Improvement of pest resistance in transgenic tobacco plants expressing dsRNA of an insect-associated gene EcR

Small Luggage for a Long Journey: Transfer of Vesicle-Enclosed Small RNA in Interspecies Communication

In the evolutionary arms race, symbionts have evolved means to modulate each other's physiology, oftentimes through the dissemination of biological signals. Beyond small molecules and proteins, recent evidence shows that small RNA molecules are transferred between organisms and transmit functional RNA interference signals across biological species. However, the mechanisms through which specific RNAs involved in cross-species communication are sorted for secretion and protected from degradation in the environment remain largely enigmatic. Over the last decade, extracellular vesicles have emerged as prominent vehicles of biological signals. They can stabilize specific RNA transcripts in biological fluids and selectively deliver them to recipient cells. Here, we review examples of small RNA transfers between plants and bacterial, fungal, and animal symbionts. We also discuss the transmission of RNA interference signals from intestinal cells to populations of the gut microbiota, along with its roles in intestinal homeostasis. We suggest that extracellular vesicles may contribute to inter-species crosstalk mediated by small RNA. We review the mechanisms of RNA sorting to extracellular vesicles and evaluate their relevance in cross-species communication by discussing conservation, stability, stoichiometry, and co-occurrence of vesicles with alternative communication vehicles.

A potential and novel type transgenic corn plant for control of the Corn Borer

The corn borer is a world-wide agricultural pest. In this study, a full-length neuropeptide F (npf) gene in Ostrinia furnacalis was sequenced and cloned from a cDNA library, in which the npf gene produces two splicing mRNA variants - npf1 and npf2 (with a 120 bp segment inserted into the npf1 sequence to generate npf2). A spatio-temporal expression analysis showed that the highest expression level of npf was in the midgut of 5^th instar larvae (the gluttony period), and their npf expression and food consumption were significantly promoted after food deprivation for 6 h. When npf was knocked down by double-stranded RNA for NPF, larval food intake, weight and body size were effectively inhibited through changes of a biosynthesis and metabolism pathway; i.e. gene silencing of NPF causes decreases of total lipid and glycogen and increases of trehalose production. Moreover, we produced transgenic corn plants with stably expressed dsNPF. Results showed that O. furnacalis larvae fed on these transgenic leaves had lower food consumption and smaller body size compared to controls. These results indicate that NPF is important in the feeding control of O. furnacalis and valuable for production of potential transgenic corn.

Transgenic Tobacco Expressing the TAT-Helicokinin I-CpTI Fusion Protein Show Increased Resistance and Toxicity to Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Insect kinins were shown to have diuretic activity, inhibit weight gain, and have antifeedant activity in insects. In order to study the potential of the TAT-fusion approach to deliver diuretic peptides per os to pest insects, the HezK I peptide from Helicoverpa zea, as a representative of the kinin family, was selected. The fusion gene TAT-HezK I was designed and was used to transform tobacco plants. As a means to further improve the stability of TAT-HezK I, a fusion protein incorporating HezK I, transactivator of transcription (TAT), and the cowpea trypsin inhibitor (CpTI) was also designed. Finally, the toxicity of the different tobacco transgenic strains toward Helicoverpa armigera was compared. The results demonstrated that TAT-HezK I had high toxicity against insects via transgenic expression of the peptide in planta and intake through larval feeding. The toxicity of the fusion TAT-HezK I and CpTI was higher than the CpTI single gene in transgenic tobacco, and the fusion TAT-HezK I and CpTI further enhanced the stability and bioavailability of agents in oral administration. Our research helps in targeting new genes for improving herbivore tolerance in transgenic plant breeding.

RNA interference as a gene silencing tool to control Tuta absoluta in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

RNA interference (RNAi), a gene-silencing mechanism that involves providing double-stranded RNA molecules that match a specific target gene sequence, is now widely used in functional genetic studies. The potential application of RNAi-mediated control of agricultural insect pests has rapidly become evident. The production of transgenic plants expressing dsRNA molecules that target essential insect genes could provide a means of specific gene silencing in larvae that feed on these plants, resulting in larval phenotypes that range from loss of appetite to death. In this report, we show that the tomato leafminer ( Tuta absoluta ), a major threat to commercial tomato production, can be targeted by RNAi. We selected two target genes (Vacuolar ATPase-A and Arginine kinase) based on the RNAi response reported for these genes in other pest species. In view of the lack of an artificial diet for T. absoluta, we used two approaches to deliver dsRNA into tomato leaflets. The first approach was based on the uptake of dsRNA by leaflets and the second was based on "in planta-induced transient gene silencing" (PITGS), a well-established method for silencing plant genes, used here for the first time to deliver in planta-transcribed dsRNA to target insect genes. Tuta absoluta larvae that fed on leaves containing dsRNA of the target genes showed an ∼60% reduction in target gene transcript accumulation, an increase in larval mortality and less leaf damage. We then generated transgenic 'Micro-Tom' tomato plants that expressed hairpin sequences for both genes and observed a reduction in foliar damage by T. absoluta in these plants. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of RNAi as an alternative method for controlling this critical tomato pest.

