Cecropia Research Articles

Pentacyclic triterpenoids from the leaves of Cecropia longipes

The genus Cecropia (Urticaceae) comprises 61 tree species primarily found in tropical rainforests from Mexico to South America, including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Panama. These species are under-researched, with most studies focusing on phenolic derivatives from leaf extracts. Traditionally, Cecropia species are used to treat ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, and diabetes. This study focuses on the underexplored species C. longipes from Panama, aiming to analyze triterpene derivatives in its leaves. Through a series of chromatographic separations and purifications, three pentacyclic triterpenoids were isolated. Using 1D and 2D NMR experiments and HRESI-MS analysis, the following compounds were identified: 19α hydroxyasiatic acid, 1α,3β,23-trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid, and rosamultic acid. These compounds were isolated for the first time from C. longipes and the genus Cecropia. Genotoxicity tests using S. cerevisiae revealed that two compounds exhibited genotoxic activity at all concentrations. For 19α hydroxyasiatic acid, genotoxic potential was observed at higher concentrations, unrelated to oxidative stress, suggesting other mechanisms.

Direct and pleiotropic effects of antimicrobial peptide transgene integration on reproductive, growth regulating, and non-coding loci in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) show promise in enhancing resistance against pathogens. Previously, we integrated two AMP genes, cathelicidin (Cath) from alligator (Alligator mississippiensis or Alligator sinensis) and cecropin (Cec) from moth (Hyalophora cecropia), into the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) genome. This study examines the efficacy of exogenous AMP gene integration in improving bacterial resistance in transgenic channel catfish and assesses the direct and pleiotropic effects of gene replacement/knockout on survival and growth based on insertion site. Transgenic Cath- and Cec-expressing fish exhibited similar or higher survival rates (P ​> ​0.05) compared to controls during the initial culture. Integration of the Cec transgene doubled the survival rate when challenged with Edwardsiella ictaluri, with knock-in (KI) of Cath further increasing bacterial resistance. Coupling Cec KI with mstn knockout (KO) increased survival 3-fold after E. ictaluri infection and growth by 50% at 4 months post-fertilization (mpf). However, random integration of Cec had a minimal effect on disease resistance and did not enhance growth. Random integration of Cath increased survival 2.5-fold and 4-fold against E. ictaluri and Flavobacterium covae, respectively, without affecting growth. Cath KI at the lh locus increased survival 4-fold when challenged with F. covae and reduced growth by 10% (P ​> ​0.05) at 24 mpf, whereas Cath KI coupled with mc4r KO resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in survival following F. covae infection compared with controls, and increased growth by 80% at 3 mpf. Simultaneous KI of Cath and Cec, along with KO of mc4r and mstn, increased survival 4-fold against E. ictaluri, while increasing growth by 50% at 3 mpf. Dual insertion of AMP genes yielded the greatest resistance to disease. These direct and pleiotropic effects may increase comprehension and societal acceptance of genetic engineering in aquaculture.

New records of herbivory of Leucothyreus MacLeay, 1819 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Geniatini) on Cecropia Loefl. (Urticaceae)

Species in the genus Cecropia Loefl. (Urticaceae) are important food sources for a handful of species belonging to the insect orders Orthoptera (grasshoppers), Lepidoptera (caterpillars), Hymenoptera (leafcutter ants), and Coleoptera (beetles). Among the leaf chafer beetles, specimens of the scarab genus Leucothyreus MacLeay, 1819 (Scarabaeidae: Geniatini) have been barely recorded as defoliators of Cecropia spp., and information about the identity of the involved plant and beetle species is scarce and imprecise. The present paper records for the first time the incidence of two species of Leucothyreus on four species of Cecropia in Central Amazon (Brazil), with short behavioral notes regarding their feeding habits.

