Grasshopper Oxya Chinensis Research Articles

Multiple forces facilitate the aquatic acrobatics of grasshopper and bioinspired robot

Aquatic locomotion is challenging for land-dwelling creatures because of the high degree of fluidity with which the water yields to loads. We surprisingly found that the Chinese rice grasshopper Oxya chinensis, known for its terrestrial acrobatics, could swiftly launch itself off the water's surface in around 25 ms and seamlessly transition into flight. Biological observations showed that jumping grasshoppers use their front and middle legs to tilt up bodies first and then lift off by propelling the water toward the lower back with hind legs at angular speeds of up to 18°/ms, whereas the swimming grasshoppers swing their front and middle legs in nearly horizontal planes and move hind legs less violently (~8°/ms). Force measurement and model analysis indicated that the weight support could be achieved by hydrostatics which are proportionate to the mass of the grasshoppers, while the propulsions for motion are derived from the controlled limb-water interactions (i.e., the hydrodynamics). After learning the structural and behavioral strategies of the grasshoppers, a robot was created and was capable of swimming and jumping on the water surface like the insects, further demonstrating the effectiveness of decoupling the challenges of aquatic locomotion by the combined use of the static and dynamic hydro forces. This work not only uncovered the combined mechanisms responsible for facilitating aquatic acrobatics in this species but also laid a foundation for developing bioinspired robots that can locomote across multiple media.

Corn Pests and Evaluation of the Implementation of Integrated Pest Management in West Sumatra, Indonesia

Indonesia is one of the maize-producing countries in the world. However, Indonesia's production is below the world average. One of the problems that can reduce productivity is pests. In addition, although corn is grown globally in Indonesia, it is usually not grown under the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. Therefore, this study aims to obtain pest information on maize and evaluate the application of IPM in West Sumatra. The study was conducted centra production of maize in West Sumatra from May 2019 to August 2020. The method used purposive random sampling. The results showed differences in the population density of pests on centra production of maize in West Sumatra. The highest percentage of pest attacks on cornfields was Pasaman Regency (41%), while the lowest pest attack was in Solok Regency (19%). The difference in population density of pests caused the influence of climate, varieties of maize, altitude, weather conditions at the time of pest observation, and the application of IPM. Several types of pests found were Beetles (Chrysomelidae), Aphids (Aphididae), Seed Flies (Muscidae), Grasshopper Oxya Chinensis (Acrididae), Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Noctuidae), and Corn Planthoppers (Delphacidae). The most common pest found attacking maize in West Sumatra were S. frugiperda. Then the study results also showed that not all corn farmers in West Sumatra applied IPM in their corn cultivation. IPM is needed to manage corn pests, so there is no economic loss.

Isolation and screening of entomopathogenic fungi against the grasshopper Oxya chinensis (Orthoptera: Acrididae) from rice fields in Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam

Abstract. Cuong LCV, Souvannalath B, Ha TP, Lien LQ, Tam VTT, Hoai PTT, Anh HLT, Dat TTH. 2022. Isolation and screening of entomopathogenic fungi against the grasshopper Oxya chinensis (Orthoptera: Acrididae) from rice fields in Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam. Biodiversitas 23: 4906-4911. The grasshopper Oxya chinensis is one of the most abundant herbivorous insects of rice plants in Vietnam and causes severe damage to the crop. Therefore, biological control has become a particularly valuable method for grasshopper and insect control in agricultural production. The aim of the present study was to isolate and investigate the potential entomopathogenic fungi against the grasshopper O. chinensis from rice fields in Thua Thien Hue, to develop environmentally friendly bio-insecticides. The results showed that 37 fungal isolates were isolated from dead grasshoppers collected from rice fields in Thua Thien Hue province. Results of pathogenicity screening of 12 selected fungal isolates showed that the mortality rate of 4th-instar grasshopper nymphs O. chinensis ranged from 21.99% to 100% after 15 treatment days at a concentration of 1 × 108 conidia/ml. Of these, three fungal isolates, namely NL3, NL4, NL12 showed the highest pathogenicity against the grasshopper O. chinensis with mortality rates of 87.73%, 89.81%, and 100%, respectively after 15 days. LC50 values of NL3, NL4, NL12 isolates against 4th-instar nymphs and adults of O. chinensis ranged from 9.5×104 to 4.8×105 conidia/mL and 7.8 × 106 to 2.5 × 106 conidia/mL, respectively at 7 days. LT50 values of NL3, NL4, NL12 isolates against 4th-instar nymphs and adults of O. chinensis were from 4.1 to 4.9 days and 5.5 to 6.1 days, respectively at a concentration of 1 × 108 conidia/mL. Results from morphological identification and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene sequence showed that three potential entomopathogenic fungi were Aspergillus tamarii, Beauveria bassiana, and Metarhizium anisopliae. The pathogenicity of Aspergillus tamarii, Beauveria bassiana, and Metarhizium anisopliae against the grasshopper O. chinensis is reported for the first time. The present investigation revealed that these entomopathogenic fungi could be a useful source for developing environment-friendly bio-insecticides for sustainable agricultural production.

