Beyond insects: current status and achievements of RNA interference in mite pests and future perspectives

Niu, Jinzhi; Shen, Guangmao; Christiaens, Olivier; Smagghe, Guy; He, Lin; Wang, Jinjun

doi:10.1002/ps.5071

Cited by 63 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…RNA interference (RNAi) has been widely explored in the management of harmful Acari as well as in functional genomics [12,13]. The ability for sequence-speci c gene silencing by this molecular tool is known to be highly conserved in eukaryotic organisms [14,15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A genome-wide screening for RNAi pathway proteins in Acari

Nganso

Sela

Soroker

2020

Preprint

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Background RNA interference (RNAi) is a highly conserved, sequence-specific gene silencing mechanism present in Eukaryotes. Three RNAi pathways critical for organismal development and survival are known, namely micro-RNA (miRNA), Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) and short interfering RNA (siRNA) pathways. Little knowledge exist about the genes involved in these pathways in Acari. Moreover, variable successes has been obtained in gene knockdown via siRNA pathway in functional genomics and management of Acari species. We hypothesized that the clue may be in the variability in the composition and the efficacy of siRNAi machinery among Acari. Results Both comparative genomic analyses and domain annotation suggest that all the analyzed species have orthologs of genes that mediate gene silencing via the three RNAi pathways though gene duplication and/or loss have occurred in the different species. We also identified orthologs of Caenorhabditis elegans RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) gene in all Acari species though no secondary Argonaute homologs that operate with this gene in siRNA amplification mechanism were found. This finding suggests that the siRNA amplification mechanism present in Acari may be distinct from that described in C. elegans . Moreover, the genomes of these Acari species encode no ortholog of C. elegans systemic RNAi defective 1 (Sid-1) that mediate systemic RNAi, suggesting that the phenomena of systemic and parental RNAi that has been reported in some Acari species probably occur through a different mechanism. Orthologs of RNAi spreading defective-3 (Rsd-3) gene and scavenger receptors namely Eater and SR-CI that mediate endocytosis cellular update of dsRNA in C. elegans and Drosophila melanogaster were found in Acari genomes. This result suggests that cellular dsRNA uptake in Acari is endocytosis-dependent. Detailed phylogenetic analyses of core RNAi pathway genes in the studied Acari species revealed that their evolution is compatible with the proposed monophyletic evolution of this group. Conclusions Taken together, our in silico comparative analyses have revealed the potential activity of all three pathways in Acari. However, much experimental work remains to be done in elucidating the operating mechanisms behind these pathways in particular those that govern systemic/parental RNAi and siRNA amplification in Acari.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A genome-wide screening for RNAi pathway proteins in Acari

Nganso

Sela

Soroker

2020

Preprint

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“…Although specific dsRNAs produced by transgenic plants for targeting aphid' genes provides an alternative pest control solution, the lack of a feasible dsRNA delivery method still remains a major obstacle in the development of an RNAi‐based insecticide . A topical RNAi method in aphids could be very useful in facilitating the use of RNAi in gene function studies and in insect control strategies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The RNAi pathway, as a post‐transcriptional gene silencing mechanism, also plays important roles against viral infections, which are currently exploited to study gene functions as well as to explore its potential in pest control . Briefly, the mechanism is as follows: first, the in vitro synthesized exogenous dsRNA that targets a certain endogenous gene is delivered to the target insect pest, which activates Dicer to process the delivered dsRNA into 21–23‐nt small interfering RNAs (siRNAs).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Topical dsRNA delivery induces gene silencing and mortality in the pea aphid

Niu

Yang

Tian

et al. 2019

Pest Management Science

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BACKGROUND: With the growing number of available aphid genomes and transcriptomes, an efficient and easy-to-adapt tool for gene function study is urgently required. RNA interference (RNAi), as a post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanism, is important as a research tool for determining gene functions and has potential as a novel insect control strategy. However, these applications have been hampered by the lack of effective dsRNA delivery approaches in aphids. RESULTS:Here, we developed a convenient and efficient dsRNA delivery method, topical RNAi, in aphids. An investigation of its dose and time-dependent RNAi efficiencies revealed that with as little as 60 ng dsRNA per adult pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), the indicator gene, Aphunchback, could be significantly silenced within 2 h of exposure. The method was further validated by successfully silencing other different genes, and it was also efficient toward two other aphid species, Aphis citricidus and Myzus persicae. Furthermore, a noticeable mortality was also observed in pea aphids using topical RNAi-mediated gene silencing, within 4 days post-dsRNA application for four out of seven tested genes. CONCLUSION: Compared with the currently used dsRNA delivery methods in aphids, microinjection and ingestion, topical RNAi is time-and cost-effective, which could greatly influence RNAi-based gene functional studies and potential candidate gene selection for developing RNAi-based aphid control strategies in the future.

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“…They are classified depending on their region, biogenesis, mechanisms, biological roles, and functions [2]. The siRNA pathway, usually referred to as RNAi, is considered to have the most potential as a pest control strategy [3]. siRNAs are non-coding RNAs with 21-23 nts in length.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expression Dynamics of Core RNAi Machinery Genes in Pea Aphids Upon Exposure to Artificially Synthesized dsRNA and miRNAs

Yang

Tian

Peng

et al. 2020

Insects

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The pea aphid is an important pest of vegetables and causes serious losses worldwide. RNA interference (RNAi) is an effective pest control tool, and three sub-pathways have been described: The miRNA pathway, siRNA pathway, and piRNA pathway. A large number of genes in miRNA pathway and piRNA pathway are found to be expanded. To study the roles of these genes, the expression of 25 core RNAi genes was screened in spatiotemporal samples, artificially synthesized dsRNA and miRNA treated samples. The 25 genes were all expressed during different development stages and in different tissues. In dsRNA-treated samples and miRNA-treated samples, the expressions of genes in these three pathways were induced, especially the expanded genes. This suggests a complex network of RNAi core genes in the three sub-pathways. Treatment of miRNA seems to induce gene expression in a dosage-dependent manner. These results increase our knowledge of the siRNA pathway and related factors from RNAi pathway in aphids and promote the use of RNAi for the control of aphid pests.

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Beyond insects: current status and achievements of RNA interference in mite pests and future perspectives

Cited by 63 publications

References 58 publications

A genome-wide screening for RNAi pathway proteins in Acari

A genome-wide screening for RNAi pathway proteins in Acari

Topical dsRNA delivery induces gene silencing and mortality in the pea aphid

Expression Dynamics of Core RNAi Machinery Genes in Pea Aphids Upon Exposure to Artificially Synthesized dsRNA and miRNAs

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