Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is a common mechanism of posttranscriptional gene silencing that destroys mRNA of a particular gene to prevent translation to form an active gene product (most commonly a protein). The discovery of RNAi has not only provided a breakthrough in methodology for functional analysis of genes, but also opened a novel avenue for treating human diseases and protecting crops against insect pest damages. Space injection of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is the most commonly used method for RNAi in entomological research. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated that specific suppression of gene expression in insects can also be accomplished by feeding and topical application of dsRNA in certain insect species. The specific gene silencing using RNAi with feeding and topical application methods holds great promises of application of RNAi for controlling both agriculturally and medically important insects. Indeed, transgenic plants expressing dsRNA of specific genes have already been demonstrated for plant resistance against insect pests. This paper reviews and discusses the current advances and prospects of RNAi technologies in insect pest management.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Araujo R N, Santos A, Pinto F S, et al. RNA interference of the salivary gland nitrophorin 2 in the triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera Reduviidae) by dsRNA ingestion or injection. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol., 2006, 36: 683–693.
Baulcombe D C. Amplified silencing. Science, 2007, 315: 199–200.
Baum J A, Bogaert T, Clinton W, et al. Control of coleopteran insect pests through RNA interference. Nat. Biotechnol., 2007, 25: 1322–1326.
Bautista M A M, Miyata T, Miura K, Tanaka T. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of a cytochrome P450, CYP6BG1, from the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, reduces larval resistance to permethrin. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol., 2009, 39: 38–46.
Bucher G, Scholten J, Klingler M. Parental RNAi in Tribolium (Coleoptera). Curr. Biol., 2002, 12: R85–R86.
Dong Y, Friedrich M. Nymphal RNAi: Systemic RNAi mediated gene knockdown in juvenile grasshopper. BMC Biotechnol., 2005, 5: 25.
Feinberg E H, Hunter C P. Transport of dsRNA into cells by the transmembrane protein SID-1. Science, 2003, 301: 1545–1547.
Fire A, Xu S Q, Montgomery M K, et al. Potent and specific genetic interference by doublestranded RNA in Caenorhabtidis elegans. Nature, 1998, 39: 806–811.
Fuller V L, Lilley C J, Urwin P E. Nematode resistance. New Phytol., 2008, 180: 27–44.
Gordon K H, Waterhouse P M. RNAi for insect-proof plants. Nat. Biotechnol., 2007, 25: 1231–1232.
Mao Y B, Cai W J, Wang J W, et al. Silencing a cotton bollworm P450 monooxygenase gene by plant-mediated RNAi impairs larval tolerance of gossypol. Nat. Biotechnol., 2007, 25: 1307–1313.
Mello C C, Conte D. Revealing the world of RNA interference. Nature, 2004, 431: 338–342.
Nunes F M F, Simõs L P Z. A non-invasive method for silencing gene transcription in honeybees maintained under natural conditions. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol., 2009, 39: 157–160.
Price D R, Gatehouse J A. RNAi-mediated crop protection against insects. Trends Biotechnol., 2008, 26: 393–400.
Pridgeon J W, Zhao L, Becnel J J, et al. Topically applied AaeIAP1 double-stranded RNA kills female adults of Aedes aegypti. J. Med. Entomol., 2008, 45: 414–420.
Rajagopal R, Sivakumar S, Agrawal N, et al. Silencing of midgut aminopeptidase-N of Spodoptera litura by double-stranded RNA establishes its role as Bacillus thuringiensis toxin receptor. J. Biol. Chem., 2002, 277: 46849–46851.
Saleh M C, van Rij R P, Hekele A, et al. The endocytic pathway mediates cell entry of dsRNA to induce RNAi silencing. Nat. Cell Biol., 2006, 8: 793–802.
Sijen T, Fleenor J, Simmer F, et al. On the role of RNA amplification in dsRNA triggered gene silencing. Cell, 2001, 107: 465–476.
Tabara H, Grishok A, Mello C C. RNAi in C. elegans: Soaking in the genome sequence. Science, 1998, 282: 430–431.
Tijsterman M, May R C, Simmer F, et al. Genes required for systemic RNA interference in Caenorhabditis elegans. Curr. Biol., 2004, 14: 111–116.
Timmons L, Court D L, Fire A. Ingestion of bacterially expressed dsRNAs can produce specific and potent genetic interference in Caenorhabditis elegans. Gene, 2001, 263: 103–112.
Timmons L, Tabara H, Mello C C, Fire A. Inducible systemic RNA silencing in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mol. Biol. Cell, 2003, 14: 2972–2983.
Tomoyasu Y, Denell R E. Larval RNAi in Tribolium (Coleoptera) for analyzing adult development. Dev. Genes. Evol., 2004, 214: 575–578.
Tomoyasu Y, Miller S C, Schoppmeier M, et al. Exploring systemic RNA interference in insects: A genome-wide survey for RNAi genes in Tribolium. Genome Biol., 2008, 9: R10.
Turner C T, Davy M W, MacDiamid R M, et al. RNA interference in the light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (walker) induced by doublestranded RNA feeding. Insect Mol. Biol., 2006, 15: 383–391.
Ulvila J, Parikka M, Kleino A, et al. Double-stranded RNA is internalized by scavenger receptormediated endocytosis in Drosophila S2 cells. J. Biol. Chem., 2006, 281: 14370–14375.
Walshe D P, Lehane S M, Lehane M J, Haines L R. Prolonged gene knockdown in the tsetse fly Glossina by feeding double stranded RNA. Insect Mol. Biol., 2009, 18: 11–19.
Whangbo J S, Hunter C P. Environmental RNA interference. Trends Genet., 2008, 24: 297–305.
Winston W M, Molodowitch C, Hunter C P. Systemic RNAi in C. elegans requires the putative transmembrane protein SID-1. Science, 2002, 295: 2456–2459.
Winston W M, Sutherlin M, Wright A J, et al. Caenorhabditis elegans SID-2 is required for environmental RNA interference. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2007, 104: 10565–10570.
Zhou X, Wheeler M M, Oi F M, et al. RNA interference in the termite Reticulitermes flavipes through ingestion of double-stranded RNA. Insect Biochem. and Mol. Biol., 2008, 38: 805–815.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Higher Education Press, Beijing and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Zhang, X., Zhang, J., Zhu, K. (2011). Advances and Prospects of RNAi Technologies in Insect Pest Management. In: Liu, T., Kang, L. (eds) Recent Advances in Entomological Research. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-17815-3_20
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-17815-3_20
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-17814-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-17815-3
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)