RNA Interference of the Ecdysone Receptor Genes EcR and USP in Grain Aphid (Sitobion avenae F.) Affects Its Survival and Fecundity upon Feeding on Wheat Plants

RNA interference (RNAi) has been widely used in functional genomics of insects and received intensive attention in the development of RNAi-based plants for insect control. Ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle protein (USP) play important roles in molting, metamorphosis, and reproduction of insects. EcR and USP orthologs and their function in grain aphid (Sitobion avenae F.) have not been documented yet. Here, RT-PCR, qRT-PCR, dsRNA feeding assay and aphid bioassay were employed to isolate EcR and USP orthologs in grain aphid, investigate their expression patterns, and evaluate the effect of RNAi on aphid survival and fecundity, and its persistence. The results indicated that SaEcR and SaUSP exhibited similar expression profiles at different developmental stages. Oral administration of dsRNAs of SaEcR and dsSaUSP significantly decreased the survival of aphids due to the down-regulation of these two genes, respectively. The silencing effect was persistent and transgenerational, as demonstrated by the reduced survival and fecundity due to knock-down of SaEcR and SaUSP in both the surviving aphids and their offspring, even after switching to aphid-susceptible wheat plants. Taken together, our results demonstrate that SaEcR and SaUSP are essential genes in aphid growth and development, and could be used as RNAi targets for wheat aphid control.

RNAi Efficiency, Systemic Properties, and Novel Delivery Methods for Pest Insect Control: What We Know So Far

In recent years, the research on the potential of using RNA interference (RNAi) to suppress crop pests has made an outstanding growth. However, given the variability of RNAi efficiency that is observed in many insects, the development of novel approaches toward insect pest management using RNAi requires first to unravel factors behind the efficiency of dsRNA-mediated gene silencing. In this review, we explore essential implications and possibilities to increase RNAi efficiency by delivery of dsRNA through non-transformative methods. We discuss factors influencing the RNAi mechanism in insects and systemic properties of dsRNA. Finally, novel strategies to deliver dsRNA are discussed, including delivery by symbionts, plant viruses, trunk injections, root soaking, and transplastomic plants.

RNA Interference in Moths: Mechanisms, Applications, and Progress

The vast majority of lepidopterans, about 90%, are moths. Some moths, particularly their caterpillars, are major agricultural and forestry pests in many parts of the world. However, some other members of moths, such as the silkworm Bombyx mori, are famous for their economic value. Fire et al. in 1998 initially found that exogenous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) can silence the homolog endogenous mRNA in organisms, which is called RNA interference (RNAi). Soon after, the RNAi technique proved to be very promising not only in gene function determination but also in pest control. However, later studies demonstrate that performing RNAi in moths is not as straightforward as shown in other insect taxa. Nevertheless, since 2007, especially after 2010, an increasing number of reports have been published that describe successful RNAi experiments in different moth species either on gene function analysis or on pest management exploration. So far, more than 100 peer-reviewed papers have reported successful RNAi experiments in moths, covering 10 families and 25 species. By using classic and novel dsRNA delivery methods, these studies effectively silence the expression of various target genes and determine their function in larval development, reproduction, immunology, resistance against chemicals, and other biological processes. In addition, a number of laboratory and field trials have demonstrated that RNAi is also a potential strategy for moth pest management. In this review, therefore, we summarize and discuss the mechanisms and applications of the RNAi technique in moths by focusing on recent progresses.

Artificial miRNA-mediated silencing of ecdysone receptor (EcR) affects larval development and oogenesis in Helicoverpa armigera

The insect pests are real threat to farmers as they affect the crop yield to a great extent. The use of chemical pesticides for insect pest control has always been a matter of concern as they pollute the environment and are also harmful for human health. Bt (Bacillus thuringensis) technology helped the farmers to get rid of the insect pests, but experienced a major drawback due to the evolution of insects gaining resistance towards these toxins. Hence, alternative strategies are high on demand to control insect pests. RNA-based gene silencing is emerging as a potential tool to tackle with this problem. In this study, we have shown the use of artificial microRNA (amiRNA) to specifically target the ecdysone receptor (EcR) gene of Helicoverpa armigera (cotton bollworm), which attacks several important crops like cotton, tomato chickpea, pigeon pea, etc and causes huge yield losses. Insect let-7a precursor miRNA (pre-miRNA) backbone was used to replace the native miRNA with that of amiRNA. The precursor backbone carrying the 21 nucleotide amiRNA sequence targeting HaEcR was cloned in bacterial L4440 vector for in vitro insect feeding experiments. Larvae fed with Escherichia coli expressing amiRNA-HaEcR showed a reduction in the expression of target gene as well as genes involved in the ecdysone signaling pathway downstream to EcR and exhibited mortality and developmental defects. Stem-loop RT-PCR revealed the presence of amiRNA in the insect larvae after feeding bacteria expressing amiRNA-HaEcR, which was otherwise absent in controls. We also found a significant drop in the reproduction potential (oogenesis) of moths which emerged from treated larvae as compared to control. These results demonstrate the successful use of an insect pre-miRNA backbone to express amiRNA for gene silencing studies in insects. The method is cost effective and can be exploited as an efficient and alternative tool for insect pest management.

