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Mysore K, Njoroge TM, Stewart ATM, Winter N, Hamid-Adiamoh M, Sun L, Feng RS, James LD, Mohammed A, Severson DW, Duman-Scheel M. Characterization of a novel RNAi yeast insecticide that silences mosquito 5-HT1 receptor genes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22511. [PMID: 38110471 PMCID: PMC10728091 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49799-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which regulate numerous intracellular signaling cascades that mediate many essential physiological processes, are attractive yet underexploited insecticide targets. RNA interference (RNAi) technology could facilitate the custom design of environmentally safe pesticides that target GPCRs in select target pests yet are not toxic to non-target species. This study investigates the hypothesis that an RNAi yeast insecticide designed to silence mosquito serotonin receptor 1 (5-HTR1) genes can kill mosquitoes without harming non-target arthropods. 5-HTR.426, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain that expresses an shRNA targeting a site specifically conserved in mosquito 5-HTR1 genes, was generated. The yeast can be heat-inactivated and delivered to mosquito larvae as ready-to-use tablets or to adult mosquitoes using attractive targeted sugar baits (ATSBs). The results of laboratory and outdoor semi-field trials demonstrated that consumption of 5-HTR.426 yeast results in highly significant mortality rates in Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex mosquito larvae and adults. Yeast consumption resulted in significant 5-HTR1 silencing and severe neural defects in the mosquito brain but was not found to be toxic to non-target arthropods. These results indicate that RNAi insecticide technology can facilitate selective targeting of GPCRs in intended pests without impacting GPCR activity in non-targeted organisms. In future studies, scaled production of yeast expressing the 5-HTR.426 RNAi insecticide could facilitate field trials to further evaluate this promising new mosquito control intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keshava Mysore
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Raclin-Carmichael Hall, 1234 Notre Dame Ave., South Bend, IN, 46617, USA
- The University of Notre Dame Eck Institute for Global Health, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Teresia M Njoroge
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Raclin-Carmichael Hall, 1234 Notre Dame Ave., South Bend, IN, 46617, USA
- The University of Notre Dame Eck Institute for Global Health, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Akilah T M Stewart
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Raclin-Carmichael Hall, 1234 Notre Dame Ave., South Bend, IN, 46617, USA
- The University of Notre Dame Eck Institute for Global Health, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Nikhella Winter
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science & Technology, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago, Spain
| | - Majidah Hamid-Adiamoh
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Raclin-Carmichael Hall, 1234 Notre Dame Ave., South Bend, IN, 46617, USA
- The University of Notre Dame Eck Institute for Global Health, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Longhua Sun
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Raclin-Carmichael Hall, 1234 Notre Dame Ave., South Bend, IN, 46617, USA
- The University of Notre Dame Eck Institute for Global Health, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Rachel Shui Feng
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science & Technology, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago, Spain
| | - Lester D James
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science & Technology, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago, Spain
| | - Azad Mohammed
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science & Technology, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago, Spain
| | - David W Severson
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Raclin-Carmichael Hall, 1234 Notre Dame Ave., South Bend, IN, 46617, USA
- The University of Notre Dame Eck Institute for Global Health, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science & Technology, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago, Spain
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Molly Duman-Scheel
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Raclin-Carmichael Hall, 1234 Notre Dame Ave., South Bend, IN, 46617, USA.
- The University of Notre Dame Eck Institute for Global Health, Notre Dame, IN, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.
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