广谱蚊子酵母干扰 RNA 杀虫剂的特性，其在蚊子 Sema 蛋白-1a 基因中具有保守的靶标位点。

Characterization of a broad-based mosquito yeast interfering RNA larvicide with a conserved target site in mosquito semaphorin-1a genes.

机构信息

Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, South Bend, IN, USA.

Eck Institute for Global Health, The University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.

出版信息

Parasit Vectors. 2019 May 22;12(1):256. doi: 10.1186/s13071-019-3504-x.

BACKGROUND

RNA interference (RNAi), which has facilitated functional characterization of mosquito neural development genes such as the axon guidance regulator semaphorin-1a (sema1a), could one day be applied as a new means of vector control. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) may represent an effective interfering RNA expression system that could be used directly for delivery of RNA pesticides to mosquito larvae. Here we describe characterization of a yeast larvicide developed through bioengineering of S. cerevisiae to express a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting a conserved site in mosquito sema1a genes.

RESULTS

Experiments conducted on Aedes aegypti larvae demonstrated that the yeast larvicide effectively silences sema1a expression, generates severe neural defects, and induces high levels of larval mortality in laboratory, simulated-field, and semi-field experiments. The larvicide was also found to induce high levels of Aedes albopictus, Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of these studies indicate that use of yeast interfering RNA larvicides targeting mosquito sema1a genes may represent a new biorational tool for mosquito control.

背景

RNA 干扰（RNAi）已促进了蚊子神经发育基因（如轴突导向调节剂 semaphorin-1a（sema1a））的功能特征研究，有朝一日可能会被应用于新型的病媒控制手段。酿酒酵母（面包酵母）可能代表一种有效的干扰 RNA 表达系统，可直接用于将 RNA 杀虫剂递送至蚊子幼虫体内。在这里，我们描述了通过对酿酒酵母进行生物工程改造来开发一种酵母杀虫剂的特性，该杀虫剂可表达针对蚊子 sema1a 基因中保守位点的短发夹 RNA（shRNA）。