Identification and Expression Analyses of Olfactory Gene Families in the Rice Grasshopper, Oxya chinensis, From Antennal Transcriptomes.

The rice grasshopper Oxya chinensis is an important agricultural pest of rice and other gramineous plants. Chemosensory genes are crucial factors in direct interactions with odorants in the olfactory process. Here we identified genes encoding 18 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), 13 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 94 olfactory receptors (ORs), 12 ionotropic receptors (IRs), and two sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs) from O. chinensis using an transcriptomic approach. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR assays revealed that six OBP-encoding genes (OchiOBP4, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 14), one CSP gene (OchiOBP10) and two IR genes (OchiIR28 and 29) were exclusively expressed in antennae, suggesting their roles in olfaction. Real-time quantitative PCR analyses revealed that genes expressed exclusively or predominantly in antennae also displayed significant differences in expression levels between males and females. Among the differentially expressed genes, 17 OR-encoding genes, one CSP- and one SNMP-gene showed female-biased expression, suggesting that they may be involved in some female-specific behaviors such as seeking oviposition site; whereas the three remaining OR-encoding genes showed male-biased expression, indicating their possible roles in sensing female sex pheromones. Our results laid a solid foundation for future studies to reveal olfactory mechanisms as well as designing strategies for controlling this rice pest.

Cellular response to bacterial infection in the grasshopper Oxya chinensis.

ABSTRACTOxya chinensis is one of the most widespread grasshopper species found in China and one of the most common pests against rice. In view of the importance of haemocytes in insect immunity in general, and the lack of information on the haemocytes of O. chinensis, we examined the haemocytes of this species in detail. We challenged the cellular response of this grasshopper with the bacteria Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis. Haemocyte morphology was observed using light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy, which revealed distinct morphological varieties of haemocytes. Granulocytes and plasmatocytes responded to the bacterial challenge by phagocytosis. Histochemical staining indicated the presence of acid phosphatase in plasmatocytes and granulocytes. We also observed non-phagocytic prohemocytes and vermicytes, but their functions in the circulation are unclear. Insect haemocytes play a crucial role in cellular immunity, and further research is needed for a comprehensive understanding.

Evaluation of novel factor Xa inhibitors from Oxya chinensis sinuosa with anti-platelet aggregation activity

The edible grasshopper Oxya chinensis sinuosa is consumed worldwide for its various medicinal effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate potential bioactive antithrombotic and antiplatelet compounds from O. chinensis sinuosa. Five N-acetyldopamine dimers (1–5) were isolated from O. chinensis sinuosa and compounds 1 and 2 were identified as new chemicals with chiral centers at H-2 and H-3 of the benzo-1,4-dioxane structure. Compounds 1–4 were found to have both FXa and platelet aggregation inhibitory activities. These compounds inhibited the catalytic activity of FXa toward its synthetic substrate, S-2222, by noncompetitive inhibition, and inhibited platelet aggregation induced by ADP and U46619. Furthermore, compounds 1–4 showed enhanced antithrombotic effects, which were assessed using in vivo models of pulmonary embolism and arterial thrombosis. The isolated compounds also showed anticoagulant effects in mice. However, compounds 1–4 did not prolong bleeding time in mice, as shown by tail clipping. N-Acetyldopamine dimers, including two new stereoisomers 1 and 2, are novel antithrombotic compounds showing both FXa inhibition and antiplatelet aggregation activity with a low bleeding risk. Collectively, these results suggest that compounds 1–4 could serve as candidates and provide scaffolds for development of new antithrombotic drugs.

Transcriptome Profiling and In Silico Analysis of the Antimicrobial Peptides of the Grasshopper Oxya chinensis sinuosa.

