Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #389042

Research Project: IPM Method for Control of Insect Pests and Transmitted Diseases of Orchard Crops

Location: Location not imported yet.

Title: Annotation of putative circadian rhythm-associated genes in Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae)

Author
item RENOLDS, MAX - Indian River State College
item OLIVEIRA, LUCAS - Indian River State College
item VOSBURG, CHAD - Indian River State College
item PARIS, THOMSON - University Of Florida
item MASSIMINO, CRISSY - Indian River State College
item NORUS, JORDAN - Indian River State College
item ORTIZ, YASMIN - Indian River State College
item ESPINO, MICHELLE - Indian River State College
item DAVIS, NINA - Indian River State College
item MASSE, RON - Indian River State College
item NEIMAN, ALAN - Indian River State College
item HOLCOMB, RACHEL - Indian River State College
item GERVAIS, JTKUE - Indian River State College
item KEMP, MELISSA - Indian River State College
item HOANG, MARIA TRAM - Indian River State College
item SHIPPY, TERESA - Kansas State University
item FLORES-GONZALEZ, MIRELLA - Boyce Thompson Institute
item PANITZ, NAFTALL - Boyce Thompson Institute
item MUELLER, LUKAS - Boyce Thompson Institute
item Hunter, Wayne
item BENOIT, JOSHUA - University Of Cincinnati
item BROWN, SUSAN - Kansas State University
item D'ELIA, TOM - Indian River State College
item SAHA, SURYA - University Of Arizona

Submitted to: GigaByte
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/18/2021
Publication Date: 5/26/2021
Citation: Renolds, M., Oliveira, L., Vosburg, C., Paris, T., Massimino, C., Norus, J., Ortiz, Y., Espino, M., Davis, N., Masse, R., Neiman, A., Holcomb, R., Gervais, J., Kemp, M., Hoang, M., Shippy, T.D., Flores-Gonzalez, M., Panitz, N., Mueller, L.A., Hunter, W.B., Benoit, J.B., Brown, S.J., D'Elia, T., Saha, S. 2021. Annotation of putative circadian rhythm-associated genes in Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae). GigaByte. https://doi.org/10.46471/gigabyte.21.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46471/gigabyte.21

Interpretive Summary: The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae), transmits the bacteria that causes Huanglongbing (Citrus greening disease), which is devastating citrus production worldwide. Currently there are no treatments to manage psyllid vector populations that are spreading the pathogen. However, research shows that psyllid mortality increased when fed on citrus seedlings treated with Ribonucleic acid interference, RNAi, to a specific gene that controlled a critical biological function. Therefore, we identified and annotated twenty-seven genes associated with the Circadian Rhythm of the Asian citrus psyllid. The psyllid circadian gene set provides a new opportunity to develop gene targeting strategies to disrupt critical functions of psyllid biology. Silencing of one or more of the genes regulating the Circadian Rhythm can lead to disruption of the insect’s biology, like delayed development of immatures leading to fewer adults, and/or adults with reduced fecundity, or adults with shorter life spans. Development of RNAi biopesticides to suppress Circadian Rhythm genes will provide new treatments to reduce psyllid vector populations to protect citrus trees from Huanglongbing.

Technical Abstract: The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae) transmits the bacterial pathogen that causes Huanglongbing, which is devastating citrus production worldwide. Currently there are no treatments to manage the psyllid populations that spread the pathogen. However, research showed that psyllid mortality is increased when fed on citrus seedlings treated with double stranded ribonucleic acid, to a transcript that controls a critical biological function. The transcript suppression strategy, called RNA interference, RNAi, enables targeting of any specific gene transcript. Therefore, we identified and annotated twenty-seven genes associated with the Circadian Rhythm of the Asian citrus psyllid. The psyllid circadian gene set provides a new opportunity to develop gene-targeting strategies to disrupt psyllid biology. Silencing of one or more of the genes regulating the Circadian Rhythm can lead to disruption of the insect’s biology, like delayed development of immatures leading to fewer adults, and/or adults with reduced fecundity, or adults with shorter life spans. Development of RNAi biopesticides that suppress Circadian Rhythm genes will provide new treatments to reduce psyllid vector populations to protect citrus trees from the spread of Huanglongbing.