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Cong Wei - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Transovarial Transmission of Bacteriome-Associated Symbionts in the Cicada Pycna repanda (Hemiptera: Cicadidae).
    Applied and environmental microbiology, 2020
    Co-Authors: Zhi Huang, Dandan Wang, Cong Wei
    Abstract:

    Although transovarial transmission of bacteriome-associated symbionts in hemipteran insects is extremely important for maintaining intimate host-symbiont associations, our knowledge of cellular mechanisms underlying the transmission process is quite limited. We investigated bacterial communities of salivary glands, bacteriomes, and digestive and reproductive organs and clarified the transovarial transmission of bacteriome-associated symbionts of the mountain-habitat specialist Pycna repanda using integrated methods. The bacterial communities among different gut tissues and those of bacteriomes of males and females both show similarity, whereas differences are exhibited among bacterial communities in testes and ovaries. The primary symbionts "Candidatus Sulcia muelleri" (hereafter "Ca Sulcia") and "Candidatus Hodgkinia cicadicola" (hereafter "Ca Hodgkinia") were not only restricted to but also dominant in the bacteriomes and ovaries. "Ca Hodgkinia" cells in the bacteriomes of both sexes exhibited different colors by histological and electron microscopy. Also considering the results of a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-based cloning approach, we hypothesize that "Ca Hodgkinia" may have split into cytologically different cellular lineages within this Cicada species. Regarding the dominant secondary symbionts, Rickettsia was detected in the salivary glands, digestive organs, and testes, whereas Arsenophonus was detected in the bacteriomes and ovaries. Our results show that Arsenophonus can coexist with "Ca Sulcia" and "Ca Hodgkinia" within bacteriomes and can be transovarially transmitted with these obligate symbionts together from mother to offspring in Cicadas, but it is not harbored in the cytoplasm of "Ca Sulcia." The change in the shape of "Ca Sulcia" and "Ca Hodgkinia" during the transovarial transmission process is hypothesized to be related to the limited space and novel microenvironment.IMPORTANCE Cicadas establish an intimate symbiosis with microorganisms to obtain essential nutrients that are extremely deficient in host plant sap. Previous studies on bacterial communities of Cicadas mainly focused on a few widely distributed species, but knowledge about mountain-habitat species is quite poor. We initially revealed the physical distribution of the primary symbionts "Ca Sulcia" and "Ca Hodgkinia" and the dominant secondary symbionts Rickettsia and Arsenophonus in the mountain-habitat specialist Pycna repanda and then clarified the transovarial transmission process of bacteriome-associated symbionts in this species. Our observations suggest that "Ca Hodgkinia" may have split into cytologically distinct lineages within this Cicada species, and related Cicadas might have developed complex mechanisms for the vertical transmission of the bacteriome-associated symbionts. We also revealed that Arsenophonus can be transovarially transmitted in auchenorrhynchan insects when it is not harbored in the cytoplasm of other endosymbionts. Our results highlight transovarial transmission mechanisms of bacteriome-associated symbionts in sap-feeding insects.

  • Influence of construction and demolition waste on fitness and community structure of Cicada nymphs: New bioindicators of soil pollution.
    'Public Library of Science (PLoS)', 2018
    Co-Authors: Zehai Hou, Yunxiang Liu, Cong Wei
    Abstract:

    Construction and demolition (C&D) waste is a novel, widespread environmental stress that negatively affects environment, organisms and ecosystem. Yet effects of cumulative consequences of C&D waste on the fitness and community structure of most underground insects remain unclear. With relatively sessile life underground lasting several years, Cicadas can be an important aspect in forest nutrient cycles. Whether Cicada nymphs are easily affected by C&D waste, and whether they have evolved any adaptations to cope with the adverse environments merit exploration. Here, we investigated the biodiversity, community structure, population dynamics and morphology of Cicada nymphs in both uncontaminated and contaminated habitats by C&D waste in Guanzhong Plain, China since 2011. In total, 1,573 Cicada nymphs were collected from 2011 to 2015, including 62 malformed nymphs. The malformed nymphs can be divided into three types: physically damaged individuals (still alive) (3.2%), fungus-infected individuals (dead) (64.5%), and bacterium-infected individuals (dead) (32.3%). The proportion of malformed nymphs increased year by year in the habitats contaminated by C&D waste. In the uncontaminated habitats, although no significant differences of population density among the investigated years were observed, yet there was a distinct increasing trend of population of Meimuna mongolica, whereas populations of both Cryptotympana atrata and Platypleura kaempferi distinctly decreased. This indicates that M. mongolica is possibly evolving into the most dominant species in the ecological niche when it competes with other sympatric species, but more researches are needed to establish whether there is a shift in the species composition of Cicadas. In the habitats contaminated by C&D waste, a higher ratio of malformed individuals and a decline of population of both M. mongolica and C. atrata were revealed; P. kaempferi was not found in the contaminated habitats, indicating a weaker resistance of this species against C&D waste. The negative responses of Cicada nymphs to C&D waste have significant implications for the habitat destruction. Cicada nymphs may be suitable bioindicators for underground-habitat-quality monitoring, as merits further research to reveal the association between the magnitude of C&D waste contamination with the fitness and population dynamics of Cicada nymphs