The effect of silencing 20E biosynthesis relative genes by feeding bacterially expressed dsRNA on the larval development of Chilo suppressalis

RNA interference (RNAi) is a robust tool to study gene functions as well as potential for insect pest control. Finding suitable target genes is the key step in the development of an efficient RNAi-mediated pest control technique. Based on the transcriptome of Chilo suppressalis, 24 unigenes which putatively associated with insect hormone biosynthesis were identified. Amongst these, four genes involved in ecdysteroidogenesis i.e., ptth, torso, spook and nm-g were evaluated as candidate targets for function study. The partial cDNA of these four genes were cloned and their bacterially expressed dsRNA were fed to the insects. Results revealed a significant reduction in mRNA abundance of target genes after 3 days. Furthermore, knocked down of these four genes resulted in abnormal phenotypes and high larval mortality. After 15 days, the survival rates of insects in dsspook, dsptth, dstorso, and dsnm-g groups were significantly reduced by 32%, 38%, 56%, and 67% respectively, compared with control. Moreover, about 80% of surviving larvae showed retarded development in dsRNA-treated groups. These results suggest that oral ingestion of bacterially expressed dsRNA in C. suppressalis could silence ptth, torso, spook and nm-g. Oral delivery of bacterially expressed dsRNA provides a simple and potential management scheme against C. suppressalis.

Transgenic plants expressing the AaIT/GNA fusion protein show increased resistance and toxicity to both chewing and sucking pests

The adoption of pest-resistant transgenic plants to reduce yield losses and decrease pesticide use has been successful. To achieve the goal of controlling both chewing and sucking pests in a given transgenic plant, we generated transgenic tobacco, Arabidopsis, and rice plants expressing the fusion protein, AaIT/GNA, in which an insecticidal scorpion venom neurotoxin (Androctonus australis toxin, AaIT) is fused to snowdrop lectin (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin, GNA). Compared with transgenic tobacco and Arabidopsis plants expressing AaIT or GNA, transgenic plants expressing AaIT/GNA exhibited increased resistance and toxicity to one chewing pest, the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera. Transgenic tobacco and rice plants expressing AaIT/GNA showed increased resistance and toxicity to two sucking pests, the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, and the rice brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, respectively. Moreover, in the field, transgenic rice plants expressing AaIT/GNA exhibited a significant improvement in grain yield when infested with N. lugens. This study shows that expressing the AaIT/GNA fusion protein in transgenic plants can be a useful approach for controlling pests, particularly sucking pests which are not susceptible to the toxin in Bt crops.

Diet-delivered RNAi in Helicoverpa armigera--Progresses and challenges

Helicoverpa armigera (the cotton bollworm) is a significant agricultural pest endemic to Afro-Eurasia and Oceania. Gene suppression via RNA interference (RNAi) presents a potential avenue for management of the pest, which is highly resistant to traditional insecticide sprays. This article reviews current understanding on the fate of ingested double-stranded RNA in H. armigera. Existing in vivo studies on diet-delivered RNAi and their effects are summarized and followed by a discussion on the factors and hurdles affecting the efficacy of diet-delivered RNAi in H. armigera.

Targeting chitinase gene of Helicoverpa armigera by host-induced RNA interference confers insect resistance in tobacco and tomato

Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a devastating agricultural insect pest with broad spectrum of host range, causing million dollars crop loss annually. Limitations in the present conventional and transgenic approaches have made it crucial to develop sustainable and environmental friendly methods for crop improvement. In the present study, host-induced RNA interference (HI-RNAi) approach was used to develop H. armigera resistant tobacco and tomato plants. Chitinase (HaCHI) gene, critically required for insect molting and metamorphosis was selected as a potential target. Hair-pin RNAi construct was prepared from the conserved off-target free partial HaCHI gene sequence and was used to generate several HaCHI-RNAi tobacco and tomato plants. Northern hybridization confirmed the production of HaCHI gene-specific siRNAs in HaCHI-RNAi tobacco and tomato lines. Continuous feeding on leaves of RNAi lines drastically reduced the target gene transcripts and consequently, affected the overall growth and survival of H. armigera. Various developmental deformities were also manifested in H. armigera larvae after feeding on the leaves of RNAi lines. These results demonstrated the role of chitinase in insect development and potential of HI-RNAi for effective management of H. armigera.

