To identify and compare the venom components and expression patterns of some bees/wasps, venom gland-specific transcriptome analyses were conducted for 14 Aculeate bees/wasps. Most of the allergens and pain-producing factors showed extremely high expression levels in social wasps, implying that social wasps have evolved to use venom to defend the colony against intruders. Acid phosphatase and tachykinin, which are known as allergens and neurotoxic peptides, were found with high frequencies in the venom glands of solitary wasps. This suggests that solitary wasps might use their venom for catching and preserving prey. In the venom glands of bumblebees, little or no transcripts of major allergens or pain producing factors were identified, implying that bumblebees venoms are relatively less toxic than those of social or solitary wasps. Taken together, the differential expression patterns of venom genes in some Aculeate bees/wasps implies that bees/wasps have unique groups of highly expressed venom components, which appear to have evolved in response to both ecological and behavioral influences.

Toll and IMD pathways play an important role in producing antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) through NF-κB in insects. The functions of IκB kinase (IKK) complex regulating the NF-κB signaling cascade have not yet been investigated in Tenebrio model. Here, we identified TmIKK-β (or TmIrd5) which contains 2,112 bp encoding 703 amino acid residues. Domain analysis shows that TmIKK-β contains one Serine/Threonine protein kinases catalytic domain. Developmental expression patterns indicate that TmIKK- β gene was highly expressed in early pupal (P1) and adult (A5) stages. Tissue specific profiles show that TmIKK-β was highly expressed in the integuments in last instar larvae, and fat body and hemocytes in 5 day-old adults. TmIKK-β1 transcripts were strongly induced at 3 and 12 h-post injection of E. coli, and 3 h-post injection of S. aureus or C. albicans in hemocytes. In gut, TmIKK-β transcripts were slightly induced by E. coli (at 6, 9 and 24 h) and C. albicans (at 24 h), while it was not induced by S. aureus challenge. Moreover, it was highly induced at 6 h-post injection of E. coli and then it was gradually decreased in the fat body. To understand the immunological role of TmIKK-β, gene specific RNAi and mortality assay was performed. Depletion of TmIKK-β mRNA leads to increase microbial susceptibility of larvae against E. coli, S. aureus and C. albicans. In addition, induction patterns of fourteen AMP genes in response to microbial challenge was tissue specifically investigated in TmIKK-β–silenced T. molitor larvae. The results suggest that expression of ten AMP genes out of fourteen genes were drastically decreased by TmIKK-β RNAi in fat body, suggesting that TmIKK-β plays an important role in antimicrobial innate immune responses.

Autophagy is an important self-eating process to eliminate damaged or unused organelles. We identified nine autophagy-related genes (Atg) including AaAtg-1, -3, -4b, -4d, -5, -6, -8, -12 and -13 from the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. Developmental expression patterns indicate that mRNA levels of AaAtg-1, -3, -4b, -4d, -5, -6, -12 and -13 were highly expressed in egg, whereas expression of AaAtg8 was high in 1stand3rdinstarlarvalstages. TissuespecificexpressionofthesegenesindicatesthatAaAtg1 was highly expressed in thorax and midgut in blood-fed adult female mosquitoes (BF), and head and thorax in sugar fed adult female mosquitoes (SF). Transcript level of AaAtg3 was high in thorax in BF, but head, thorax and Malpighian tubules in SF. AaAtg4b, -4d mRNA levels were significantly high in Malpighian tubules in BF, and head in SF, respectively. AaAtg-5 and -6 transcripts were highly expressed in head in BF, and expression of AaAtg-8 was high in Malpighian tubules in BF. Levels of AaAtg-12 and -13 mRNAs were significantly high in head and midgut in BF. Induction patterns of AaAtg genes against pathogens showed that AaAtg-1, -3, -4b, -8, -12 and -13 were strongly induced at 6 h-post injection of S. aureus, and mRNA levels of AaAtg-1, -3 and -13 were significantly induced by E. coli challenge after 3 h-post injection in SF abdominal carcass. In SF midgut, AaAtg-1, -3, -4b, -4d, -5, -6, -12 and -13 transcripts were drastically induced at 9 h-injection of E. coli and S. aureus, while expression of AaAtg-8 was highly induced by S. aureus and C. albicans at 9 h-post injection. Each AaAtg gene was slightly induced by E. coli, S. aureus or C. albicans at different time points in abdominal carcass in BF. Interestingly, AaAtg-8 was not induced by microbial challenge. While eight other Atg genes except AaAtg-8 were highly influenced by S. aureus at 6 and 9 h-post injection, E. coli at 3 h-post-treatment, and 3, 6, and 9 h-post inoculation. In the future, we will characterize the functional roles of autophagy during mosquito-microbes interaction.