  • Ultrastructure of spermatozoa in three Cicada species from China (Hemiptera, Cicadomorpha, Cicadidae)
    Pensoft Publishers, 2018
    Co-Authors: Beibei Cui, Cong Wei
    Abstract:

    The ultrastructure of mature spermatozoa of three Cicada species, Subpsaltria yangi, Karenia caelatata, and Platypleura kaempferi, was investigated using epifluorescence and transmission electron microscopies. This is the first investigation of the sperm ultrastructure of species in the subfamily Tibicininae and the tribe Sinosenini, represented by S. yangi and K. caelatata, respectively. The three species all produce two or three types of spermatozoa with various lengths, viz., polymegaly. The centriolar adjunct of spermatozoa in S. yangi shows a granular substructure, which is different from that of other Cicada species, suggesting that spermatozoa in Tibicininae may have their own characteristics in comparison with other Cicadas. The centriolar adjunct of spermatozoa of K. caelatata displays characteristics similar to that of the Cicadinae. Combined with other morphological characters, it is reasonable to remove K. caelatata and its allies (i.e., Sinosenini) from Cicadettinae to Cicadinae. The study of sperm ultrastructure, particularly in the species of Tibicininae and Sinosenini, expands the spermatological research of Cicadidae and provides more information for phylogenetic analysis of Cicadidae

  • Proportion of malformed Cicada nymphs in different years.
    2018
    Co-Authors: Zehai Hou, Yunxiang Liu, Cong Wei
    Abstract:

    Proportion of malformed Cicada nymphs in different years.

  • Sixty-four representatives of the Cicada samples used in the genetic analysis and their identity.
    2018
    Co-Authors: Zehai Hou, Yunxiang Liu, Cong Wei
    Abstract:

    Sixty-four representatives of the Cicada samples used in the genetic analysis and their identity.

John R. Cooley - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • discovery of psychoactive plant and mushroom alkaloids in behavior modifying fungal Cicada pathogens
    bioRxiv, 2018
    Co-Authors: Greg R. Boyce, John R. Cooley, Jason C. Slot, Jason E. Stajich, William J. Davis, Jorgen Eilenberg, Emile Gluckthaler, Timothy Y James, Daniel G Panaccione, Henrik H. De Fine Licht
    Abstract:

    Entomopathogenic fungi routinely kill their hosts before releasing infectious conidia, but select species keep their hosts alive while sporulating to enhance spore dispersal. Recent expression and metabolomics studies involving host-killing entomopathogens have helped unravel infection processes and host responses, yet the mechanisms underlying active host transmission in insects with Entomophthoralean fungal infections are completely unexplored. Here we report the discovery, through global and targeted metabolomics supported by metagenomics and proteomics, of the plant amphetamine, cathinone, in Massospora cicadina -infected periodical Cicadas, and the mushroom tryptamine, psilocybin, in M. platypediae - and M. levispora -infected annual Cicadas. The neurogenic activities of these alkaloids provide a hypothetical framework for a chemically induced extended phenotype of Massospora that alters Cicada behavior by increasing endurance and suppressing feeding prior to death.

