A gene silencing of V‐ATPase subunit A interferes with survival and development of the tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta

Abstract

RNA interference (RNAi) technology is not only considered as a tool to analyze gene function, but it is also potentially considered as a strategy to develop novel biopesticide. In the current study, a double-stranded RNA specific to v-ATPase subunit A of the tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick; Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), was orally administered. A gradual decrease in the expression of the gene was observed from Day 1 to 3 and resulted in significant larval mortality. These results suggest that v-ATPases A can be considered as a promising target gene by RNAi technology to be used in the management of the tomato leafminer.

RNA Interference Suppression of v-ATPase B and Juvenile Hormone Binding Protein Genes Through Topically Applied dsRNA on Tomato Leaves: Developing Biopesticides to Control the South American Pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

“…(see reviews : Bramlett et al, 2020;Dubrovina et al, 2020;Fletcher et al, 2020;Kunte et al, 2020;Samada and Tambunan, 2020). Our results support previous RNAi studies on T. absoluta which demonstrated a high sensitivity to dsRNA triggers including Rahmani and Bandani (2021) reported on the RNAi efficiency of silencing v-ATPase A in T. absoluta as an effective biopesticide. In the lepidopteran Helicoverpa armigera similar results using RNAi silencing of JHBP were reported (Ni et al, 2017).…”

“…And the report by Bento et al ( 2020 ) demonstrated increased mortality of larvae T. absoluta fed on diets containing bacterial-expressed dsRNA to six different target genes (juvenile hormone inducible protein (JHP); juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase protein (JHEH); ecdysteroid 25-hydroxylase (PHM); chitin synthase A (CHI); carboxylesterase (COE); and arginine kinase (AK). Finally, Rahmani and Bandani ( 2021 ) reported on the RNAi efficiency of silencing v-ATPase A in T. absoluta as an effective biopesticide. In the lepidopteran Helicoverpa armigera similar results using RNAi silencing of JHBP were reported (Ni et al, 2017 ).…”

dsRNA-Mediated Pest Management of Tuta absoluta Is Compatible with Its Biological Control Agent Nesidiocoris tenuis

“…Among Lepidoptera, satisfactory RNAi results have been reported in Spodoptera exigua (H.) (Noctuidae) [22] Helicoverpa armigera (H.) (Noctuidae) [23] Plutella xylostella (L.) (Plutellidae) [24], and Mythimna separata (W.) (Noctuidae) [25]. Regarding T. absoluta, functional RNAi was achieved in several genes such as Juvenile hormone inducible protein (JHP), Juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase protein (JHEH), Ecdysteroid 25-hydroxylase (PHM), Chitin synthase A (CHI), Carboxylesterase (COE) [11], Arginine kinase (AK) [10,11], and Vacuolar ATPase-A, which exhibited significant larval mortality in this pest [11,26].…”

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“…Furthermore, the increasing public acceptance and safety record (Kleter, 2020;Papadopoulou et al, 2020) continue to provide evidence for their adoption in the management of insect pests (Khalid et al, 2017;Sinisterra-Hunter and Hunter, 2018;ISAAA, 2019;Jalaluddin et al, 2019;Samada and Tambunan, 2020). Our results further support the concept of using RNAi to improve the management of T. absoluta (Camargo et al, 2016;Rahmani and Bandani, 2021;Sarmah et al, 2021) and other lepidopteran pests (Ni et al, 2017;Bramlett et al, 2020;Yan et al, 2020a). The capacity to use RNAi to reduce T. absoluta through exogenously treated leaves, plants, or diets with bacterial-expressed dsRNA provides ample evidence for moving forward toward commercialization of RNAi biopesticides for the management of this economically devastating lepidopteran pest.…”