Pest Management Science (2015) 71, 199-206

Pin-Jun Wan, Shuang Jia, Na Li, Jin-Mei Fan and Guo-Qing Li (2015)
A Halloween gene shadow is a potential target for RNA-interference-based pest management in the small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus
Pest Management Science 71 (2), 199-206
Abstract:
BACKGROUND
nbsp;Laodelphax striatellus is an economically important rice pest in China. Ecdysteroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone regulates insect development and reproduction. The cytochrome P450 monooxygenase Shadow (Sad) plays a critical role in ecdysteroidogenesis. Here, tests were conducted to establish whether Lssad was a potential target gene for RNA-interference-based management of L. striatellus.
RESULTS
Lssad was cloned and characterised. LsSad had Helix-C, Helix-I, Helix-K, PERF and haem-binding motifs. Lssad is expressed at a higher level in the thorax, where prothoracic glands are located, compared with the level in the head or abdomen. It showed two expression peaks in day 2 and day 4–5 fourth-instar nymphs, and two troughs in day 1 fourth and fifth instars. Oral delivery of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of Lssad at the nymph stage successfully knocked down the expression of the target gene, reduced the expression level of ecdysone receptor (LsEcR) gene, caused nymphal lethality and delayed development in a dose-dependent manner. Ingestion of 20-hydroxyecdysone in Lssad-dsRNA-exposed nymphs did not increase Lssad expression level, but almost completely rescued the LsEcR mRNA level and relieved the negative effects on survival and development.
CONCLUSIONS
The ecdysteroidogenic pathway is conserved in L. striatellus. Lssad can serve as a possible target for dsRNA-based pesticides for planthopper control.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Guo-Qing Li

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Laodelphax striatellus