Antimicrobial peptides/proteins (AMPs) are present in all types of organisms, from microbes and plants to vertebrates and invertebrates such as insects. The grasshopper Oxya chinensis sinuosa is an insect species that is widely consumed around the world for its broad medicinal value. However, the lack of available genetic information for this species is an obstacle to understanding the full potential of its AMPs. Analysis of the O. chinensis sinuosa transcriptome and expression profile is essential for extending the available genetic information resources. In this study, we determined the whole-body transcriptome of O. chinensis sinuosa and analyzed the potential AMPs induced by bacterial immunization. A high-throughput RNA-Seq approach generated 94,348 contigs and 66,555 unigenes. Of these unigenes, 36,032 (54.14%) matched known proteins in the NCBI database in a BLAST search. Functional analysis demonstrated that 38,219 unigenes were clustered into 5,499 gene ontology terms. In addition, 26 cDNAs encoding novel AMPs were identified by an in silico approach using public databases. Our transcriptome dataset and AMP profile greatly improve our understanding of O. chinensis sinuosa genetics and provide a huge number of gene sequences for further study, including genes of known importance and genes of unknown function.

Molecular Characterization of Six Small Heat Shock Proteins and Their Responses Under Cadmium Stress in Oxya chinensis (Orthoptera: Acridoidea).

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) have been implicated in many physiological processes and play important roles in the response to various stresses. In this study, the full-length sequences of six sHSPs: OcHSP19.1, 19.8, 20.4, 20.7, 21.1, and 23.8 were obtained from the rice grasshopper Oxya chinensis transcriptome database. The deduced amino acid sequences of the six OcsHSPs contain a typical α-crystallin domain, which consists of approximately 100 amino acid residues and five β-strands. The phylogenetic analysis suggested that OcHSP23.8 was orthologous to the sHSPs of other species and that OcHSP19.1, 20.4, 20.7, and 21.1 were species specific, whereas OcHSP19.8 did not cluster closely to Orthoptera but was placed on the basal end of the cluster. Developmental stage-dependent and tissue-specific expression patterns were evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The six genes were expressed in all developmental stages and showed clear tissue specificity. The cadmium acute experiment indicates that Cd(2+) can induce the six genes. However, various response patterns were observed among these genes under Cd(2+) stress conditions. OcHSP19.1, 19.8, 20.4, and 20.7 were highly induced by 2.61 mM Cd(2+) at 24 h. OcHSP23.8 was significantly upregulated by 2.61 mM Cd(2+) at 6 h. For OcHSP21.1, the highest expression levels were found after treatment with 0.87 mM Cd(2+) for 24 h, 1.74 mM Cd(2+) for 36 h, and 2.61 mM Cd(2+) for 12 h. These differential characteristics will facilitate future investigations into the physiological functions of sHSPs.

Molecular Cloning and mRNA Expression of Heat Shock Protein Genes and Their Response to Cadmium Stress in the Grasshopper Oxya chinensis

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are highly conserved molecular chaperones that are synthesized in response to stress. In this study, we cloned the full-length sequences of the Grp78 (glucose-regulated protein 78), Hsp70, Hsp90, and Hsp40 genes from the Chinese rice grasshopper Oxya chinensis. The full-length cDNA sequences of OcGrp78, OcHsp70, OcHsp90, and OcHsp40 contain open reading frames of 1947, 1920, 2172, and 1042 bp that encode proteins of 649, 640, 724, and 347 amino acids, respectively. Fluorescent real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was performed to quantify the relative transcript levels of these Hsp genes in different tissues and developmental stages. The mRNAs encoding these four Hsp genes were present at all developmental stages and in all tissues examined but were expressed at varying levels. Additionally, we investigated the mRNA expression profiles of these four Hsps in O. chinensis subjected to Cadmium (Cd) stress. OcGrp78, OcHsp70, OcHsp90, and OcHsp40 mRNA expression was induced under acute Cd stress; the levels reached a maximum within a short time (6 h), were reduced significantly at 12 h, and were lowered to or below control levels by 48 h. Regarding induction efficiency, OcHsp70 was the most sensitive gene to acute Cd stress. Chronic Cd exposure showed that dietary Cd treatment induced increased OcGrp78, OcHsp90, and OcHsp40 expression. However, dietary Cd induced a significant reduction of OcHsp70 expression. In the period tested, no significant difference in the mortality of the grasshoppers was observed. Our results suggest that these four Hsps genes, especially OcHsp70, are sensitive to acute Cd stress and could be used as molecular markers for toxicology studies. However, our results also indicate that OcHsp70 is not suitable for use as a molecular marker of chronic Cd contamination.

