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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Newark, Delaware » Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #372938
Research Project: Biological Control of Invasive Wood-Boring Insect Pests such as Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Longhorned Beetle

Location: Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit

Title: Orally delivered dsRNA induces knockdown of target genes and mortality in the Asian Long-horned Beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis

Author
item DHANDAPANI, RAMESH - University Of Kentucky
item Duan, Jian
item PALLI, SUBBA - University Of Kentucky

Submitted to: Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/2/2020
Publication Date: 5/1/2020
Citation: Dhandapani, R.K., Duan, J.J., Palli, S.R. 2020. Orally delivered dsRNA induces knockdown of target genes and mortality in the Asian Long-horned Beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology. 2020;e21679. https://doi.org/10.1002/arch.21679.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/arch.21679

Interpretive Summary: Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is a high-risk invasive forest pest that has established small populations in the United States, Canada and several countries in Europe. If not successfully eradicated or controlled in the newly invaded regions, this beetle has the potential to devastate the native forest ecosystems because it can feed on over 100 species of hardwood trees. New control methods are needed that specifically target the pest but have no adverse impacts on the environment and other organisms and that can be integrated with the current ALB eradication or control program. We developed a feeding bioassay to deliver dsRNA to ALB beetle larvae to target several functional genes and obtained nearly 100% target gene knockdown that resulted in death of larvae. This demonstrated that treating the pest’s host trees with dsRNA has the potential for ALB control.

Technical Abstract: Asian Long-horned Beetle (ALB), Anoplophora glabripennis, is a serious invasive forest pest in several countries, including the United States. Methods available to manage or eradicate this pest are limited. RNA interference (RNAi) technology may be potentially effective to control ALB. In this study, we developed a feeding bioassay for oral delivery of dsRNA to ALB larvae. 32P-labeled dsRNA orally delivered to ALB larvae via the feeding assay was processed to siRNA. Feeding neonate larvae with dsRNA targeting genes coding for an inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP), vacuolar sorting protein SNF7 (SNF7) and snakeskin (SSK) induced knockdown of target genes and mortality. Feeding 2 µg of dsRNA per day for three days did not induce a significant decrease in the expression of target genes or mortality. However, feeding 5 or 10 µg of dsRNA per day for three days induced a significant decrease in the expression of target genes and 50-90% larval mortality. Interestingly, feeding 2.5 µg each of dsIAP plus dsSNF7, dsIAP plus dsSSK or dsSNF7 plus dsSSK induced a significant decrease in the expression of both target genes and about 80% mortality. Our findings demonstrate that orally delivered dsRNA induces target gene knockdown and mortality in ALB neonate larvae, thus RNAi technology may have the potential for effective ALB control.