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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Maricopa, Arizona » U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center » Pest Management and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #365229
Research Project: Ecologically Based Pest Management in Western Crops Such as Cotton

Location: Pest Management and Biocontrol Research

Title: Nanomaterial-wrapped dsCYP15C1, a potential RNAi-based strategy for pest control against the Chilo suppressalis

Author
item SUN, YAJIE - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item WANG, PEIPEI - Huazhong Agricultural University
item ZHOU, HAO - Huazhong Agricultural University
item LIU, HUI - Huazhong Agricultural University
item YANG, PAN - Huazhong Agricultural University
item LIN, YONGJUN - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item Hull, Joe
item MA, WEIHUA - Huazhong Agricultural University

Submitted to: Pest Management Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/14/2020
Publication Date: 2/24/2020
Citation: Sun, Y., Wang, P., Zhou, H., Liu, H., Yang, P., Lin, Y., Hull, J.J., Ma, W. 2020. Nanomaterial-wrapped dsCYP15C1, a potential RNAi-based strategy for pest control against the Chilo suppressalis. Pest Management Science. 76:2483-2489.

Interpretive Summary: The Asiatic rice borer (Chilo suppressalis) is a significant moth pest of rice. To investigate the efficacy of an orally-delivered dsRNA-nanomaterial mixture as a potential control mechanism, dsRNAs were generated that target a specific cytochrome P450 gene product predicted to play a role in the synthesis of a hormone critical to insect development. Knockdown of the targeted gene in the absence of nanomaterial resulted in mortality; however, encapsulation of the dsRNA with nanomaterial significantly enhanced larval death. These findings demonstrate the utility of targeting the specific cytochrome P450 gene product and show that encapsulation of the dsRNA with a nanomaterial can enhance the knockdown effect, presumably via stabilization of the dsRNA complex. These results highlight how incorporation of nanomaterials can augment RNA interference mechanisms. Furthermore, the study raises the possibility that applying similar encapsulation techniques may enhance the knockdown effects of RNA interference in insect pests in which oral-delivered dsRNA is less effective.

Technical Abstract: BACKGROUND: The use of dsRNA is currently proposed as one of the most environmentally friendly methods for pest prevention or control. Utilizing nanomaterials to encapsulate dsRNAs can enhance the efficacy of dsRNA-mediated knockdown in controlling harmful insects. This study sought to investigate the biological efficacy of an oral dsRNA nanomaterial mixture targeting the CYP15C1 gene product in the economically important pest, Chilo suppressalis. RESULTS: The CYP15C1 transcript was cloned from C. suppressalis midgut and then assayed for its function via RNAi-mediated disruption. CsCYP15C1 knockdown was associated with significantly increased mortality. More importantly, feeding a dsRNA-nanomaterial mixture significantly enhanced larval mortality. A combination of CsCYP15C1 sequence similarity, its temporal and spatial expression profile, and abnormal phenotypes suggest that disruption of CsCYP15C1 function negatively impacts molting. CONCLUSION: CsCYP15C1 can be a potential target for the control of C. suppressalis, and incorporation of an enveloping nanomaterial can improve its efficacy.