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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Biological Control of Pests Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #263954
Title: GENE KNOCKDOWN IN LYGUS LINEOLARIS BY RNA INTERFERENCE

Author
item Allen, Margaret - Meg
item WALKER, WILLIAM - Swedish University Of Agricultural Sciences

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/27/2010
Publication Date: 5/15/2011
Citation: Allen, M.L., Walker, W.B. 2011. GENE KNOCKDOWN IN LYGUS LINEOLARIS BY RNA INTERFERENCE. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference. p. 1166-1168.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Three genes encoding polygalacturonase (PG) have been identified in Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) (Miridae: Hemiptera). Earlier studies showed that the three PG gene transcripts are exclusively expressed in the feeding stages of L. lineolaris. In an earlier report, it was shown that all three transcripts are specifically expressed in salivary glands indicating that PGs are salivary enzymes. Transcriptional profiles of the three PGs were evaluated with respect to diet, comparing live cotton plant material to artificial diet. PG2 transcript levels were consistently lower in cotton-fed insects than those reared on artificial diet. RNA interference was used to knock down expression of PG1 mRNA in adult salivary glands providing the first demonstration of the use of this method in the non-model insect, L. lineolaris. A second RNA interference project using a sequence similar to the inhibitor of apoptosis gene (IAP) confirmed the method and resulted in a lethal phenotype. RNAi is a powerful method to analyze gene function in L. lineolaris.