Transgenic Cotton Plants Expressing Double-stranded RNAs Target HMG-CoA Reductase (HMGR) Gene Inhibits the Growth, Development and Survival of Cotton Bollworms

RNA interference (RNAi) has been developed as a powerful technique in the research of functional genomics as well as plant pest control. In this report, double-stranded RNAs (dsRNA) targeting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) gene, which catalyze a rate-limiting enzymatic reaction in the mevalonate pathway of juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis in cotton bollworm, was expressed in cotton plants via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. PCR and Sothern analysis revealed the integration of HMGR gene into cotton genome. RT-PCR and qRT-PCR confirmed the high transcription level of dsHMGR in transgenic cotton lines. The HMGR expression both in transcription and translation level was significantly downregulated in cotton bollworms (helicoverpa armigera) larvae after feeding on the leaves of HMGR transgenic plants. The transcription level of HMGR gene in larvae reared on transgenic cotton leaves was as much as 80.68% lower than that of wild type. In addition, the relative expression level of vitellogenin (Vg, crucial source of nourishment for offspring embryo development) gene was also reduced by 76.86% when the insect larvae were fed with transgenic leaves. The result of insect bioassays showed that the transgenic plant harboring dsHMGR not only inhibited net weight gain but also delayed the growth of cotton bollworm larvae. Taken together, transgenic cotton plant expressing dsRNAs successfully downregulated HMGR gene and impaired the development and survival of target insect, which provided more option for plant pest control.

De novo transcriptome assembly and analysis to identify potential gene targets for RNAi-mediated control of the tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta)

BACKGROUND

Providing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to insects has been proven to silence target genes, and this approach has emerged as a potential method to control agricultural pests by engineering plants to express insect dsRNAs. A critical step of this technology is the screening of effective target genes essential for insect development and/or survival. The tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta Meyrick) is a major Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) pest that causes significant yield losses and has recently invaded Europe, from where it is spreading at an alarming rate. To explore RNA interference (RNAi) against T. absoluta, sequence information on potential target genes is necessary, but only a few sequences are available in public databases.

RESULTS

We sequenced six libraries from RNA samples from eggs, adults, and larvae at four stages, obtaining an overall total of around 245 million reads. The assembled T. absoluta transcriptome contained 93,477 contigs with an average size of 1,574 bp, 59.8 % of which presented positive Blast hits, with 19,995 (21.4 %) annotated by gene ontology. From the transcriptome, most of the core genes of the RNAi mechanism of Lepidoptera were identified indicating the potential suitability of T. absoluta for gene silencing. No contigs displayed significant similarity with a RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase. Genes from the juvenile hormone and ecdysteroid biosynthetic pathways were identified, representing potential target genes for systemic silencing. Comparisons of transcript profiles among stages revealed 1,577 genes differentially expressed at earlier larval stages, from which potential gene targets were identified. Five of these genes were evaluated using in vitro transcribed dsRNA absorbed by tomato leaflets, which were fed to 1(st) instar T. absoluta larvae, resulting in significant reduction of larval body weight while exhibiting significant knockdown for three of the genes.

CONCLUSIONS

The transcriptome we generated represents a valuable genomic resource for screening potential gene targets that affect the development or survival of T. absoluta larvae. Five novel genes that showed greater expression at the 1(st) larval stage were demonstrated to be effective potential RNAi targets by reducing larval weight and can be considered good candidates for use in RNAi-mediated crop protection.

Cathepsin B Cysteine Proteinase is Essential for the Development and Pathogenesis of the Plant Parasitic Nematode Radopholus similis

Radopholus similis is an important plant parasitic nematode which severely harms many crops. Cathepsin B is present in a wide variety of organisms, and plays an important role in many parasites. Understanding cathepsin B of R. similis would allow us to find new targets and approaches for its control. In this study, we found that Rs-cb-1 mRNA was expressed in esophageal glands, intestines and gonads of females, testes of males, juveniles and eggs in R. similis. Rs-cb-1 expression was the highest in females, followed by juveniles and eggs, and was the lowest in males. The maximal enzyme activity of Rs-CB-1 was detected at pH 6.0 and 40 °C. Silencing of Rs-cb-1 using in vitro RNAi (Soaking with dsRNA in vitro) not only significantly inhibited the development and hatching of R. similis, but also greatly reduced its pathogenicity. Using in planta RNAi, we confirmed that Rs-cb-1 expression in nematodes were significantly suppressed and the resistance to R. similis was significantly improved in T2 generation transgenic tobacco plants expressing Rs-cb-1 dsRNA. The genetic effects of in planta RNAi-induced gene silencing could be maintained in the absence of dsRNA for at least two generations before being lost, which was not the case for the effects induced by in vitro RNAi. Overall, our results first indicate that Rs-cb-1 plays key roles in the development, hatching and pathogenesis of R. similis, and that in planta RNAi is an effective tool in studying gene function and genetic engineering of plant resistance to migratory plant parasitic nematodes.

