Bacterial leaf streak (BLS) of rice, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola, severely compromises crop yield and grain quality. This study evaluates the biocontrol potential of Lysobacter antibioticus OH13, a soil bacterium producing the N-oxide phenazine antibiotic myxin, against BLS. Under greenhouse conditions, the OH13 strain, its cell-free supernatant, and purified myxin significantly reduced lesion lengths in infected rice plants. Field trials demonstrated that myxin (20 mg/L) achieved a disease control efficacy of 77.41%, comparable to the chemical agent 30% zinc thiazole, whereas OH13 itself exhibited an efficacy of 65.26%. Rhizosphere microbiome analysis revealed that OH13 reshaped the bacterial community composition, enriching taxa, such as Myxococcia and Actinomycetota, suggesting a dual mechanism that combines direct antimicrobial activity and microbiome-mediated suppression. To enhance myxin production, we employed a combinatorial strategy that integrates atmospheric and room temperature plasma mutagenesis, targeted genetic engineering, and medium optimization, achieving a final myxin yield of 3.19 times the initial level. These findings highlight the potential of L. antibioticus OH13 and myxin production as a sustainable and multifunctional alternative for BLS management.

Maize (Zea mays L.) serves as a staple food in numerous countries and is also used as a raw material for industrial products, playing a significant role in global food security and economic development. The diverse and widespread diseases affecting maize can cause significant losses, posing a serious threat to maize production. Currently, planting resistant varieties remains one of the most economical and effective strategies for disease management in maize. However, maize resistance primarily comprises multiple minor-effect loci, making the identification of resistant genes challenging. In recent years, advancements in sequencing technologies have facilitated new progress in the cloning and mechanistic analysis of maize resistance genes through methods such as resequencing and population genetic analysis. This paper reviews recent research on the cloning and functional analysis of maize resistance genes and discusses new approaches that may enhance these processes, aiming to provide references for future studies.

The western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) is a major pest of peanuts. Cultivating and deploying resistant varieties is the most effective and economic method for F. occidentalis management. However, the resistance mechanism of peanuts to F. occidentalis infestation remains unknown. Here, the Tianfu 22 (TF22) and Jinong 5 (JN5) varieties were identified as thrips-resistant and thrips-susceptible, respectively, based on field screening carried out across two consecutive years. Metabolomic profiling showed that thrip-infested TF22 leaves exhibited differentially accumulated metabolites enriched in phenylpropanoid and secondary metabolite biosyntheses. Notably, some metabolites involved in the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids, such as biochanin A, genistein, and 7-hydroxyflavone, were only induced in the infested TF22 leaves. External feeding and exogenous spraying confirmed that genistein reduced the pupation rate of thrips, decreasing its harm to peanuts. Furthermore, genistein significantly lowered the fecundity of Aphis craccivora and inhibited the weight gain of Helicoverpa armigera larvae. Three genes (CHS, CHI, and IFS) involved in genistein synthesis were significantly upregulated in infested TF22 plants. These results suggest that genistein is likely a pivotal resistance factor in peanuts, offering valuable insights for the cultivation and application of resistant cultivars.

Insect symbionts play an important role in host physiology and biochemistry. The impact of environmental factors on insect microbiomes and the role of symbionts in host resistance to insecticides in large-scale fields remain unclear. Here, we explore potential relationships between bacterial communities, environmental factors, and insecticide resistance in three significant aphid species: Sitobion avenae, Rhopalosiphum padi, and Metopolophium dirhodum. Our findings indicate that the three aphid species exhibit similar microbial diversity, whereas notable differences in microbial composition exist, along with a decline in microbial community similarity as geographical distance increased. R. padi displayed a simpler microbial network structure compared to S. avenae and M. dirhodum, and most of its network nodes were attributed to Buchnera. Altitude and temperature were identified as crucial factors that affect the diversity and structure of symbionts in the three aphid species. In addition, we also observed that wheat aphid symbionts' diversity, abundance, and network structure relate to insecticide resistance. Environmental factors, particularly altitude and temperature, primarily influence host resistance to insecticides by affecting the abundance of the dominant symbiont (Buchnera) and the overall symbiont community. Our study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the interplay between environmental factors, symbiotic bacteria, and insecticide resistance in wheat aphids.

This study aims to provide data support for pesticide risk management and scientific use on main pyralid borers. Based on the data registered for controlling nine key borers, active ingredients with high dosages were identified and analyzed according to their formulations and target pests, and environmental risk of pesticides on the typical non-target organism honeybee was assessed. The entries of insecticides registered for controlling the rice leaf folder and rice stem borer were significantly higher than those for other borers. The top four insecticides, top four crops, and top five borers associated with the highest dosage, median dose, and dosage range of single insecticides were selected for further study. Significant issues were noted, including wide variations in recommended dosages for three combinations (carbosulfan–sugarcane–sugarcane borer, bisultap–sugarcane borer, and phoxim–sugarcane–sugarcane borer) and unusually high dosage points in the chlorpyrifos–rice–rice stem borer combination, likely because of differences in formulations and manufacturers. Environmental risk assessment indicated that risk levels varied by pesticide category and application method. Bisultap, cartap, monosultap, dimethoate, and phoxim exhibited lower risk in soil or seed treatment scenarios compared to spraying scenarios. To reduce use and curb resistance development, high-efficiency low-risk insecticides at the minimum effective dose are recommended.

The growing problem of insecticide resistance poses a significant challenge to agricultural productivity. Investigations into the resistance mechanisms mediated by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters have garnered considerable attention within toxicological research. Several ABC transporter subfamilies have been implicated in conferring resistance to both organosynthetic insecticides and Bacillus thuringiensis toxins. Research into insecticide resistance has broadened beyond gene expression analysis, including epigenetic modifications, cellular biology, and protein binding and transport dynamics. The advancement of RNA interference and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technologies has accelerated the functional analysis of ABC transporter genes. Furthermore, the emergence of artificial intelligence, such as AlphaFold 3.0, offers unprecedented opportunities for predicting the three-dimensional structures of these proteins, potentially elucidating the specific interactions between ABC transporters and insecticides. This review summarizes the recent advancements in the methodologies for functional analysis of ABC transporters, the molecular mechanisms underlying ABC transporter-mediated insecticide resistance, and the regulatory pathways governing resistance genes in insects. It aims to provide a theoretical foundation for comprehensively understanding the mechanisms of insecticide resistance in insects, and also offering novel insights for the development of innovative and effective resistance management strategies.

The striped flea beetle, Phyllotreta striolata, is a globally notorious pest of cruciferous vegetables. In this study, we sequenced the genome of a Chinese population of P. striolata and aligned it with the reference genome from a Canadian population. Through Illumina sequencing and reference-based genome polishing, we obtained a high-quality genome of 131.31 Mb with an N50 size of 8.68 Mb. Genome comparison revealed that the Chinese and Canadian populations of P. striolata presented 175 and 122 population-specific genes, respectively. Through a genome-wide screening, six genes were identified as potential RNA interference targets influencing the development or survival of P. striolata. Additionally, we identified 1.16 million high-confidence variants in the Chinese P. striolata population, including 0.69 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms and 0.43 million insertions/deletions. Variant effect analysis and functional annotation revealed 7571 variants with high-impact effects, and the related genes were involved in various basic biological processes in P. striolata. Overall, our findings provide valuable resources for advancing genomic research on P. striolata as well as for those pursuing targeted biopesticides for effective control strategies.