Antimicrobial Peptides: Principal Defense Constituents of Silk Worms - A Review

Insect has a highly developed innate immune system consisting of cellular and humoral responses. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are the important components of the insect’s humoral defense system and were first purified from the giant silk moth, Hyalophora cecropia L (Boman et al., 1980). For a variety of infections, they serve as the initial line of defense. AMPS are low molecular weight peptides and generally cationic in nature. Off late, the resistance of the pathogenic microbes towards established antibiotics have become a serious threat to global health. Over the years, an array of AMPs from natural sources has served as potent candidate against various infective agents viz. bacteria, fungi and viruses. These insect peptides not only exhibit antibacterial action by rupturing the microbial membrane but also prevent the development of drug resistance by microbes. Studies have shown AMPS to have synergistic effects with traditional antibiotics, providing an opportunity for combined therapy. Defensin, cecropins, drosocin, attacins, diptericins, ponericins, metchnikowins and melittin are a few classes of AMPs from insects that are currently isolated. However, the possibility of discovering new AMPs cannot be fully ruled out. Currently, 33 peptides are undergoing clinical trials, and 43% of the 77 AMPs are still in the preclinical stage (Makwana et al., 2023). Daptomycin and ovitavancin are two antibacterial lipopeptides that Food and Drug Administration has recently approved that are used for skin infection caused by bacteria. The present paper is an attempt to provide a comprehensive insight on antimicrobial peptides isolated from silk worm with reference to their structures, functions and possible mechanism of action.

3D reconstruction of larval and adult brain neuropils of two giant silk moth species: Hyalophora cecropia and Antheraea pernyi

We present a detailed analysis of the brain anatomy of two saturniid species, the cecropia silk moth, Hyalophora cecropia, and the Chinese oak silk moth, Antheraea pernyi, including 3D reconstructions of the major brain neuropils in the larva and in male and female adults. The 3D reconstructions, prepared from high-resolution optical sections, showed that the corresponding neuropils of these saturniid species are virtually identical. Similarities between the two species include a pronounced sexual dimorphism in the adults in the form of a male-specific assembly of markedly enlarged glomeruli forming the so-called macroglomerular complex. From the reports published to date, it can be concluded that the neuropil architecture of saturniids resembles that of other nocturnal moths, including the sibling family Sphingidae. In addition, compared with previous anatomical data on diurnal lepidopteran species, significant differences were observed in the two saturniid species, which include the thickness of the Y-tract of the mushroom body, the size of the main neuropils of the optic lobes, and the sexual dimorphisms of the antennal lobes.

Intra- and Interspecies Differences of Two Cecropia Species from Tabasco, Mexico, Determined through the Metabolic Analysis and 1H-NMR-Based Fingerprinting of Hydroalcoholic Extracts.

The genus Cecropia is used in the traditional medicine of Tabasco, Mexico, in diabetes and hypertension treatments, mainly without distinction of the species. This contribution aimed to carry out the metabolic analysis and Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy-based fingerprinting of the hydroalcoholic leaf extracts of Cecropia peltata (Cp) and Cecropia obtusifolia (Co) collected in five sub-regions of the State of Tabasco (Cp1, "Centro"; Cp2, "Chontalpa"; Cp3, "Pantanos"; Cp4, "Ríos" and Co5, "Sierra"). Firstly, the extracts were evaluated for their Total Phenol Content (TPC) and Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) by spectrophotometric methods. In addition, metabolic analysis was performed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode-Array Detection HPLC-DAD, which allowed the quantification of the chemical markers: chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, and orientin, as well as a vitexin analog. Finally, metabolomic analysis was carried out based on the 1H-NMR spectra. The Cp4 extract (C. peltata from the "Ríos" sub-region) presented the highest values of TPC (155 ± 9.1 mg GAE/g E) and TFC (724 ± 22.2 mg RE/g E). The metabolic analysis was similar among the five samples; the highest concentrations of the four chemical markers were found in Cp3 (C. peltata from the "Pantanos" sub-region) for chlorogenic acid (39.8 ± 2.3 mg/g) and isoorientin (51.5 ± 2.9 mg/g), in Cp4 for orientin (49.9 ± 0.6 mg/g), and in Cp2 (C. peltata from the "Chontalpa" sub-region) for the vitexin analog (6.2 ± 0.2 mg/g). The metabolic analysis and the 1H-NMR fingerprint analysis showed intraspecies differences among the C. peltata samples and interspecies between C. peltata and C. obtusifolia, which were attributed to variations in the metabolite groups as well as in the proportion of sugars such as glucose and xylose.