A Nematode Calreticulin, Rs-CRT, Is a Key Effector in Reproduction and Pathogenicity of Radopholus similis

Radopholus similis is a migratory plant-parasitic nematode that causes severe damage to many agricultural and horticultural crops. Calreticulin (CRT) is a Ca2+-binding multifunctional protein that plays key roles in the parasitism, immune evasion, reproduction and pathogenesis of many animal parasites and plant nematodes. Therefore, CRT is a promising target for controlling R. similis. In this study, we obtained the full-length sequence of the CRT gene from R. similis (Rs-crt), which is 1,527-bp long and includes a 1,206-bp ORF that encodes 401 amino acids. Rs-CRT and Mi-CRT from Meloidogyne incognita showed the highest similarity and were grouped on the same branch of the phylogenetic tree. Rs-crt is a multi-copy gene that is expressed in the oesophageal glands and gonads of females, the gonads of males, the intestines of juveniles and the eggs of R. similis. The highest Rs-crt expression was detected in females, followed by juveniles, eggs and males. The reproductive capability and pathogenicity of R. similis were significantly reduced after treatment with Rs-crt dsRNA for 36 h. Using plant-mediated RNAi, we confirmed that Rs-crt expression was significantly inhibited in the nematodes, and resistance to R. similis was significantly improved in transgenic tomato plants. Plant-mediated RNAi-induced silencing of Rs-crt could be effectively transmitted to the F2 generation of R. similis; however, the silencing effect of Rs-crt induced by in vitro RNAi was no longer detectable in F1 and F2 nematodes. Thus, Rs-crt is essential for the reproduction and pathogenicity of R. similis.

Engineered chloroplast dsRNA silences cytochrome p450 monooxygenase, V-ATPase and chitin synthase genes in the insect gut and disrupts Helicoverpa zea larval development and pupation

In the past two decades, chloroplast genetic engineering has been advanced to achieve high-level protein accumulation but not for down-regulation of targeted genes. Therefore, in this report, lepidopteran chitin synthase (Chi), cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) and V-ATPase dsRNAs were expressed via the chloroplast genome to study RNA interference (RNAi) of target genes in intended hosts. PCR and Southern blot analysis confirmed homoplasmy and site-specific integration of transgene cassettes into the chloroplast genomes. Northern blots and real-time qRT-PCR confirmed abundant processed and unprocessed dsRNA transcripts (up to 3.45 million copies of P450 dsRNAs/μg total RNA); the abundance of cleaved dsRNA was greater than the endogenous psbA transcript. Feeding of leaves expressing P450, Chi and V-ATPase dsRNA decreased transcription of the targeted gene to almost undetectable levels in the insect midgut, likely after further processing of dsRNA in their gut. Consequently, the net weight of larvae, growth and pupation rates were significantly reduced by chloroplast-derived dsRNAs. Taken together, successful expression of dsRNAs via the chloroplast genome for the first time opens the door to study RNA interference/processing within plastids. Most importantly, dsRNA expressed in chloroplasts can be utilized for gene inactivation to confer desired agronomic traits or for various biomedical applications, including down-regulation of dysfunctional genes in cancer or autoimmune disorders, after oral delivery of dsRNA bioencapsulated within plant cells.

The effects of RNA interference targeting Bactrocera dorsalis ds-Bdrpl19 on the gene expression of rpl19 in non-target insects

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) designed to target pest genes emerges as a promising strategy for improving pest control. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the effects of dsRNA on non-target insects, such as native enemies and beneficial insects, to determine the environmental safety of such treatments. In this paper, we investigated the effects of dsRNA targeting rpl19 from Bactrocera dorsalis on non-target insects in citrus ecological systems by feeding the dsRNA to Bactrocera minax, Apis mellifera and Diachasmimorpha longicaudata. The results showed that when B. dorsalis were fed rpl19 CDS dsRNA or 3'UTR dsRNA, the expression of rpl19 was dramatically decreased. Feeding the Bdrpl19 CDS dsRNA to adult B. minax and D. longicaudata caused their respective rpl19 genes to be knocked down over 50-70 and 40%, respectively, but it had no effect on the expression of the rpl19 gene in A. mellifera. The Bdrpl19 3'UTR dsRNA did not have any silencing effects on the expression levels of rpl19 in non-target insects. This study provides evidence that dsRNA can impact non-target organisms, but the 3'UTR dsRNA may not have effects in non-target organisms.

Silencing the HaAK gene by transgenic plant-mediated RNAi impairs larval growth of Helicoverpa armigera

Insect pests have caused noticeable economic losses in agriculture, and the heavy use of insecticide to control pests not only brings the threats of insecticide resistance but also causes the great pollution to foods and the environment. Transgenic plants producing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) directed against insect genes have been is currently developed for protection against insect pests. In this study, we used this technology to silence the arginine kinase (AK) gene of Helicoverpa armigera (HaAK), encoding a phosphotransferase that plays a critical role in cellular energy metabolism in invertebrate. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants producing HaAK dsRNA were generated by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The maximal mortality rate of 55% was reached when H. armigera first-instar larvae were fed with transgenic plant leaves for 3 days, which was dramatically higher than the 18% mortality recorded in the control group. Moreover, the ingestion of transgenic plants significantly retarded larval growth, and the transcript levels of HaAK were also knocked down by up to 52%. The feeding bioassays further indicated that the inhibition efficiency was correlated with the integrity and concentration of the produced HaAK dsRNA in transgenic plants. These results strongly show that the resistance to H. armigera was improved in transgenic Arabidopsis plants, suggesting that the RNAi targeting of AK has the potential for the control of insect pests.

