Chongqing Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
International Joint Laboratory of China-Belgium on Sustainable Crop Pest Control, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Pest Manag Sci. 2024 Jun;80(6):2689-2697. doi: 10.1002/ps.7975. Epub 2024 Feb 7.
RNA interference (RNAi) is the sequence-dependent suppression of gene expression by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). This is a promising strategy for the control of insect pests because dsRNA can be rationally designed to maximize efficacy and biosafety, the latter by using sequences that are found in target pests but are safe for non-target insects. However, this has yet to be optimized in aphids, destructive sap-sucking pests that also transmit plant viruses. We used the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) as a case study to optimize the efficiency of RNAi by applying a novel fusion dsRNA design.
Comparative transcriptomics revealed a number of genes that are induced in feeding aphids, and eight candidate genes were chosen as RNAi targets. To improve RNAi efficiency, our fusion dsRNA design approach combined optimal gene fragments (highly conserved in several aphid species but with less homology in beneficial insects such as the predator ladybeetle Propylea japonica) from three candidate genes. We compared this RNAi-based biological control approach with conventional chemical control using imidacloprid. We found that the fusion dsRNA strategy inhibited the aphid population to a significantly greater extent than single-target RNAi and did not affect ladybeetle fitness, allowing an additive effect between RNAi and natural predation, whereas imidacloprid was harmful to aphids and ladybeetles.
Our fusion dsRNA design approach enhances the ability of RNAi to control aphids without harming natural predators. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
RNA 干扰（RNAi）是双链 RNA（dsRNA）对基因表达的序列依赖性抑制。这是一种控制害虫的有前途的策略，因为 dsRNA 可以被合理设计以最大化功效和生物安全性，后者可以使用在目标害虫中发现但对非目标昆虫安全的序列。然而，这在蚜虫中尚未得到优化，蚜虫是破坏性的吸汁害虫，也会传播植物病毒。我们使用绿桃蚜（Myzus persicae）作为案例研究，通过应用新型融合 dsRNA 设计来优化 RNAi 的效率。
比较转录组学揭示了一些在取食蚜虫中诱导的基因，选择了八个候选基因作为 RNAi 靶标。为了提高 RNAi 效率，我们的融合 dsRNA 设计方法结合了来自三个候选基因的最佳基因片段（在几种蚜虫中高度保守，但在有益昆虫如捕食性瓢虫 Propylea japonica 中同源性较低）。我们将这种基于 RNAi 的生物防治方法与使用吡虫啉的常规化学防治进行了比较。我们发现，融合 dsRNA 策略对蚜虫种群的抑制程度明显大于单靶标 RNAi，并且不会影响瓢虫的适应性，从而允许 RNAi 和自然捕食之间产生附加效应，而吡虫啉对蚜虫和瓢虫都有害。
我们的融合 dsRNA 设计方法增强了 RNAi 控制蚜虫而不伤害自然捕食者的能力。© 2024 化学工业协会。