Seed anatomy and dormancy class of 14 species from the Andean montane forests of Colombia

AbstractSeed dormancy is a key trait used around the world to help understand the ecological dynamics of plant species, however, in some ecosystems such as the Andean forests of Colombia, the identification of dormancy class remains poorly known. To address this, we described the morphology, anatomy and dormancy class of the seeds and fruits of 14 species using microtome sections, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Five native pioneer species showed Morphophysiological Dormancy, three Physical Dormancy + Physiological Dormancy and two Physical Dormancy, whereas two invasive species showed Physiological Dormancy. Only the species of the genus Cecropia had seeds with PY + PD that was promoted by the anatomical structure of the achenes. Of the analysed species, 85% showed dormancy and followed a pattern like other tropical montane ecosystems in the world. The anatomy of achenes and development of seed dormancy play important roles in the capacity of Cecropia species to contribute to the natural regeneration of Andean ecosystems. Additionally, seed dormancy may promote the high invasiveness of Thunbergia alata and Ulex europaeus in the Andean forests of the Central Cordillera of Colombia.

Big Tarsi To Fill

Serving as Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of American Entomologist, even in the interim while the search for the new EIC is underway, ranks as one of the most exciting endeavors of my entomological career. Similar to many of our readers and contributors, both past and present, my passion and love of insects began as a child. I still have pictures of that fateful day when a female cecropia moth flew through a window into my parents’ bedroom only to begin laying a long line of eggs on their pillow and bed sheets—after witnessing that, how could I not want to be an entomologist? My fate was secured only two years later, when I dressed up as an entomologist for Halloween at the age of six (yes, I did have a lab coat with the embroidered word “entomologist” and pockets filled with rubber insects for authenticity). This issue of American Entomologist presents several insect-relevant topics that span a breadth of entomology fields, including a new column, Ethos. The purpose of Ethos is to provide a place where professional and amateur entomologists can share their thoughts about ethical issues in entomology. It is my hope that Ethos will become a place where not only are ethical issues presented, but ideal solutions too.

High Level Expression and Purification of Cecropin-like Antimicrobial Peptides in Escherichia coli.

Cecropins are a family of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are widely found in the innate immune system of Cecropia moths. Cecropins exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial and anticancer activities. The structures of Cecropins are composed of 34–39 amino acids with an N-terminal amphipathic α-helix, an AGP hinge and a hydrophobic C-terminal α-helix. KR12AGPWR6 was designed based on the Cecropin-like structural feature. In addition to its antimicrobial activities, KR12AGPWR6 also possesses enhanced salt resistance, antiendotoxin and anticancer properties. Herein, we have developed a strategy to produce recombinant KR12AGPWR6 through a salt-sensitive, pH and temperature dependent intein self-cleavage system. The His6-Intein-KR12AGPWR6 was expressed by E. coli and KR12AGPWR6 was released by the self-cleavage of intein under optimized ionic strength, pH and temperature conditions. The molecular weight and structural feature of the recombinant KR12AGPWR6 was determined by MALDI-TOF mass, CD, and NMR spectroscopy. The recombinant KR12AGPWR6 exhibited similar antimicrobial activities compared to the chemically synthesized KR12AGPWR6. Our results provide a potential strategy to obtain large quantities of AMPs and this method is feasible and easy to scale up for commercial production.

Comparative bromatological analysis of Cecropia glaziovii Snethl leaf and its importance in the nutritional requirement of Bradypus variegatus from São Paulo, Brazil.