LPS로 유도된 RAW 264.7세포에 대한 벼메뚜기(Oxya chinensis sinuosa) 에탄올 추출물의 항염증 효과

본 연구에서는 벼메뚜기 에탄올 추출물의 항염증 효능을 분석하기 위해 LPS로 염증 유도된 RAW 264.7 세포를 이용하였다. OCE의 항염증 효능을 확인 하기 위해서, 염증 유도된 RAW 264.7 세포에 대해 OCE 농도 의존적으로 염증성 사이토카인인 TNF-<TEX>${\alpha}$</TEX>와 IL-6의 유전자발현 및 단백질 생성을 감소시킴을 real-time PCR과 ELISA로 확인하였다. 또한, NF-<TEX>${\kappa}B$</TEX> p65의 핵으로 이동이 차단됨을 면역형광염색으로 확인하였으며, iNOS와 COX-2 단백질 발현을 감소시키는 것을 Western blot 분석으로 확인하였다. 이상의 연구결과를 통해 벼메뚜기는 염증에 의한 NF-<TEX>${\kappa}B$</TEX> p65의 활성과 TNF-<TEX>${\alpha}$</TEX>와 IL-6의 생성과 iNOS 및 COX-2의 발현을 억제하는 항염증 효능을 갖고 있는 것을 확인하였다. Although the grasshopper Oxya chinensis sinuosa has long been used as food in Korea, there is little data on its functional effects. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of O. c. sinuosa ethanol extract (OCE) in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for induction of inflammation. First, we determined that there is no cytotoxicity at <TEX>$2,000{\mu}g/ml$</TEX> or less of OCE in RAW 264.7 cells. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of OCE, we investigated expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-<TEX>${\alpha}$</TEX> and interleukin (IL)-6, and pro-inflammatory enzymes such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, we examined whether OCE could inhibit translocation of NF-<TEX>${\kappa}B$</TEX> p65 into the nucleus in LPS induced RAW 264.7 cells. As a result, we found that the mRNA and protein levels of TNF-<TEX>${\alp</TEX><TEX>ha}$</TEX> and IL-6 decreased in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells after treatment with OCE in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, we confirmed a <TEX>$2,000{\mu}g/ml$</TEX> concentration of OCE inhibited translocation of NF-<TEX>${\kappa}B$</TEX> p65 by immunnostaining and Western blot analysis, and a decrease in the protein expression levels of iNOS and COX-2. Accordingly, we suppose that OCE has an anti-inflammatory effect through down-regulation of TNF-<TEX>${\alpha}$</TEX>, IL-6, iNOS, and COX-2 related to <TEX>${\kappa}B$</TEX> p65 inflammatory signaling pathways.

Effect of Dietary Cadmium on the Activity of GlutathioneS-Transferase and Carboxylesterase in Different Developmental Stages of theOxya chinensis(Orthoptera: Acridoidea)

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and carboxylesterases (CarEs) play important roles in the detoxification of endogenous and exogenous compounds. In this study, the biochemical effects of dietary cadmium (Cd) on the activities of GST and CarE in different developmental stages of the rice grasshopper Oxya chinensis Thunberg were studied. The results showed that the effects of the Cd concentration and developmental stage on GST activity were statistically significant. GST activity in O. chinensis increased at the highest Cd concentration in most nymphs, suggesting that GST is typically inducible by Cd. However, GST activity was inhibited in adults under Cd stress owing to life-stage-specific physiological characteristics. The results showed that the substrates, developmental stage, and Cd concentration had statistically significant effects on CarE activity. In most studies of CarE activity, the interaction between any two studied factors was statistically significant, although the interaction effects of the substrates, developmental stages, and Cd concentrations were not significant, which implied that the insect physiological condition and the external environmental may affect CarE activity. The results suggest that the insect's life stage and enzyme substrates should be considered when enzyme activity under Cd stress is studied.

