The tea tussock moth (Euproctis pseudoconspersa) is one of the most destructive chewing pests in tea plantations and causes a serious allergic reaction on the skin of tea plantation workers.  The sex pheromone components of its Japanese population were first identified as 10,14-dimethylpentadecyl isobutyrate (10Me14Me-15:iBu) and 14-methylpentadecyl isobutyrate (14Me-15:iBu), with a stereogenic center.  Only 10Me14Me-15:iBu has been identified in the Chinese E. pseudoconspersa population.  However, field tests have shown that 10Me14Me-15:iBu cannot meet the demand of effective pest control in China.  To develop a high-efficiency E. pseudoconspersa sex pheromone formula, electroantennogram (EAG) recordings of (S)- and (R)-enantiomers of 10Me14Me-15:iBu and 14Me-15:iBu were obtained in the present study.  The results demonstrated that the EAG responses of male antennae to (R)-enantiomers were significantly higher than responses to the (S)-enantiomers, and 14Me-15:iBu also elicited EAG activity.  Field tests showed that the catch numbers of male moths by (R)-enantiomers were significantly higher (P<0.05) than those of (S)-enantiomers.  Addition of 14Me-15:iBu significantly increased the catch numbers of both the (S)- and (R)-enantiomers.  The efficient pheromone formula containing 0.75 mg (R)-10Me14Me-15:iBu and 0.1 mg 14Me-15:iBu showed significantly higher attractiveness than commercial pheromone products.  Our study demonstrated that (R)-10Me14Me-15:iBu was the major sex pheromone component of E. pseudoconspersa, and 14Me-15:iBu might be the minor sex pheromone component.  Furthermore, a high-efficiency sex pheromone formula for E. pseudoconspersa control was defined in this study.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is a significantly lucrative cash crop for millions of small-holder farmers.  Its seeds are an important source of a highly appreciated vegetable oil globally and two clinically essential antioxidant lignans, sesamin and sesamolin.  Accordingly, many countries import millions of tons of sesame seed every year.  The demand for lignan-rich sesame seeds has been increasing in recent years due to the continuous discovery of several pharmacological attributes of sesamin and sesamolin.  To meet this demand, the sesame breeder’s primary objective is to release sesame cultivars that are enriched in oil and lignans.  Thus, it is necessary to summarize the information related to the sesamin and sesamolin contents in sesame in order to promote the joint efforts of specialized research teams on this important oilseed crop.  In this article, we present the current knowledge on the sesamin and sesamolin contents in S. indicum L. with respect to the updated biosynthesis pathway, associated markers, governing loci, available variability in sesame germplasm, the in planta potential roles of these compounds in sesame, and the newly discovered pharmacological attributes.  In addition, we propose and discuss some required studies that might facilitate genomics-assisted breeding of high lignan content sesame varieties.

Transcription factors (TFs) regulate diverse stress defensive-associated physiological processes and plant stress responses.  We characterized TaNF-YB11, a gene of the NF-YB TF family in Triticum aestivum, in mediating plant drought tolerance.  TaNF-YB11 harbors the conserved domains specified by its NF-YB partners and targets the nucleus after the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) assortment.  Yeast two-hybrid assay indicated the interactions of TaNF-YB11 with TaNF-YA2 and TaNF-YC3, two proteins encoded by genes in the NF-YA and NF-YC families, respectively.  These results suggested that the heterotrimer established among them further regulated downstream genes at the transcriptional level.  The transcripts of TaNF-YB11 were promoted in roots and leaves under a 27-h drought regime.  Moreover, its upregulated expression levels under drought were gradually restored following a recovery treatment, suggesting its involvement in plant drought response.  TaNF-YB11 conferred improved drought tolerance on plants; the lines overexpressing target gene displayed improved phenotype and biomass compared with wild type (WT) under drought treatments due to enhancement of stomata closing, osmolyte accumulation, and cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis.  Knockdown expression of TaP5CS2, a P5CS family gene modulating proline biosynthesis that showed upregulated expression in drought-challenged TaNF-YB11 lines, alleviated proline accumulation of plants treated by drought.  Likewise, TaSOD2 and TaCAT3, two genes encoding superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) that were upregulated underlying TaNF-YB11 regulation, played critical roles in ROS homeostasis via regulating SOD and CAT activities.  RNA-seq analysis revealed that numerous genes associated with processes of ‘cellular processes’, ‘environmental information processing’, ‘genetic information processing’, ‘metabolism’, and ‘organismal systems’ modified transcription under drought underlying control of TaNF-YB11.  These results suggested that the TaNF-YB11-mediated drought response is possibly accomplished through the target gene in modifying gene transcription at the global level, which modulates complicated biological processes related to drought response.  TaNF-YB11 is essential in plant drought adaptation and a valuable target for molecular breeding of drought-tolerant cultivars in T. aestivum.