Brazilian landscapes have undergone extreme transformations due to deforestation. Consequently, the size and dynamics of Bradypus variegatus - the brown-throated three-toed sloth - populations are directly affected. These groups of mammals representing the superorder Xenarthra, have herbivorous and even insectivorous habits, showing food selectivity by the tree of the genus Cecropia spp. mainly the red leaves instead of the green ones. It is estimated that the three-fingered Bradypus variegatus consumes 15g of dry food (kg/day) during a dry season. This study aimed to compare by centesimal analysis the green and red leaves of the Embauba tree (Cecropia glazioviiSnethl) to understand the preference for the younger leaf, also known as tender/red. The results obtained for the red and green leaves were respectively: dry matter 21.29% and 31.17%, ashes 9.18% and 11.05%, ethereal extract 0.80% and 2.68%, digestibility 23.14% and 23.15%, Vit C 1.86 mg and 1.35 mg, crude fiber 22.30% and 23.47% protein 16.54% and 14.55%. From these results, it was possible to identify that the red leaf has higher levels of crude protein and moisture, allowing the understanding of the preference of Bradypus variegatus.

Announcing the 2021 Journal of Experimental Biology Outstanding Paper Prize shortlist and winner.

Announcing the 2021 Journal of Experimental Biology Outstanding Paper Prize shortlist and winner.

516 Late-Breaking: Iturin a Protects the Intestinal Mucosal Integrity Against E. coli Containing the Gene Coding for Heat-stable Enterotoxin B

Abstract Enterotoxigenic E. coli causes severe infectious diarrhea with high morbidity and mortality in weanling pigs mainly through the production of heat-stable enterotoxins. Iturin A, originally isolated from the insect Hyalophora cecropia, exerts strong antibiotic activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Thus, our study investigated whether iturin A could protect the intestinal epithelium from the insults of E. coli Rosetta containing the gene coding for heat-stable enterotoxin b (STb-Rosetta). Twenty-eight piglets were divided into four groups and were orally administered PBS (control), 0.16 g/kg BW iturin A, 2 × 109 CFU STb-Rosetta, and 0.16 g/kg BW iturin A + 2 × 109 CFU STb-Rosetta respectively for 8 days. The intestinal epithelial morphology and barrier function were assessed by H&E staining and Ussing chamber, and the growth advantage in enteroids derived from jejunal crypts of piglets in each group was used to evaluate the intestinal stem cell (ISC) activity. The results showed that iturin A increased the average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of piglets exposed to STb-Rosetta (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, STb-Rosetta-induced decrease in jejunum weight and damage to jejunal morphology and barrier function were significantly improved after iturin A supplementation (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the jejunal crypt cells from piglets in the iturin A + STb-Rosetta group had greater growth advantages of ISCs compared with the STb-Rosetta group, including enteroid forming efficiency, surface area, budding efficiency, and branching coefficient (P < 0.05). Our results indicate that iturin A protects against STb-Rosetta-induced intestinal mucosal injury, which provides an intervention strategy that regulates the function of ISCs in the high turnover-rate crypt-villous axis under ETEC infection. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31872389, 32072777) and Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province (2019B1515210021).

Pharmacognostic Evaluation of Ten Species of Medicinal Importance of Cecropia: Current Knowledge and Therapeutic Perspectives.

This work covers a systematic review of literature about the genus Cecropia from 1978 to 2020, emphasizing the analysis of 10 of the most relevant species and their associated biological activities. Cecropia is a neotropical genus, which comprises about 61 native species in the American continent where it is known to be part of the traditional medicine of numerous countries. Secondary metabolites described for this genus showed an elevated structural and functional diversity, where polyphenols have been the most abundant. Based on this diversity, Cecropia phytochemicals represent an important source of potential therapeutic agents yet to be exploited. This review also highlights the effectiveness of combining chemometrics and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry as a novel approach to successfully single out Cecropia species phytochemicals. While the medicinal use of Cecropia species is officially recognized in National Pharmacopoeias and Formularies of several Latin American countries, it is important to recognize that these phytomedicines are complex mixtures requiring a thorough understanding of their chemical composition and their correlation with biological activities to guarantee their quality, safety, and efficacy.

