Long Gui-Yun, Wang Zhao, Jin Dao-Chao, Yang Hong, Yang Sheng-Jiang, Zhou Cao, Zeng Qing-Hui
School of Chinese Ethnic Medicine, Guizhou Minzu University, Guiyang 550025, China.
College of Environment and Life Sciences, Kaili University, Kaili 556011, China.
J Insect Physiol. 2025 Jun;163:104810. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104810. Epub 2025 Apr 15.
The white-backed planthopper (Sogatella furcifera), a major migratory pest of rice, has resistance to various chemical treatments. The developmental regulation gene "held-out wing (HOW)" gene can serve as a potential target for RNA interference (RNAi) pesticides. Here, we analyzed spatiotemporal expression pattern and biological function of SfHOW by RNAi-mediated gene silencing. The SfHOW gene contains 628 bp and encodes 196 amino acids. SfHOW was highly expressed in 3 instar nymphs, followed by 5 instar nymphs. In different tissues, SfHOW is most abundantly expressed in epidermis, with lower levels in wings and legs, and the least expression observed in fat body and gut. RNAi-mediated silencing of SfHOW resulted in a marked decrease in its transcription levels, leading to mortality of 66.8 %. Additionally, 62.0 % emerged adults exhibited folded and curled wings, indicating that SfHOW is crucial for wing expansion of S. furcifera. Following SfHOW silencing, significant reductions in the expression of S. furcifera Apterous (SfAp), suggesting that SfHOW may regulate wing expansion by modulating SfAp, so as to regulate the expression of Dpp gene to participate in the regulation of expansion. This study identified a new target for the development of RNAi-based pesticides for rice pest control and enhances molecular understanding of wing development in Hemipteran insects.
白背飞虱（Sogatella furcifera）是水稻的一种主要迁飞性害虫，对多种化学处理具有抗性。发育调控基因“展翅（HOW）”基因可作为RNA干扰（RNAi）农药的潜在靶标。在此，我们通过RNAi介导的基因沉默分析了SfHOW的时空表达模式和生物学功能。SfHOW基因包含628个碱基对，编码196个氨基酸。SfHOW在3龄若虫中高表达，其次是5龄若虫。在不同组织中，SfHOW在表皮中表达最为丰富，在翅膀和腿部表达水平较低，在脂肪体和肠道中表达最少。RNAi介导的SfHOW沉默导致其转录水平显著降低，导致66.8%的死亡率。此外，62.0%羽化的成虫表现出翅膀折叠和卷曲，表明SfHOW对白背飞虱的翅膀展开至关重要。在SfHOW沉默后，白背飞虱无翅基因（SfAp）的表达显著降低，表明SfHOW可能通过调节SfAp来调节翅膀展开，从而调节Dpp基因的表达以参与展开的调控。本研究确定了一种基于RNAi的水稻害虫防治农药开发的新靶标，并增强了对半翅目昆虫翅膀发育的分子理解。
