Genes related to mitochondrial functions are differentially expressed in phosphine-resistant and -susceptible Tribolium castaneum

Background: Phosphine is a valuable fumigant to control pest populations in stored grains and grain products. However, recent studies indicate a substantial increase in phosphine resistance in stored product pests worldwide.Results: To understand the molecular bases of phosphine resistance in insects, we used RNA-Seq to compare gene expression in phosphine-resistant and susceptible laboratory populations of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Each population was evaluated as either phosphine-exposed or no phosphine (untreated controls) in triplicate biological replicates (12 samples total). Pairwise analysis indicated there were eight genes differentially expressed between susceptible and resistant insects not exposed to phosphine (i.e., basal expression) or those exposed to phopshine (>8-fold expression and 90 % C.I.). However, 214 genes were differentially expressed among all four treatment groups at a statistically significant level (ANOVA, p < 0.05). Increased expression of 44 cytochrome P450 genes was found in resistant vs. susceptible insects, and phosphine exposure resulted in additional increases of 21 of these genes, five of which were significant among all treatment groups (p < 0.05). Expression of two genes encoding anti-diruetic peptide was 2- to 8-fold reduced in phosphine-resistant insects, and when exposed to phosphine, expression was further reduced 36- to 500-fold compared to susceptible. Phosphine-resistant insects also displayed differential expression of cuticle, carbohydrate, protease, transporter, and many mitochondrial genes, among others. Gene ontology terms associated with mitochondrial functions (oxidation biological processes, monooxygenase and catalytic molecular functions, and iron, heme, and tetrapyyrole binding) were enriched in the significantly differentially expressed dataset. Sequence polymorphism was found in transcripts encoding a known phosphine resistance gene, dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase, in both susceptible and resistant insects. Phosphine-resistant adults also were resistant to knockdown by the pyrethroid deltamethrin, likely due to the increased cytochrome P450 expression.Conclusions: Overall, genes associated with the mitochondria were differentially expressed in resistant insects, and these differences may contribute to a reduction in overall metabolism and energy production and/or compensation in resistant insects. These data provide the first gene expression data on the response of phosphine-resistant and -susceptible insects to phosphine exposure, and demonstrate that RNA-Seq is a valuable tool to examine differences in insects that respond differentially to environmental stimuli.Peer reviewedEntomology and Plant Patholog

Modelling the Geographical Origin of Rice Cultivation in Asia Using the Rice Archaeological Database

We have compiled an extensive database of archaeological evidence for rice across Asia, including 400 sites from mainland East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. This dataset is used to compare several models for the geographical origins of rice cultivation and infer the most likely region(s) for its origins and subsequent outward diffusion. The approach is based on regression modelling wherein goodness of fit is obtained from power law quantile regressions of the archaeologically inferred age versus a least-cost distance from the putative origin(s). The Fast Marching method is used to estimate the least-cost distances based on simple geographical features. The origin region that best fits the archaeobotanical data is also compared to other hypothetical geographical origins derived from the literature, including from genetics, archaeology and historical linguistics. The model that best fits all available archaeological evidence is a dual origin model with two centres for the cultivation and dispersal of rice focused on the Middle Yangtze and the Lower Yangtze valleys

Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults

Background Underweight and obesity are associated with adverse health outcomes throughout the life course. We estimated the individual and combined prevalence of underweight or thinness and obesity, and their changes, from 1990 to 2022 for adults and school-aged children and adolescents in 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 3663 population-based studies with 222 million participants that measured height and weight in representative samples of the general population. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in the prevalence of different BMI categories, separately for adults (age ≥20 years) and school-aged children and adolescents (age 5–19 years), from 1990 to 2022 for 200 countries and territories. For adults, we report the individual and combined prevalence of underweight (BMI 2 SD above the median). Findings From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity in adults decreased in 11 countries (6%) for women and 17 (9%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 that the observed changes were true decreases. The combined prevalence increased in 162 countries (81%) for women and 140 countries (70%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. In 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity was highest in island nations in the Caribbean and Polynesia and Micronesia, and countries in the Middle East and north Africa. Obesity prevalence was higher than underweight with posterior probability of at least 0·80 in 177 countries (89%) for women and 145 (73%) for men in 2022, whereas the converse was true in 16 countries (8%) for women, and 39 (20%) for men. From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of thinness and obesity decreased among girls in five countries (3%) and among boys in 15 countries (8%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80, and increased among girls in 140 countries (70%) and boys in 137 countries (69%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. The countries with highest combined prevalence of thinness and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents in 2022 were in Polynesia and Micronesia and the Caribbean for both sexes, and Chile and Qatar for boys. Combined prevalence was also high in some countries in south Asia, such as India and Pakistan, where thinness remained prevalent despite having declined. In 2022, obesity in school-aged children and adolescents was more prevalent than thinness with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 among girls in 133 countries (67%) and boys in 125 countries (63%), whereas the converse was true in 35 countries (18%) and 42 countries (21%), respectively. In almost all countries for both adults and school-aged children and adolescents, the increases in double burden were driven by increases in obesity, and decreases in double burden by declining https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/images/research_banner_face_lab_290.jpgunderweight or thinness. Interpretation The combined burden of underweight and obesity has increased in most countries, driven by an increase in obesity, while underweight and thinness remain prevalent in south Asia and parts of Africa. A healthy nutrition transition that enhances access to nutritious foods is needed to address the remaining burden of underweight while curbing and reversing the increase in obesity

Composição corporal em crianças de sete a 10 anos de idade, de alto nível socioeconômico Body composition in seven-to-ten-year old children of high socioeconomic status

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a composição corporal de crianças de sete a 10 anos de idade, de alto nível socioeconômico. Para tanto, 511 crianças (274 meninos e 237 meninas) foram submetidas a medidas antropométricas de massa corporal, estatura e espessuras de dobras cutâneas tricipital (TR) e subescapular (SE). Com base nessas informações, foram determinados: gordura corporal relativa (% Gordura), massa corporal magra (MCM), distribuição da gordura corporal (DGC) e o somatório da espessura das dobras cutâneas TR e SE (&#931;EDC). Anova two-way foi utilizada para as comparações entre os sexos e os diferentes grupos etários, seguida pelo teste post hoc de Scheffé quando P < 0,05. Para a classificação das crianças, de acordo com as categorias de adiposidade corporal, foi utilizada distribuição de freqüência. O teste de comparação entre proporções foi adotado para verificar as diferenças entre os sexos, em cada categoria (P < 0,05). Diferenças significantes entre os sexos (P < 0,05) foram verificadas na dobra TR (meninas > meninos) e na MCM (meninos > meninas). Efeito significante da idade foi identificado em todas as variáveis analisadas, exceto na DGC, com os valores mais elevados sendo encontrados no grupo etário de 10 anos. Um percentual elevado, tanto de meninos quanto de meninas, apresentou índice de adiposidade alto, com superioridade para os meninos (28% vs. 14%, P < 0,01). Por outro lado, um contingente maior de meninas apresentou concentrações de gordura corporal relativa abaixo dos pontos de corte desejáveis (15% vs. 3%, P < 0,01). Os valores de adiposidade corporal encontrados no presente estudo sugerem que um percentual elevado de crianças, de ambos os sexos, já apresenta importantes fatores de risco à saúde, em idades precoces.<br>The objective of this study was to analyze the body composition of seven to 10 year-old children of high socioeconomic status. Therefore, 511 children (274 boys and 237 girls) were submitted to body mass, height and triceps (TR) and subscapular (SE) skinfolds thickness anthropometric measurement. Based on this information, the following topics were determined: relative body fat (% Fat), lean body mass (LBM), body fat distribution (BFD) and sum of the thickness of the TR and SE skinfolds (£TSF). Two-way ANOVA was used for comparisons between gender and the different age groups, followed by the Scheffé post hoc test when P < 0.05. For the children classification according to the categories of body adiposity, frequency distribution was used. A test of comparison between ratios was adopted to verify the differences between gender in each category (P < 0.05). Significant differences between gender (P < 0.05) were verified in TR skinfold (girls > boys) and in LBM (boys > girls). Significant age effect was identified in all analyzed variables, except for DBF, with the highest values having been found in the 10 year-old group. A high percentage both for boys and girls presented high adiposity index, with superiority for boys (28% vs. 14%, P < 0.01). On the other hand, a larger number of girls presented relative body fat concentrations below the desirable cutting points (15% vs. 3%, P < 0.01). The values of body adiposity found in the present study suggest that a high percentage of children from both gender already present important health risk factors at early ages