Comparisons of Malathion Susceptibility, Target Sensitivity, and Detoxification Enzyme Activity in Nine Field Populations of Oxya chinensis (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

The malathion susceptibility, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) sensitivity, and the activity of selected detoxification enzymes including general esterase (EST) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were compared among field populations of the grasshopper Oxya chinensis (Thunberg) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) collected from nine regions of China. Bioassay results showed that these populations had various levels of the susceptibility to malathion with the LD50 values ranging from 1.4- to 22.6-fold compared with the most susceptible population (Xiangyuan or XY). The Jinnan (JN) population seemed to be malathion resistant (22.6-fold), whereas other populations exhibited 1.4- to 6.8-fold reduced malathion susceptibility with a rank order of Changan > Baodi > Hanzhong > Xinxiang > Yinchuan > Beidagang > Jinyuan. It seemed that the observed malathion resistance in the JN population was attributed to at least two resistance mechanisms, including increased EST activity (2.2-fold) and reduced sensitivity of AChE to inhibition by malaoxon (4.6-fold) compared with those of the XY population. In contrast, differential malathion susceptibilities in other populations may be due to increased activities of certain detoxification enzymes (e.g., EST and GST), reduced sensitivity of AChE, or other factors, which were not consistent across the populations examined. Such differential susceptibilities to malathion were likely due to different population habitats (e.g., grasslands, rice [Oryza sativa L.]-producing regions) with very different insecticide application histories and pest management practices.

Comparisons of Malathion Susceptibility, Target Sensitivity, and Detoxification Enzyme Activity in Nine Field Populations of &lt;I&gt;Oxya chinensis&lt;/I&gt; (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

The malathion susceptibility, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) sensitivity, and the activity of selected detoxification enzymes including general esterase (EST) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were compared among field populations of the grasshopper Oxya chinensis (Thunberg) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) collected from nine regions of China. Bioassay results showed that these populations had various levels of the susceptibility to malathion with the LDo values ranging from 1.4- to 22.6-fold compared with the most susceptible population (Xiangyuan or XY). The Jinnan (JN) population seemed to be malathion resistant (22.6-fold), whereas other populations exhibited 1.4- to 6.8-fold reduced malathion susceptibility with a rank order of Changan > Baodi > Hanzhong > Xinxiang > Yinchuan > Beidagang > Jinyuan. It seemed that the observed malathion resistance in the JN population was attributed to at least two resistance mechanisms, including increased EST activity (2.2-fold) and reduced sensitivity of AChE to inhibition by malaoxon (4.6-fold) compared with those of the XY population. In contrast, differential malathion susceptibilities in other populations may be due to increased activities of certain detoxification enzymes (e.g., EST and GST), reduced sensitivity of AChE, or other factors, which were not consistent across the populations examined. Such differential susceptibilities to malathion were likely due to different population habitats (e.g., grasslands, rice [Oryza sativa L.]-producing regions) with very different insecticide application histories and pest management practices.

Toxicological and biochemical characterizations of malathion sensitivity in two field populations of Oxya chinensis (Orthoptera: Acridoidea)

Abstract We evaluate comparative toxicity of malathion in the two populations of the grasshopper Oxya chinensis, collected from Daixian and Fanshi of Shanxi province, China. General esterases and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from the two populations were characterized and compared. LD50 of the Daixian population (7.58 μg/g body weight) was 2.02‐fold higher than that of the Fanshi population (3.75 μg/g body weight). General esterase‐specific activities in the Daixian population were 1.91, 1.10 and 1.85‐fold higher than those in the Fanshi population, when α‐NA, α‐NB and β‐NA were used as a substrate, respectively. Kinetic studies of general esterase showed that Vmax values of general esterases hydrolyzing α‐NA, α‐NB and β‐NA in the Daixian population were 2.15‐, 1.12‐, and 1.47‐fold, respectively, higher than those in the Fanshi population. The AChE activity of the Fanshi population was 1.54‐fold higher than that of the Daixian population. Kinetic analysis of AChE showed that significant differences were presented between the two populations in the Km values; and the Vmax value in the Fanshi population was higher than that in the Daixian population. Inhibition studies of AChE indicated that AChE from the Daixian population was 2.56‐, 2.80‐, and 2.29‐fold less sensitive to inhibition by paraoxon, chlorpyrifos‐oxon, and demeton‐S‐methyl, respectively, than that from the Fanshi population. These biochemical characterizations of general esterases and AChE were consistent with malathion bioassay in the two populations. It is inferred that the reduced sensitivity of altered AChE and increased general esterase activities play an important role in the differences of insusceptibility of Oxya chinensis to malathion between the two populations.