Following the Amazonian Cecropia Bees

Following the Amazonian <i>Cecropia</i> Bees

Ecological drivers of intraspecific variation in seed dispersal services of a common neotropical palm

AbstractThrough frugivory and seed dispersal, vertebrates influence plant demography and forest regeneration. Variation in local habitat surrounding fruiting plants can influence frugivore foraging decisions, thereby creating intraspecific variation in seed dispersal services. However, we have little knowledge of drivers of local variation in frugivory. Here, we investigate factors that may influence frugivore diversity and fruit removal at the level of individual plants. We focus on a common understory palm within a continuous Chocó forest with mixed land‐use histories in Ecuador. The density of pioneer tree species in the genus Cecropia around focal palms was negatively related to fruit removal and the diversity of frugivores visiting palms. This may relate to the fact that the presence and abundance of Cecropia species often indicate the existence and severity of past disturbances. Local Cecropia density was also related to an overall shift in the frugivore community that corresponded with an increase in fruit removal by lower‐quality seed dispersers (rodents). We also found that the local density of fruiting conspecifics was positively related to frugivore diversity, but not fruit removal. Our results provide information on drivers of intraspecific inequalities in plant populations across tropical forest landscapes. The reduction in fruit removal and frugivore diversity associated with local Cecropia abundance suggests that seed dispersal services can be sensitive to fine‐scale variation in habitat structure. Furthermore, because Cecropia are often indicative of past disturbances, this indicates that even small‐scale habitat degradation by humans can have lasting effects by creating localized pockets of forest unfavored by frugivores.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.

Dimorphic cocoons of the robin moth, Hyalophora cecropia, reflect the existence of two distinct architectural syndromes.

The architectural design of animal structures forms part of an individual's extended phenotype that can be subjected to strong selection pressures. We examined cocoon architectural dimorphism in robin moths (Hyalophora cecropia), which construct multilayered silk-woven cocoons that possess either a 'baggy' or 'compact' morphology. These dimorphic cocoons reflect extended phenotypes that can enable survival during a critical developmental period (pupal stage to adult emergence), with cocoons occurring either sympatrically or as monomorphic groups across different climatic regions in North America. We hypothesized that cocoon dimorphism is related to the cocoon's role as a mediating barrier for moisture. We predicted that the macro- and micro-architectural differences between the cocoon morphs would be consistent with this function. We compared the cocoon morphs in terms of their orientation when spun under natural field conditions, examined how these orientations affected cocoon water absorption under simulated rain trials, and performed material surface tests to compare the hydrophobicity of cocoons. We found that compact cocoons had traits that increased water resistance, as they had significantly greater hydrophobicity than baggy cocoons, because they absorbed less water and released water vapor faster. In contrast, the increased water absorptiveness of baggy cocoons can allow for greater moisture retention, a function related to the prevention of desiccation. Our study suggests that cocoon dimorphism in robin moths reflects distinct architectural syndromes, in which cocoons are spun to optimize either water resistance or retention. These different functions are consistent with strategies that act to respond to uncertain external environmental conditions that an individual might encounter during development.

Attacins: A Promising Class of Insect Antimicrobial Peptides.

Insects produce a large repertoire of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as the first line of defense against bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. These peptides are produced from a large precursor that contains a signal domain, which is cleaved in vivo to produce the mature protein with antimicrobial activity. At present, AMPs from insects include several families which can be classified as cecropins, ponericins, defensins, lebocins, drosocin, Metchnikowin, gloverins, diptericins and attacins according to their structure and/or function. This short review is focused on attacins, a class of glycine-rich peptides/proteins that have been first discovered in the cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia). They are a rather heterogeneous group of immunity-related proteins that exhibit an antimicrobial effect mainly against Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we discuss different attacin and attacin-like AMPs that have been discovered so far and analyze their structure and phylogeny. Special focus is given to the physiological importance and mechanism of action of attacins against microbial pathogens together with their potential pharmacological applications, emphasizing their roles as antimicrobials.

