Ren Qiurong, Zhang Qian, Liu Yangyang, Li Shuai, Zhang Jianqin, Wang Yanli, El Wakil Abeer, Moussian Bernard, Zhang Jianzhen
Shanxi Key Laboratory of Nucleic Acid Biopesticides, School of Synthetic Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China; School of Life Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China.
School of Life Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China.
Pestic Biochem Physiol. 2025 Apr;209:106361. doi: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2025.106361. Epub 2025 Feb 27.
The instability of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) restricts the application of RNA interference (RNAi) technology in agricultural pest management. Various types of nanocarriers have been developed and employed for the stable delivery of dsRNA. Nonetheless, it remains unclear which type of nanomaterial could deliver dsRNA stably and efficiently for gene knockdown in Locusta migratoria. In this study, we evaluated the ability of three biocompatible and low-toxicity inorganic nanomaterials-polyethylenimine (PEI)-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotube (PEI-SWNT), polyethylenimine-functionalized carbon quantum dots (PEI-CQDs), and layered double hydroxide (LDH)-to bind and stabilize dsRNA. The results revealed that, compared to PEI-CQDs and LDH, PEI-SWNT more effectively protected dsRNA from degradation in locust gut fluids, across various temperatures, and under different pH conditions. Furthermore, we investigated the efficacy of PEI-SWNT/dsRNA complexes in suppressing endogenous genes in locusts through both injection and oral administration methods. Compared to bare dsRNA, PEI-SWNT/dsRNA complexes enhanced RNAi efficiency by up to 46.0 % and increased mortality by up to 39.0 %. Moderate levels of PEI-SWNT could improve the germination rate of wheat, while not affecting leaf growth in the short term. To our knowledge, this study is the first to apply PEI-SWNT inorganic nanomaterials in insects, which provides a foundational basis and compelling evidence for the development of nanomaterial-based nucleic acid pesticides.
双链RNA（dsRNA）的不稳定性限制了RNA干扰（RNAi）技术在农业害虫管理中的应用。人们已经开发并使用了各种类型的纳米载体来稳定递送dsRNA。然而，尚不清楚哪种类型的纳米材料能够稳定、高效地递送dsRNA以在飞蝗中实现基因敲低。在本研究中，我们评估了三种生物相容性好且低毒的无机纳米材料——聚乙烯亚胺（PEI）功能化的单壁碳纳米管（PEI-SWNT）、聚乙烯亚胺功能化的碳量子点（PEI-CQDs）和层状双氢氧化物（LDH）——结合并稳定dsRNA的能力。结果表明，与PEI-CQDs和LDH相比，PEI-SWNT在不同温度和不同pH条件下，能更有效地保护dsRNA在蝗虫肠道液中不被降解。此外，我们通过注射和口服给药方法研究了PEI-SWNT/dsRNA复合物在抑制蝗虫内源基因方面的效果。与裸露的dsRNA相比，PEI-SWNT/dsRNA复合物将RNAi效率提高了46.0%，死亡率提高了39.0%。适量的PEI-SWNT可以提高小麦的发芽率，且在短期内不影响叶片生长。据我们所知，本研究首次将PEI-SWNT无机纳米材料应用于昆虫，为基于纳米材料的核酸农药的开发提供了基础依据和有力证据。