It has been well known that IKK-β, -ε and –γ play a pivotal role in IMD pathway. In this study, TmIKK-ε was identified and their functions in countering pathogenic infections were investigated. We identified TmIKK-ε gene which including 2,196 bp nucleotides (encoding 731 amino acid residues). Domain analysis of TmIKK-ε indicates that there is one Serine/Threonine protein kinases catalytic domain. TmIKK-ε gene was highly expressed in 2 day-old pupal stage and the expression was gradually decreased until 1 day-old adults. Then the expression was slightly increased until 4 day-old adult stage. Tissue specific expression of TmIKK-ε mRNA was high in the gut, integuments and hemocytes in last instar larvae, and fat body, Malpighian tubules and testis in 5-daysold adult. In hemocytes, TmIKK-ε was drastically induced by E. coli injection after 3 h and by S. aureus at 3 and 12 h-post injection. In gut, expression level of TmIKK-ε was high at 6 h-post injection of microbial injection. Expression of TmIKK-ε in fat body was drastically induced by E. coli at 3 and 24 h-post injection while it was not significantly induced by S. aureus and C. albicans. To understand the immunological role of TmIKK-ε, gene specific RNAi and mortality assay were performed. TmIKK-ε RNAi caused increased larval mortality against E. coli, not S. aureus and C. albicans. Finally, to investigate the induction patterns of Tenebrio fourteen AMP genes in response TmIKK-ε RNAi, three microorganisms were treated into TmIKK-ε-silenced T. molitor larvae. Nine out of fourteen AMP genes were not induced by microbial challenge in TmIKK-β dsRNA-injected group. Taken together, our results indicate that TmIKK-ε may regulates nine antimicrobial peptide genes in response to microbial challenge in T. molitor fat body.

Host defense against pathogen invasion highly relies on immune defense machinery that is controlled by the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) of transcription factors. The Toll pathway are well known as an insect innate immune mechanism to protect host itself from invaded pathogens. Basically, in the edible insect, Tenebrio molitor, the Toll pathway is primarily activated by polymeric Lys-type peptidoglycans (PGNs), and components of fungal cell walls, β-1,3-glucan. Based on the current studies, the tremendous study has been focused on recognition and subsequent activation of spätzle in haemolymph, hence, there is a grave gap for intracellular event. Herein, in order to understand intracellular event of Toll signaling pathway, the Dorsal gene were identified. Moreover, domain analyses of TmDorsal2 gene indicate that there are two major domains such as Rel homology domain (RHD), ig-like, plexins, and transcription factors (IPT) domains. Based on the achieved results, TmDorsal2 mRNA was highly expressed in 1-day old pupa. Furthermore, TmDorsal2 was highly expressed in Malpighian tubules and fat body in last instar larvae (LL), and likewise mainly expressed in Malpighian tubules during adult 5-day old period, also the lowest expression of TmDorsal2 was observed in gonads. Moreover, TmDorsal2 mRNA levels after infection with E. coli appreciably went up at 6 and 9h time points. To investigate the effects of TmDorsal2 RNAi on larval susceptibility against various pathogens namely E. coli, S. aureus or C.albicans, dsRNA of TmDorsal2 has been synthesized the larvae dissected after 24h. As a result, TmAttacin1a, 1b and 2, TmDefencine1 and 2, TmTenecin1, 2, 3 and 4, TmCecropin2, TmColeoptericin1 and 2, Thaumatin-like protein 1 and 2 markedly reduced in the gut after injecting all mentioned microbes. In contrast, TmTenecin 2, Thaumatin-like protein 1 and 2 strikingly increased after microbe injection in the fat body. Interestingly, the most AMPs gene expression in whole body experimental case were upregulated. On the horizon, we will investigate effects of TmDorsal1 RNAi on larval susceptibility against various pathogens. Taken together, our studies may aid to understand insect innate immunity.