  • discovery of psychoactive plant and mushroom alkaloids in ancient fungal Cicada pathogens
    bioRxiv, 2018
    Co-Authors: Greg R. Boyce, John R. Cooley, Jason C. Slot, Jason E. Stajich, William J. Davis, Jorgen Eilenberg, Emile Gluckthaler, Timothy Y James, Daniel G Panaccione, Henrik H. De Fine Licht
    Abstract:

    Entomopathogenic fungi routinely kill their hosts before releasing infectious conidia, but select species keep their hosts alive while sporulating to enhance spore dispersal. Recent expression and metabolomics studies involving host-killing entomopathogens have helped unravel infection processes and host responses, yet the mechanisms underlying active host transmission in insects with Entomophthoralean fungal infections are completely unexplored. Here we report the discovery, through global and targeted metabolomics supported by metagenomics and proteomics, of the plant amphetamine, cathinone, in Massospora cicadina -infected periodical Cicadas, and the mushroom tryptamine, psilocybin, in M. platypediae - and M. levispora -infected annual Cicadas. The neurogenic activities of these alkaloids provide a hypothetical framework for a chemically induced extended phenotype of Massospora that alters Cicada behavior by increasing endurance and suppressing feeding prior to death.

  • A specialized fungal parasite (Massospora cicadina) hijacks the sexual signals of periodical Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: MagiCicada)
    Scientific Reports, 2018
    Co-Authors: John R. Cooley, David C. Marshall, Kathy B. R. Hill
    Abstract:

    Male periodical Cicadas ( MagiCicada spp.) infected with conidiospore-producing (“Stage I”) infections of the entomopathogenic fungus Massospora cicadina exhibit precisely timed wing-flick signaling behavior normally seen only in sexually receptive female Cicadas. Male wing-flicks attract copulation attempts from conspecific males in the chorus; close contact apparently spreads the infective conidiospores. In contrast, males with “Stage II” infections that produce resting spores that wait for the next Cicada generation do not produce female-specific signals. We propose that these complex fungus-induced behavioral changes, which resemble apparently independently derived changes in other Cicada- Massospora systems, represent a fungus “extended phenotype” that hijacks Cicadas, turning them into vehicles for fungus transmission at the expense of the Cicadas’ own interests.

  • Boyce et al. 2018 Tables S1-S17.xlsx
    2018
    Co-Authors: Greg R. Boyce, John R. Cooley, Emile Gluck-thaler, Jason C. Slot, Jason E. Stajich, William J. Davis, Tim Y. James, Daniel E. Panaccione, Jorgen Eilenberg, Henrik H. De Fine Licht
    Abstract:

    Supplemental tables for "Discovery of psychoactive plant and mushroom alkaloids in ancient fungal Cicada pathogens.

  • The periodical Cicada four-year acceleration hypothesis revisited and the polyphyletic nature of Brood V, including an updated crowd-source enhanced map (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: MagiCicada)
    PeerJ Inc., 2018
    Co-Authors: John R. Cooley, Nidia Arguedas, Elias Bonaros, Gerry Bunker, Stephen M. Chiswell, Annette Degiovine, Marten Edwards, Diane Hassanieh, Diler Haji, John Knox
    Abstract:

    The periodical Cicadas of North America (MagiCicada spp.) are well-known for their long life cycles of 13 and 17 years and their mass synchronized emergences. Although periodical Cicada life cycles are relatively strict, the biogeographic patterns of periodical Cicada broods, or year-classes, indicate that they must undergo some degree of life cycle switching. We present a new map of periodical Cicada Brood V, which emerged in 2016, and demonstrate that it consists of at least four distinct parts that span an area in the United States stretching from Ohio to Long Island. We discuss mtDNA haplotype variation in this brood in relation to other periodical Cicada broods, noting that different parts of this brood appear to have different origins. We use this information to refine a hypothesis for the formation of periodical Cicada broods by 1- and 4-year life cycle jumps

Luquan Ren - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • flexible self cleaning broadband antireflective film inspired by the transparent Cicada wings
    ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2019
    Co-Authors: Zhiwu Han, Ze Wang, Xiaoming Feng, Zhibin Jiao, Junqiu Zhang, Jie Zhao, Shichao Niu, Luquan Ren
    Abstract:

