Zhou Zaihui, Yao Zhuotian, Abouzaid Mostafa, Hull J Joe, Ma Weihua, Hua Hongxia, Lin Yongjun
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
J Agric Food Chem. 2023 May 17;71(19):7201-7209. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c00113. Epub 2023 May 5.
The striped stem borer (SSB, ) is a major pest of rice worldwide. Double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) targeting essential genes can trigger a lethal RNA interference (RNAi) response in insect pests. In this study, we applied a Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to diet-based RNA-Seq data as a method to facilitate the discovery of novel target genes for pest control. () was identified as the gene with the highest correlation values to hemolymph cholesterol levels and larval size. Functional characterization of the gene supported expression with dietary cholesterol uptake and insect growth. This study revealed the critical role of NPC1b for intestinal cholesterol absorption in lepidopteran insects and highlights the utility of the WGCNA approach for identifying new pest management targets.
条纹茎螟（SSB）是全球水稻的主要害虫。靶向必需基因的双链RNA（dsRNAs）可在害虫中引发致命的RNA干扰（RNAi）反应。在本研究中，我们将加权基因共表达网络分析（WGCNA）应用于基于饮食的RNA测序数据，作为一种促进发现害虫控制新靶基因的方法。（）被鉴定为与血淋巴胆固醇水平和幼虫大小相关性最高的基因。该基因的功能表征支持其表达与饮食胆固醇摄取和昆虫生长有关。本研究揭示了NPC1b在鳞翅目昆虫肠道胆固醇吸收中的关键作用，并强调了WGCNA方法在识别新的害虫管理靶标方面的实用性。