Emerging strategies for RNA interference (RNAi) applications in insects

RNA interference (RNAi) in insects is a gene regulatory process that also plays a vital role in the maintenance and in the regulation of host defenses against invading viruses. Small RNAs determine the specificity of the RNAi through precise recognition of their targets. These small RNAs in insects comprise small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), micro RNAs (miRNAs) and Piwi interacting RNAs (piRNAs) of various lengths. In this review, we have explored different forms of the RNAi inducers that are presently in use, and their applications for an effective and efficient fundamental and practical RNAi research with insects. Further, we reviewed trends in next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and their importance for insect RNAi, including the identification of novel insect targets as well as insect viruses. Here we also describe a rapidly emerging trend of using plant viruses to deliver the RNAi inducer molecules into insects for an efficient RNAi response.

RNA interference in Colorado potato beetle: steps toward development of dsRNA as a commercial insecticide

Colorado potato beetle (CPB) is a notorious pest on potatoes and has a remarkable ability to detoxify plant chemicals and develop resistance against insecticides. dsRNA targeting CPB genes could be expressed in potato plants to control this pest. However, previous attempts at introducing transgenic potato plants to control CPB were not highly successful. Recent studies showed that feeding dsRNA expressed in bacteria works very well to kill CPB. To realize the potential of RNAi to control this and other economically important pests, more efficient methods for production and delivery of dsRNA need to be developed. Extensive research to determine off-target and non-target effects, environmental fate and potential for resistance development is also essential.

Identification and validation of reference genes for normalization of gene expression analysis using qRT-PCR in Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have focused on determining functional genes and microRNAs in the pest Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Most of these studies used quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Suitable reference genes are necessary to normalize gene expression data of qRT-PCR. However, a comprehensive study on the reference genes in H. armigera remains lacking.

RESULTS

Twelve candidate reference genes of H. armigera were selected and evaluated for their expression stability under different biotic and abiotic conditions. The comprehensive stability ranking of candidate reference genes was recommended by RefFinder and the optimal number of reference genes was calculated by geNorm. Two target genes, thioredoxin (TRX) and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD), were used to validate the selection of reference genes. Results showed that the most suitable candidate combinations of reference genes were as follows: 28S and RPS15 for developmental stages; RPS15 and RPL13 for larvae tissues; EF and RPL27 for adult tissues; GAPDH, RPL27, and β-TUB for nuclear polyhedrosis virus infection; RPS15 and RPL32 for insecticide treatment; RPS15 and RPL27 for temperature treatment; and RPL32, RPS15, and RPL27 for all samples.

CONCLUSION

This study not only establishes an accurate method for normalizing qRT-PCR data in H. armigera but also serve as a reference for further study on gene transcription in H. armigera and other insects.

The insect ecdysone receptor is a good potential target for RNAi-based pest control

RNA interference (RNAi) has great potential for use in insect pest control. However, some significant challenges must be overcome before RNAi-based pest control can become a reality. One challenge is the proper selection of a good target gene for RNAi. Here, we report that the insect ecdysone receptor (EcR) is a good potential target for RNAi-based pest control in the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, a serious insect pest of rice plants. We demonstrated that the use of a 360 bp fragment (NlEcR-c) that is common between NlEcR-A and NlEcR-B for feeding RNAi experiments significantly decreased the relative mRNA expression levels of NlEcR compared with those in the dsGFP control. Feeding RNAi also resulted in a significant reduction in the number of offspring per pair of N. lugens. Consequently, a transgenic rice line expressing NlEcR dsRNA was constructed by Agrobacterium- mediated transformation. The results of qRT-PCR showed that the total copy number of the target gene in all transgenic rice lines was 2. Northern blot analysis showed that the small RNA of the hairpin dsNlEcR-c was successfully expressed in the transgenic rice lines. After newly hatched nymphs of N. lugens fed on the transgenic rice lines, effective RNAi was observed. The NlEcR expression levels in all lines examined were decreased significantly compared with the control. In all lines, the survival rate of the nymphs was nearly 90%, and the average number of offspring per pair in the treated groups was significantly less than that observed in the control, with a decrease of 44.18-66.27%. These findings support an RNAi-based pest control strategy and are also important for the management of rice insect pests.