    Cicada wings, covered with arranged nanostructures, were widely studied owing to their high transparency and low reflection. However, limited by technologies, their exquisite surface structures and multifunctional features were not inherited and applied by most artificial materials adequately. Here, the excellent optical properties of the Cicada wing were investigated in detail experimentally and theoretically. Besides, a flexible self-cleaning broadband antireflective film inspired by the Cicada wing has been successfully fabricated by a well-designed biological template method and sol-gel process. The Cicada wing ( Megapomponia intermedia) was selected as the original template directly, and a SiO2 negative replica was obtained by a sol-gel process. Then, chemical corrosion was used to remove the original template, retaining the pure negative replica. Subsequently, the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) positive replica could be rebuilt after another sol-gel process. Compared with a flat PMMA film, the average reflectivity of the structured PMMA film over the visible region was reduced from 10 to 2%. Besides, the bio-inspired film with a thickness of 0.18 mm exhibited satisfactory comprehensive performances with low reflectance (≤2%) in most of the visible region, as well as superhydrophobic property and perfect flexibility. Our results offered a quick and simple method to rebuild the nanostructured functional materials, promoting the practical applications of the bionic nanostructured materials. Meanwhile, the modified biomimetic fabrication method provides a solution for rebuilding exquisite biological materials and designing multifunctional surfaces. Moreover, the multifunctional antireflective film with wider universality will exhibit an enormous potential application value in optical communications, photoelectric devices, flexible display screens, and antidazzle glasses.

  • Flexible Self-Cleaning Broadband Antireflective Film Inspired by the Transparent Cicada Wings
    2019
    Co-Authors: Zhiwu Han, Ze Wang, Xiaoming Feng, Zhibin Jiao, Junqiu Zhang, Jie Zhao, Shichao Niu, Luquan Ren
    Abstract:

    Cicada wings, covered with arranged nanostructures, were widely studied owing to their high transparency and low reflection. However, limited by technologies, their exquisite surface structures and multifunctional features were not inherited and applied by most artificial materials adequately. Here, the excellent optical properties of the Cicada wing were investigated in detail experimentally and theoretically. Besides, a flexible self-cleaning broadband antireflective film inspired by the Cicada wing has been successfully fabricated by a well-designed biological template method and sol–gel process. The Cicada wing (Megapomponia intermedia) was selected as the original template directly, and a SiO2 negative replica was obtained by a sol–gel process. Then, chemical corrosion was used to remove the original template, retaining the pure negative replica. Subsequently, the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) positive replica could be rebuilt after another sol–gel process. Compared with a flat PMMA film, the average reflectivity of the structured PMMA film over the visible region was reduced from 10 to 2%. Besides, the bio-inspired film with a thickness of 0.18 mm exhibited satisfactory comprehensive performances with low reflectance (≤2%) in most of the visible region, as well as superhydrophobic property and perfect flexibility. Our results offered a quick and simple method to rebuild the nanostructured functional materials, promoting the practical applications of the bionic nanostructured materials. Meanwhile, the modified biomimetic fabrication method provides a solution for rebuilding exquisite biological materials and designing multifunctional surfaces. Moreover, the multifunctional antireflective film with wider universality will exhibit an enormous potential application value in optical communications, photoelectric devices, flexible display screens, and antidazzle glasses

Haibo Dong - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • vortex dynamics and new lift enhancement mechanism of wing body interaction in insect forward flight
    Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 2016
    Co-Authors: Geng Liu, Haibo Dong
    Abstract:

    The effects of wing–body interaction (WBI) on aerodynamic performance and vortex dynamics have been numerically investigated in the forward flight of Cicadas. Flapping wing kinematics was reconstructed based on the output of a high-speed camera system. Following the reconstruction of Cicada flight, three models, wing–body (WB), body-only (BD) and wings-only (WN), were then developed and evaluated using an immersed-boundary-method-based incompressible Navier–Stokes equations solver. Results have shown that due to WBIs, the WB model had a 18.7 % increase in total lift production compared with the lift generated in both the BD and WN models, and about 65 % of this enhancement was attributed to the body. This resulted from a dramatic improvement of body lift production from 2 % to 11.6 % of the total lift produced by the wing–body system. Further analysis of the associated near-field and far-field vortex structures has shown that this lift enhancement was attributed to the formation of two distinct vortices shed from the thorax and the posterior of the insect, respectively, and their interactions with the flapping wings. Simulations are also used to examine the new lift enhancement mechanism over a range of minimum wing–body distances, reduced frequencies and body inclination angles. This work provides a new physical insight into the understanding of the body-involved lift-enhancement mechanism in insect forward flight.

