/cm3 of ambient air, respectively. Although heptanone, octanone and nonanone were more effective than undecanone, subsequent research was conducted with 2-undecanone because this compound already has US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration as a biopesticide. In dose-response field studies, 12.4 mL of undecanone injected into mounds was the lowest application rate that produced no ant activity in the mound with no re-establishment of ants. Reagent grade undecanone was more cost-effective than methyl bromide for fire ants, adult German cockroaches and tobacco budworm eggs, but slightly more expensive for adult flour beetles.


CONCLUSION
The naturally occurring methyl ketone undecanone has the potential to be an alternative to current fumigants for a variety of pest applications. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.}, number={3}, journal={PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE}, author={Zhu, Jiwei and Dhammi, Anirudh and Kretschmar, Jaap B. and Vargo, Edward L. and Apperson, Charles S. and Roe, R. Michael}, year={2018}, month={Mar}, pages={648–657} }
 @article{egekwu_sonenshine_garman_barshis_cox_bissinger_zhu_roe_2016, title={Comparison of synganglion neuropeptides, neuropeptide receptors and neurotransmitter receptors and their gene expression in response to feeding in Ixodes scapularis (Ixodidae) vs. Ornithodoros turicata (Argasidae)}, volume={25}, ISSN={["1365-2583"]}, DOI={10.1111/imb.12202}, abstractNote={Illumina GAII high‐throughput sequencing was used to compare expressed genes for female synganglion neuropeptides, neuropeptide receptors and neurotransmitter receptors of the soft tick Ornithodoros turicata with the hard tick Ixodes scapularis. Gene ontology molecular level three mapping revealed no significant differences amongst the same categories represented in O. turicata and I. scapularis. Transcripts predicting 22 neuropeptides or their receptors in the O. turicata synganglion were similar to annotations for 23 neuropeptides or receptors previously identified from I scapularis, with minor exceptions. A transcript predicting ecdysis triggering hormone receptor was identified in O. turicata; transcripts encoding for proprotein convertase and glycoprotein B were identified in both species. Transcripts predicting the same neurotransmitter receptors were found in the synganglion of both species. Gene expression of the transcripts showed numerous differences in response to feeding. Major differences were observed in expression of genes believed important in regulating slow vs. rapid feeding, blood water elimination, cuticle synthesis plasticity and in signalling reproductive activity. Although the glutamate receptor was strongly upregulated in both species, the gamma aminobutyric acid receptor, which inhibits glutamate, was upregulated significantly only in I. scapularis. These differences are consistent with the slow vs. rapid action of the pharyngeal pump in the two species.}, number={1}, journal={INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY}, author={Egekwu, N. and Sonenshine, D. E. and Garman, H. and Barshis, D. J. and Cox, N. and Bissinger, B. W. and Zhu, J. and Roe, R. M.}, year={2016}, month={Feb}, pages={72–92} }
 @article{gulia-nuss_nuss_meyer_sonenshine_roe_waterhouse_sattelle_fuente_ribeiro_megy_et al._2016, title={Genomic insights into the Ixodes scapularis tick vector of Lyme disease}, volume={7}, journal={Nature Communications}, author={Gulia-Nuss, M. and Nuss, A. B. and Meyer, J. M. and Sonenshine, D. E. and Roe, R. M. and Waterhouse, R. M. and Sattelle, D. B. and Fuente, J. and Ribeiro, J. M. and Megy, K. and et al.}, year={2016} }
 @article{zhu_khalil_mitchell_bissinger_egekwu_sonenshine_roe_2016, title={Mevalonate-Farnesal Biosynthesis in Ticks: Comparative Synganglion Transcriptomics and a New Perspective}, volume={11}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0141084}, abstractNote={Juvenile hormone (JH) controls the growth, development, metamorphosis, and reproduction of insects. For many years, the general assumption has been that JH regulates tick and other acarine development and reproduction the same as in insects. Although researchers have not been able to find the common insect JHs in hard and soft tick species and JH applications appear to have no effect on tick development, it is difficult to prove the negative or to determine whether precursors to JH are made in ticks. The tick synganglion contains regions which are homologous to the corpora allata, the biosynthetic source for JH in insects. Next-gen sequencing of the tick synganglion transcriptome was conducted separately in adults of the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, the deer tick, Ixodes scapularis, and the relapsing fever tick, Ornithodoros turicata as a new approach to determine whether ticks can make JH or a JH precursor. All of the enzymes that make up the mevalonate pathway from acetyl-CoA to farnesyl diphosphate (acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase, HMG-S, HMG-R, mevalonate kinase, phosphomevalonate kinase, diphosphomevalonate decarboxylase, and farnesyl diphosphate synthase) were found in at least one of the ticks studied but most were found in all three species. Sequence analysis of the last enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, farnesyl diphosphate synthase, demonstrated conservation of the seven prenyltransferase regions and the aspartate rich motifs within those regions typical of this enzyme. In the JH branch from farnesyl diphosphate to JH III, we found a putative farnesol oxidase used for the conversion of farnesol to farnesal in the synganglion transcriptome of I. scapularis and D. variabilis. Methyltransferases (MTs) that add a methyl group to farnesoic acid to make methyl farnesoate were present in all of the ticks studied with similarities as high as 36% at the amino acid level to insect JH acid methyltransferase (JHAMT). However, when the tick MTs were compared to the known insect JHAMTs from several insect species at the amino acid level, the former lacked the farnesoic acid binding motif typical in insects. The P450s shown in insects to add the C10,11 epoxide to methyl farnesoate, are in the CYP15 family; this family was absent in our tick transcriptomes and in the I. scapularis genome, the only tick genome available. These data suggest that ticks do not synthesize JH III but have the mevalonate pathway and may produce a JH III precursor.}, number={3}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={Zhu, Jiwei and Khalil, Sayed M. and Mitchell, Robert D. and Bissinger, Brooke W. and Egekwu, Noble and Sonenshine, Daniel E. and Roe, R. Michael}, year={2016}, month={Mar} }