Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #404905
Research Project: Basic and Applied Approaches for Pest Management in Vegetable Crops

Location: Vegetable Research

Title: The role of Dnmt1 in oocyte development

Author
item SHELBY, EMILY - University Of Georgia
item MCKINNEY, ELIZABETH - University Of Georgia
item CUNNINGHAM, CHRISTOPHER - University Of Georgia
item Simmons, Alvin
item MOORE, ALLEN - University Of Georgia
item MOORE, PATRICIA - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/29/2023
Publication Date: 6/1/2023
Citation: Shelby, E.A., Mckinney, E.C., Cunningham, C.B., Simmons, A.M., Moore, A.J., Moore, P.J. 2023. The role of Dnmt1 in oocyte development. Journal of Insect Physiology. 147:104507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2023.104507.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2023.104507

Interpretive Summary: The sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) is a globally important crop insect pest that is difficult to manage, even with the application of insecticides. The use of RNA interference (RNAi) technology is a strategy for pest control that scientists are studying for several pests. We conducted a study to assess the role that a protein called DNA methyltranferase 1 (Dnmt1) has on the biological processes of whiteflies. We found that the Dnmt1 gene serves as an essential role in the reproduction of female whiteflies. It affects egg production and the ability of eggs to hatch. These findings will aid scientists in their development of a RNAi-based pest management strategy for whiteflies and other pests.

Technical Abstract: The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a globally important crop pest that is difficult to manage through current commercially available methods. While RNA interference (RNAi) is a promising strategy for managing this pest, effective target genes remain unclear. We suggest DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) as a potential target gene due to its effect on fecundity in females in other taxa of insects. We investigated the role of Dnmt1 in B. tabaci using RNAi and immunohistochemistry to confirm its potential conserved function in insect reproduction, which will define its usefulness as a target gene. Using RNAi to downregulate Dnmt1 in female B. tabaci, we show that Dnmt1 indeed has a conserved role in reproduction, as knockdown interfered with oocyte development. Females in which Dnmt1 was knocked down had greatly reduced fecundity and fertility; this supports Dnmt1 as a suitable target gene for RNAi-mediated pest management of B. tabaci.