Journal of Pest Science (2021) 94, 505-515

Yasuhiko Chikami, Haruka Kawaguchi, Takamasa Suzuki, Hirofumi Yoshioka, Yutaka Sato, Toshinobu Yaginuma and Teruyuki Niimi (2021)
Oral RNAi of diap1 results in rapid reduction of damage to potatoes in Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata
Journal of Pest Science 94 (2), 505-515
Abstract: Selecting an appropriate target gene is critical to the success of oral RNA interference-based pest control. The selection of target genes has depended on their ability to induce lethality. However, the induction of lethality by oral RNAi is slow-acting, and crop damage can progress during this time. Here, we show that oral RNAi of the death-associated inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1 (diap1), unlike two conventional target genes, induces acute feeding cessation in the solanaceous pest, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata within 24 h. We also found that our designed dsRNA has high specificity and does not cause death or reduce diap1 expression in two non-target insects. Our results suggest that diap1 is an appropriate target in the context of the rapid reduction of crop damage. We propose that the phenotype of acute feeding cessation should be used as a novel criterion for selecting target genes for RNAi-based pest 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): Hirofumi Yoshioka

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata	Potato (Solanum tuberosum)	Japan