Integrin β subunit and its RNA interference in immune and developmental processes of the Oriental tobacco budworm, Helicoverpa assulta

Integrins are cell surface heterodimeric proteins interacting with the extracellular matrix and mediating environmental signals through cell membranes. A full-length cDNA sequence of the integrin β1 subunit gene (HaITGb1) was cloned from the Oriental tobacco budworm, Helicoverpa assulta, and analyzed for its physiological role in both immune response and development. HaITGb1 was expressed in all developmental stages from egg to adult and in all tested larval tissues of hemocytes, fat body, gut, and epidermis. Utilizing an RNA interference (RNAi) approach, injection of a specific double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in larvae suppressed HaITGb1 transcript levels and significantly impaired hemocytes in their extracellular matrix adherence properties. Furthermore, the RNAi treatment significantly suppressed hemocyte nodule formation in response to bacterial challenge, which resulted in significantly enhanced susceptibility to both pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. The RNAi treatment also interfered with H. assulta larval and pupal development. These results suggest that the extensive and constitutive expression of HaITGb1 is necessary for H. assulta to perform an efficient immune response against microbial pathogens and undergo normal immature development.

RNA Interference (RNAi) Induced Gene Silencing: A Promising Approach of Hi-Tech Plant Breeding

RNA interference (RNAi) is a promising gene regulatory approach in functional genomics that has significant impact on crop improvement which permits down-regulation in gene expression with greater precise manner without affecting the expression of other genes. RNAi mechanism is expedited by small molecules of interfering RNA to suppress a gene of interest effectively. RNAi has also been exploited in plants for resistance against pathogens, insect/pest, nematodes, and virus that cause significant economic losses. Keeping beside the significance in the genome integrity maintenance as well as growth and development, RNAi induced gene syntheses are vital in plant stress management. Modifying the genes by the interference of small RNAs is one of the ways through which plants react to the environmental stresses. Hence, investigating the role of small RNAs in regulating gene expression assists the researchers to explore the potentiality of small RNAs in abiotic and biotic stress management. This novel approach opens new avenues for crop improvement by developing disease resistant, abiotic or biotic stress tolerant, and high yielding elite varieties.

Plant-generated artificial small RNAs mediated aphid resistance

BACKGROUND

RNA silencing is an important mechanism for regulation of endogenous gene expression and defense against genomic intruders in plants. This natural defense system was adopted to generate virus-resistant plants even before the mechanism of RNA silencing was unveiled. With the clarification of that mechanism, transgenic antiviral plants were developed that expressed artificial virus-specific hairpin RNAs (hpRNAs) or microRNAs (amiRNAs) in host plants. Previous works also showed that plant-mediated RNA silencing technology could be a practical method for constructing insect-resistant plants by expressing hpRNAs targeting essential genes of insects.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

In this study, we chose aphid Myzus persicae of order Hemiptera as a target insect. To screen for aphid genes vulnerable to attack by plant-mediated RNA silencing to establish plant aphid resistance, we selected nine genes of M. persicae as silencing targets, and constructed their hpRNA-expressing vectors. For the acetylcholinesterase 2 coding gene (MpAChE2), two amiRNA-expressing vectors were also constructed. The vectors were transformed into tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanti). Insect challenge assays showed that most of the transgenic plants gained aphid resistance, among which those expressing hpRNAs targeting V-type proton ATPase subunit E-like (V-ATPaseE) or tubulin folding cofactor D (TBCD) genes displayed stronger aphicidal activity. The transgenic plants expressing amiRNAs targeting two different sites in the MpAChE2 gene exhibited better aphid resistance than the plants expressing MpAChE2-specific hpRNA.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Our results indicated that plant-mediated insect-RNA silencing might be an effective way to develop plants resistant to insects with piercing-sucking mouthparts, and both the selection of vulnerable target genes and the biogenetic type of the small RNAs were crucial for the effectiveness of aphid control. The expression of insect-specific amiRNA is a promising and preferable approach to engineer plants resistant to aphids and, possibly, to other plant-infesting insects.

DsRNA degradation in the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) associated with lack of response in RNAi feeding and injection assay

Over the past decade, RNA interference (RNAi), the sequence-specific suppression of gene expression, has proven very promising for molecular research in many species, including model insects as Tribolium castaneum and Apis mellifera. It showed its usefulness to analyze gene function and its potential to manage pest populations and reduce disease pathogens. However, in several insects, the efficiency of RNAi is low or very variable at best. One of the factors that could influence RNAi efficiency in insects is degradation of dsRNA after administration to the insect. In this paper, we report on the importance of dsRNA breakdown in the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) associated with the absence of an RNAi response upon oral feeding and injection with dsRNA targeting different genes such as the ecdysone hormone receptor and ultraspiracle. In essence, we discovered that both the salivary secretions of aphids and the hemolymph were able to degrade the dsRNA. In parallel, introduction of dsRNA in the aphid body was not able to provoke a response in the expression of the siRNA core machinery genes.