To identify the venom components and their expression patterns of some Aculeata bees/wasps, venom gland-specific transcriptome analysis was conducted. FPKM values were normalized with the average of the transcription level of reference gene (a-tubulin). Common components in both solitary and social wasp venoms include hyaluronidase, phospholipase A2, metalloendopeptidase, etc. Although it has been expected that more diverse bioactive components with the functions of prey inactivation and physiology manipulation are present in solitary wasps, the information on venom compositions of solitary wasps obtained in this study was not sufficient to generalizae this notion. Nevertheless, some neurotoxic peptides (e.g., pompilidotoxin and dendrotoxin-like peptide) and proteins (e.g., insuline-like peptide binding protein) appear to be specific to solitary wasp venom. In contrast, several proteins, such as venom allergen 5 protein, venom acid phosphatase, and various phospholipases, appear to be relatively more abundant in social wasp venom. In the venom gland trancsriptome of bumblebees, major allergens or pain producing factors were barely identified, implying that bumblebee venoms are relatively less toxic than those of social or solitary wasps.

IKK-γ is an essential protein to form IKK complex which regulate NF-κB. We identified TmIKK-γ (or TmKenny) gene which has 1,521 bp of nucleotides encoding 506 amino acid residues. Domain analysis of TmIKK-γ shows that there are one NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO) domain and a leucine zipper domain. Expression of TmIKK-γ gene was gradually increased from egg to 2-day-old pupal stage, dramatically decreased until 7 day-old pupal stage, and then it was gradually increased. TmIKK-γ transcripts were highly expressed in fat body and hemocytes in late instar larvae and integuments, fat body and Malpighian tubules in 5 day-old adult. TmIKK-γ was drastically induced by E. coli after 3 h challenges and by S. aureus at 3 and 12 h-post injection in hemocytes. TmIKK-γ was not induced by C. albicans although it was significantly induced by E. coli (at 3, 6 and 24 h) and S. aureus (at 9 h) in gut. In fat body, expression of TmIKK-γ was drastically induced by E. coli at 3 and 24 h-post injection while it was not significantly induced by S. aureus and C. albicans. To understand the immunological role of TmIKK-γ, gene specific RNAi and mortality assay was performed. larval mortality against microbial challenge was dramatically increased by TmIKK-γ RNAi. Furthermore, we investigate the tissue specific induction patterns of fourteen AMP genes in response TmIKK-γ dsRNA-treatment. In fat body, ten AMP genes out of fourteen was not significantly induced by microbial challenge in TmIKK-γ dsRNA-treated group. Based on these results, TmIKK-γ might play an important role in antimicrobial innate immune responses in Tenebrio molitor.

The objectives of the present study were to examine the antioxidant activity of fractions with different isoelectric points from salmon enzymatic hydrolysates and obtain peptide fractions of sufficient amounts with higher antioxidant peptide fraction, which could be applied to the food and animal model systems. The salmon enzymatic hydrolysates were fractionated on the basis of the amphoteric nature of sample peptides by preparative isoelectric focusing without toxic solvents and reagents, which is termed autofocusing. Acidic and basic fractions showed higher 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity than the other fractions. The basic fractions showed higher hydroxyl (OH) radical scavenging activity. The weak acidic and weak basic fractions showed higher oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values than the acidic and basic fractions. The acidic fraction showed higher metal chelating activity than other fractions. The acidic fraction suppressed lipid oxidation in the cooked patties to a greater extent than other fractions. These results suggest that peptides fractions from salmon enzymatic hydrolysate are effective antioxidant, and that autofocusing could be useful to increase antioxidant activity for application to food and animal model systems.