  • computational investigation of Cicada aerodynamics in forward flight
    Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 2015
    Co-Authors: Hui Wan, Haibo Dong, Kuo Gai
    Abstract:

    Free forward flight of Cicadas is investigated through high-speed photogrammetry, three-dimensional surface reconstruction and computational fluid dynamics simulations. We report two new vortices generated by the Cicada's wide body. One is the thorax-generated vortex, which helps the downwash flow, indicating a new phenomenon of lift enhancement. Another is the Cicada posterior body vortex, which entangles with the vortex ring composed of wing tip, trailing edge and wing root vortices. Some other vortex features include: independently developed left- and right-hand side leading edge vortex (LEV), dual-core LEV structure at the mid-wing region and near-wake two-vortex-ring structure. In the Cicada forward flight, approximately 79% of the total lift is generated during the downstroke. Cicada wings experience drag in the downstroke, and generate thrust during the upstroke. Energetics study shows that the Cicada in free forward flight consumes much more power in the downstroke than in the upstroke, to provide enough lift to support the weight and to overcome drag to move forward.

Junqiu Zhang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • flexible self cleaning broadband antireflective film inspired by the transparent Cicada wings
    ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2019
    Co-Authors: Zhiwu Han, Ze Wang, Xiaoming Feng, Zhibin Jiao, Junqiu Zhang, Jie Zhao, Shichao Niu, Luquan Ren
    Abstract:

    Cicada wings, covered with arranged nanostructures, were widely studied owing to their high transparency and low reflection. However, limited by technologies, their exquisite surface structures and multifunctional features were not inherited and applied by most artificial materials adequately. Here, the excellent optical properties of the Cicada wing were investigated in detail experimentally and theoretically. Besides, a flexible self-cleaning broadband antireflective film inspired by the Cicada wing has been successfully fabricated by a well-designed biological template method and sol-gel process. The Cicada wing ( Megapomponia intermedia) was selected as the original template directly, and a SiO2 negative replica was obtained by a sol-gel process. Then, chemical corrosion was used to remove the original template, retaining the pure negative replica. Subsequently, the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) positive replica could be rebuilt after another sol-gel process. Compared with a flat PMMA film, the average reflectivity of the structured PMMA film over the visible region was reduced from 10 to 2%. Besides, the bio-inspired film with a thickness of 0.18 mm exhibited satisfactory comprehensive performances with low reflectance (≤2%) in most of the visible region, as well as superhydrophobic property and perfect flexibility. Our results offered a quick and simple method to rebuild the nanostructured functional materials, promoting the practical applications of the bionic nanostructured materials. Meanwhile, the modified biomimetic fabrication method provides a solution for rebuilding exquisite biological materials and designing multifunctional surfaces. Moreover, the multifunctional antireflective film with wider universality will exhibit an enormous potential application value in optical communications, photoelectric devices, flexible display screens, and antidazzle glasses.

  • Flexible Self-Cleaning Broadband Antireflective Film Inspired by the Transparent Cicada Wings
    2019
    Co-Authors: Zhiwu Han, Ze Wang, Xiaoming Feng, Zhibin Jiao, Junqiu Zhang, Jie Zhao, Shichao Niu, Luquan Ren
    Abstract:

    Cicada wings, covered with arranged nanostructures, were widely studied owing to their high transparency and low reflection. However, limited by technologies, their exquisite surface structures and multifunctional features were not inherited and applied by most artificial materials adequately. Here, the excellent optical properties of the Cicada wing were investigated in detail experimentally and theoretically. Besides, a flexible self-cleaning broadband antireflective film inspired by the Cicada wing has been successfully fabricated by a well-designed biological template method and sol–gel process. The Cicada wing (Megapomponia intermedia) was selected as the original template directly, and a SiO2 negative replica was obtained by a sol–gel process. Then, chemical corrosion was used to remove the original template, retaining the pure negative replica. Subsequently, the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) positive replica could be rebuilt after another sol–gel process. Compared with a flat PMMA film, the average reflectivity of the structured PMMA film over the visible region was reduced from 10 to 2%. Besides, the bio-inspired film with a thickness of 0.18 mm exhibited satisfactory comprehensive performances with low reflectance (≤2%) in most of the visible region, as well as superhydrophobic property and perfect flexibility. Our results offered a quick and simple method to rebuild the nanostructured functional materials, promoting the practical applications of the bionic nanostructured materials. Meanwhile, the modified biomimetic fabrication method provides a solution for rebuilding exquisite biological materials and designing multifunctional surfaces. Moreover, the multifunctional antireflective film with wider universality will exhibit an enormous potential application value in optical communications, photoelectric devices, flexible display screens, and antidazzle glasses