Targeting the diuretic hormone receptor to control the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis

The cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is one of the most devastating pests of crops worldwide. Several types of treatments have been used against this pest, but many of them failed because of the rapid development of genetic resistance in the different insect populations. G protein coupled receptors have vital functions in most organisms, including insects; thus, they are appealing targets for species-specific pest control strategies. Among the insect G protein coupled receptors, the diuretic hormone receptors have several key roles in development and metabolism, but their importance in vivo and their potential role as targets of novel pest control strategies are largely unexplored. With the goal of using DHR genes as targets to control S. littoralis, we cloned a corticotropin-releasing factor-like binding receptor in this species and expressed the corresponding dsRNA in tobacco plants to knock down the receptor activity in vivo through RNA interference. We also expressed the receptor in mammalian cells to study its signaling pathways. The results indicate that this diuretic hormone receptor gene has vital roles in S. littoralis and represents an excellent molecular target to protect agriculturally-important plants from this pest.

Testing insecticidal activity of novel chemically synthesized siRNA against Plutella xylostella under laboratory and field conditions

BACKGROUND

Over the last 60 years, synthetic chemical pesticides have served as a main tactic in the field of crop protection, but their availability is now declining as a result of the development of insect resistance. Therefore, alternative pest management agents are needed. However, the demonstration of RNAi gene silencing in insects and its successful usage in disrupting the expression of vital genes opened a door to the development of a variety of novel, environmentally sound approaches for insect pest management.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Six small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were chemically synthesized and modified according to the cDNA sequence of P. xylostella acetylcholine esterase genes AChE1 and AChE2. All of them were formulated and used in insecticide activity screening against P. xylostella. Bioassay data suggested that Si-ace1_003 and Si-ace2_001 at a concentration of 3 µg cm(-2) displayed the best insecticidal activity with 73.7% and 89.0%, mortality, respectively. Additional bioassays were used to obtain the acute lethal concentrations of LC50 and LC90 for Si-ace2_001, which were 53.66 µg/ml and 759.71 µg/ml, respectively. Quantitative Real-time PCR was used to confirm silencing and detected that the transcript levels of P. xylostella AChE2 (PxAChE2) were reduced by 5.7-fold compared to the control group. Consequently, AChE activity was also reduced by 1.7-fold. Finally, effects of the siRNAs on treated plants of Brassica oleracea and Brassica alboglabra were investigated with different siRNA doses. Our results showed that Si-ace2_001 had no negative effects on plant morphology, color and growth of vein under our experimental conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

The most important finding of this study is the discovery that chemically synthesized and modified siRNA corresponding to P. xylostella AChE genes cause significant mortality of the insect both under laboratory and field conditions, which provides a novel strategy to control P. xylostella and to develop bio-pesticides based on the RNA interference technology.

Silencing the HaHR3 gene by transgenic plant-mediated RNAi to disrupt Helicoverpa armigera development

RNA interference (RNAi) caused by exogenous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) has developed into a powerful technique in functional genomics, and to date it is widely used to down-regulate crucial physiology-related genes to control pest insects. A molt-regulating transcription factor gene, HaHR3, of cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) was selected as the target gene. Four different fragments covering the coding sequence (CDS) of HaHR3 were cloned into vector L4440 to express dsRNAs in Escherichia coli. The most effective silencing fragment was then cloned into a plant over-expression vector to express a hairpin RNA (hpRNA) in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). When H. armigera larvae were fed the E. coli or transgenic plants, the HaHR3 mRNA and protein levels dramatically decreased, resulting developmental deformity and larval lethality. The results demonstrate that both recombinant bacteria and transgenic plants could induce HaHR3 silence to disrupt H. armigera development, transgenic plant-mediated RNAi is emerging as a powerful approach for controlling insect pests.

Characterizing the mechanism of action of double-stranded RNA activity against western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte)

RNA interference (RNAi) has previously been shown to be effective in western corn rootworm (WCR, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) larvae via oral delivery of synthetic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in an artificial diet bioassay, as well as by ingestion of transgenic corn plant tissues engineered to express dsRNA. Although the RNAi machinery components appear to be conserved in Coleopteran insects, the key steps in this process have not been reported for WCR. Here we characterized the sequence of events that result in mortality after ingestion of a dsRNA designed against WCR larvae. We selected the Snf7 ortholog (DvSnf7) as the target mRNA, which encodes an essential protein involved in intracellular trafficking. Our results showed that dsRNAs greater than or equal to approximately 60 base-pairs (bp) are required for biological activity in artificial diet bioassays. Additionally, 240 bp dsRNAs containing a single 21 bp match to the target sequence were also efficacious, whereas 21 bp short interfering (si) RNAs matching the target sequence were not. This result was further investigated in WCR midgut tissues: uptake of 240 bp dsRNA was evident in WCR midgut cells while a 21 bp siRNA was not, supporting the size-activity relationship established in diet bioassays. DvSnf7 suppression was observed in a time-dependent manner with suppression at the mRNA level preceding suppression at the protein level when a 240 bp dsRNA was fed to WCR larvae. DvSnf7 suppression was shown to spread to tissues beyond the midgut within 24 h after dsRNA ingestion. These events (dsRNA uptake, target mRNA and protein suppression, systemic spreading, growth inhibition and eventual mortality) comprise the overall mechanism of action by which DvSnf7 dsRNA affects WCR via oral delivery and provides insights as to how targeted dsRNAs in general are active against insects.