The members of the genus Flavivirus are noteworthy, as they cause infectious diseases in humans, such as Zika, denguefever, yellow fever, West Nile, and Japanese encephalitis. Due to the increased awareness of the public health risk posedby flavivirus-infected mosquitoes, mosquito collections were performed in six urban parks of South Korea, as the parksare designated for human recreation but also provide suitable habitats for mosquitoes. We examined the diversity andabundance of mosquito species and conducted molecular diagnostics for the detection of flavivirus infections. Monthlycollections were carried out in each park from March to August in 2017. A total of 4,851 mosquitoes (5 genera and13 species) were collected using BG-sentinel traps and then investigated for flavivirus infections. Pathogenic flavivirusinfections causing human diseases were not observed in the field-collected mosquitoes. However, insect-specific flavivirus(ISF) infections were detected in several mosquito pools. ISF has been previously known to enhance or suppress the replicationof medically important flaviviruses in co-infected mosquito cells. In this study, partial sequences of ISF were analyzed.However, further studies are needed in order to determine its genetic characterization and biological function in vivo.

The purpose of this study was to investigate meteorological factors’ effects on clothing sales based on empirical data from a leading apparel company. The daily sales data were aggregated from “A” company’s store records for the Fall/Winter season from 2012 to 2015. Daily weather data corresponding to sales volume data were collected from the Korea Meteorological Administration. The weekend effect and meteorological factors including temperature, wind, humidity, rainfall, fine dust, sea level pressure, and sunshine hours were selected as independent variables to calculate their effects on A company’s apparel sales volume. The analysis used a SAS program including correlation analysis, t-test, and multiple-regression analysis. The study results were: First, the weekend effect was the most influential factor affecting sales volume, followed by fine dust and temperature. Second, there were significant differences in the independent variables’effects on sales volume according to the garments’ classification. Third, temperature significantly affected outer garments’sales volume, while top garments’ sales volume was not influenced significantly. Fourth, humidity, sea level pressure and sunshine affected sales volume partly according to the garments’ item. This study can provide proof of significant relationships between meteorological factors and the sales volume of garments, which will serve well to establish better inventory strategies.

Aedes albopictus is one species of mosquito transmitting flavivirus causing Dengue, Zika, and West Nile fever. Although it is an important disease vector, the genetic study of Ae. alpopictus populations has not been undertaken yet in South Korea. Here, we investigated the genetic variation of 99 Ae. albopictus individuals collected from 29 sites in nine provinces in 2016, through mitochondrial COI gene analysis. Haplotype analyses revealed seven haplogroups in South Korea. The main haplogroup, comprising 76 individuals (77.8%), was genetically identical to the one from Nagasaki. Two groups from Jeju Island (11) and the southern coast of South Korea (nine) were closely related to different Ae. albopictus strains from Kumamoto and Guangdong/Fujian, respectively. However, the others (four) were distinct from these two countries. No geographic divisions of populations were found in the study regions. The results suggest the possibility that the currently prevalent Ae. albopictus in South Korea, represents a part of the descendants that originated from nearby countries. However, more comprehensive investigations are needed to explain its movement routes.

본 연구는 수박 접목묘의 활착에 미치는 상대습도의 영향을 알아보고자 수행하였다. 2품종(‘스피드’, ‘삼복꿀’)의 수박(Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.)을 ‘RS-동장군’ 박 대목(Lagenaria siceraria Stanld.)에 접목하고, 접목묘는 주간 25oC/야간 18oC, 광주기는 1일 16시간 기준으로 몰리어다이어그램을 따라 3수준의 상대습도, 95-96%[1.1-0.8(주간) 또는 0.8-0.6(야간) g·m-3수분부족분(VPD)], 97-98%[0.7-0.4(주간) 또는 0.5-0.3(야간) g·m-3 VPD], 또는 99-100%[0.3-0.0(주간) 또는 0.2-0.0(야간) g·m-3 VPD]로 유지하였다. 상대습도 처리 중 97-98% 처리는 대목과 ‘스피드’ 접수의 생체중과 초장을 가장 크게 증가시키며 접목 2일 후에 접합부의 연결을 향상시켰다. 그러나 ‘삼복꿀’의 경우 상대습도 99-100% 처리에서 경경과 초장이 증가하였다. 또한 상대습도 95-96%와 97-98% 처리에서 재배한 2 품종 모두 과산화수소가 덜 발생하고 산화적 스트레스의 지표인 항산화 효소의 활성이 덜 나타났다. 따라서 이 연구의 결과는 수박묘의 접목활착에 가장 적절한 상대습도는 97-98%였다.