Thank You for Reminding Me

Thank You for Reminding Me Emma Trelles (bio) Cecropia moth, how you slow-fold your summer kites awayFrom the bite of go back to where you come from. I come fromA city pretending to be an island, except for the parts whereNadie can eat speak live how they want. My stomach hurts again.The air is warm grass. A shadow cross of laughingGull moves over me and the park and I don't thinkOf resurrection but of fists at the door, breath heldAn invasion of cruelty in the usual uniforms.My pencil says you are magical. The oracleSays you chart flight with the bleakRays of the moon, a kind of compass so you knowHow to keep going. Thorax and legs threaded with the red ofA stout altar candle, or a rally of open mouths waitingFor you to land. En la luna hay paz y veneno. That is to sayPossibilities. La luna will swallow a punch or a prayer, whateverThe future she endures. La luna la luna la luna la lunaThe tongue glimmers with arrival, there is no better wayTo say it. [End Page 13] Emma Trelles Emma Trelles is the daughter of Cuban immigrants and the author of Tropicalia (University of Notre Dame Press, 2011), winner of the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize; she is writing a second book of poems, Courage and the Clock. Her work is anthologized in Verse Daily, Best American Poetry, and others. Recent poems appear or are forthcoming in Chiricú Journal, Terrain's "Letter to America" series, South Florida Poetry Journal, SWWIM, Zócalo Public Square, and Colorado Review. She is the poet laureate of Santa Barbara. Copyright © 2021 Middlebury College

Rhodnius, Golden Oil, and Met: A History of Juvenile Hormone Research.

Juvenile hormone (JH) is a unique sesquiterpenoid hormone which regulates both insect metamorphosis and insect reproduction. It also may be utilized by some insects to mediate polyphenisms and other life history events that are environmentally regulated. This article details the history of the research on this versatile hormone that began with studies by V. B. Wigglesworth on the “kissing bug” Rhodnius prolixus in 1934, through the discovery of a natural source of JH in the abdomen of male Hyalophora cecropia moths by C. M. Williams that allowed its isolation (“golden oil”) and identification, to the recent research on its receptor, termed Methoprene-tolerant (Met). Our present knowledge of cellular actions of JH in metamorphosis springs primarily from studies on Rhodnius and the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta, with recent studies on the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, the silkworm Bombyx mori, and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster contributing to the molecular understanding of these actions. Many questions still need to be resolved including the molecular basis of competence to metamorphose, differential tissue responses to JH, and the interaction of nutrition and other environmental signals regulating JH synthesis and degradation.

Morphological and DNA analyses suggest the reinstatement of four synonymized Cecropia species

The genus Cecropia contains 61 species of high ecological importance in the Neotropics. Cecropia pachystachya Trecul has a wide geographic distribution and high morphological variability. The last taxonomic review of C. pachystachya was performed in 2005 and incorporated seven other Cecropia species by synonymization. However, this synonymization was not fully accepted by experts in Urticaceae because of high morphological variations in the taxon. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether the morphological variations observed in C. pachystachya morphotypes also occurred at the DNA level and to contribute to the understanding of the evolutionary relationship between species morphotypes. Morphological analysis of eight species descriptors in 28 accessions of C. pachystachya allowed the differentiation of all five morphotypes evaluated. The analysis of the trnL-trnF (plastid) and ITS (nuclear) regions from 24 accessions by maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference methods showed a robust molecular differentiation between C. pachystachya morphotypes. Climate was the main factor that seemed to influence clade formation in the phylogenetic trees. The higher genetic relation among morphotypes from the Amazon, Caatinga, and Cerrado regions corroborated previous hypotheses of close relationships between these biomes in past ages. The morphotype group from the Atlantic Forest seemed to be related to the proposed Pleistocene refuges to this biome. The overall analysis of morphological and molecular data shows robust differences between C. pachystachya synonymized morphotypes, which indicates the need of a taxonomic revision of the C. pachystachya complex and subsequent reinstatement of at least four synonymized species.