a Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
b Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA.
Genome. 2018 Apr;61(4):266-272. doi: 10.1139/gen-2017-0066. Epub 2017 Oct 2.
RNA interference (RNAi) is a useful tool to assess gene function by knocking down expression of a target gene and has been used successfully in domestic and laboratory organisms. However, the use of RNAi for functional genomics has not fully extended into ecological model organisms in natural environments. Assessment of gene function in the wild is important because gene function can be environmentally and context dependent. Here, we present a case study using RNAi to assess gene function in wild paper wasps Polistes metricus, to test roles for two candidate genes (NADH dehydrogenase (NADHdh) and retinoid and fatty acid binding protein (RfaBp)) in the development of reproductive castes. Previous studies have shown that these genes are upregulated in larvae that become queens compared to workers, but this pattern was reversed in the laboratory, making field-based studies necessary. We orally administered dsRNA to larvae in field colonies and found evidence of a short-term knockdown followed by a compensatory rebound in expression for RfaBp. We also observed the predicted worker-like decrease in lipid stores in NADHdh dsRNA treated wasps, suggesting a possible role for NADHdh in caste development. We discuss our results in the context of challenges for using RNAi for functional genomics in ecological model organisms in the field.
RNA 干扰 (RNAi) 是一种通过敲低靶基因的表达来评估基因功能的有用工具，已在国内外实验室生物中成功应用。然而，RNAi 在生态模式生物中的应用尚未完全扩展到自然环境中。在野外评估基因功能很重要，因为基因功能可能受到环境和背景的影响。在这里，我们使用 RNAi 来评估野生纸黄蜂 Polistes metricus 中的基因功能，以测试两个候选基因（NADH 脱氢酶 (NADHdh) 和视黄醇和脂肪酸结合蛋白 (RfaBp)) 在生殖级型发育中的作用。先前的研究表明，与工蜂相比，这些基因在成为蜂王的幼虫中上调，但在实验室中这种模式被逆转，因此需要进行基于野外的研究。我们对野外群体中的幼虫进行了 RNAi 口服给药，并发现 RfaBp 的表达在短期内被敲低后出现了代偿性反弹。我们还观察到 NADHdh dsRNA 处理的黄蜂中脂质储存出现了预期的工蜂样减少，这表明 NADHdh 可能在级型发育中起作用。我们将研究结果置于在野外生态模式生物中进行功能基因组学研究的挑战背景下进行了讨论。
