Chemically modified dsRNA induces RNAi effects in insects in vitro and in vivo: A potential new tool for improving RNA-based plant protection

Howard, John D.; Beghyn, Myriam; Dewulf, Nathalie de Lourdes Souza; Vos, Yves De; Philips, Annelies; Portwood, David E.; Kilby, Peter M.; Oliver, Duncan; Maddelein, Wendy; Brown, Stephen; Dickman, Mark J.

doi:10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102311

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 58 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Coating dsRNA onto various kinds of cationic nanoparticles, encapsulation within liposomes, as well as expressing dsRNAs within microorganisms are among the approaches that have been tried ( 190 – 193 ). An alternative would be to use chemically modified dsRNAs that are less susceptible to nuclease action ( 194 ).…”

Section: Male Reproduction As a Target For Lepidopteran Pest Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dichotomous sperm in Lepidopteran insects: a biorational target for pest management

Seth,

Yadav,

Reynolds

2023

Front. Insect Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Lepidoptera are unusual in possessing two distinct kinds of sperm, regular nucleated (eupyrene) sperm and anucleate (apyrene) sperm (‘parasperm’). Sperm of both types are transferred to the female and are required for male fertility. Apyrene sperm play ‘helper’ roles, assisting eupyrene sperm to gain access to unfertilized eggs and influencing the reproductive behavior of mated female moths. Sperm development and behavior are promising targets for environmentally safer, target-specific biorational control strategies in lepidopteran pest insects. Sperm dimorphism provides a wide window in which to manipulate sperm functionality and dynamics, thereby impairing the reproductive fitness of pest species. Opportunities to interfere with spermatozoa are available not only while sperm are still in the male (before copulation), but also in the female (after copulation, when sperm are still in the male-provided spermatophore, or during storage in the female’s spermatheca). Biomolecular technologies like RNAi, miRNAs and CRISPR-Cas9 are promising strategies to achieve lepidopteran pest control by targeting genes directly or indirectly involved in dichotomous sperm production, function, or persistence.

show abstract

Section: Male Reproduction As a Target For Lepidopteran Pest Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dichotomous sperm in Lepidopteran insects: a biorational target for pest management

Seth,

Yadav,

Reynolds

2023

Front. Insect Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The livestock sector seems to lag a little behind in pursuing RNAi technology; however, problems of pest control in livestock are worsening due to the reduced availability of low‐risk pesticides, increasing cases of insecticide resistance and to a generalised increase of pest populations along with climate change (Howard et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of RNA interference for the management of arthropod pests in livestock farms

Bonina,

Arpaia

2023

Medical Vet Entomology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Pest management in farm animals is an important action to contain economic damage to livestock production and prevent transmission of severe diseases to the stock. The use of chemical insecticides is still the most common approach followed by farmers; however, avoiding possible toxic effects on animals is a fundamental task for pest control measures compatible with animal well‐being. Moreover, legal constraints and insurgence of resistance by target species to the available insecticidal compounds are increasingly complicating farmers' operations. Alternatives to chemical pesticides have been explored with some promising results in the area of biological control or the use of natural products as sprays. The application of RNA interference techniques has enabled the production of new means of pest control in agriculture, and it is opening a promising avenue for controlling arthropod pests of livestock. Transcript depletion of specific target genes of the recipient organisms is based on the action of double‐strand RNAs (dsRNA) capable of impairing the production of fundamental proteins. Their mode of action, based on the specific recognition of short genomic sequences, is expected to be highly selective towards non‐target organisms potentially exposed; in addition, there are physical and chemical barriers to dsRNA uptake by mammalian cells that render these products practically innocuous for higher animals. Summarising existing literature on gene silencing for main taxa of arthropod pests of livestock (Acarina, Diptera, Blattoidea), this review explores the perspectives of practical applications of dsRNA‐based pesticides against the main pests of farm animals. Knowledge gaps are summarised to stimulate additional research in this area.

show abstract

“…Additional strategies propose increasing RNA bioavailability in cells by reducing dsRNA degradation by combining it with nuclease inhibitors such as EDTA or divalent ions [ 301 , 325 ] or chemically modifying the RNA [ 326 ], but also improving the endocytosis process by altering the membrane composition with hydrogen peroxide or arachidonic acid [ 194 , 327 ].…”

Section: Sources Of Dsrnas With Insecticidal Effectmentioning

confidence: 99%

RNA Interference in Insects: From a Natural Mechanism of Gene Expression Regulation to a Biotechnological Crop Protection Promise

Ortolá,

Daròs

2024

Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Insect pests rank among the major limiting factors in agricultural production worldwide. In addition to direct effect on crops, some phytophagous insects are efficient vectors for plant disease transmission. Large amounts of conventional insecticides are required to secure food production worldwide, with a high impact on the economy and environment, particularly when beneficial insects are also affected by chemicals that frequently lack the desired specificity. RNA interference (RNAi) is a natural mechanism gene expression regulation and protection against exogenous and endogenous genetic elements present in most eukaryotes, including insects. Molecules of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) or highly structured RNA are the substrates of cellular enzymes to produce several types of small RNAs (sRNAs), which play a crucial role in targeting sequences for transcriptional or post-transcriptional gene silencing. The relatively simple rules that underlie RNAi regulation, mainly based in Watson–Crick complementarity, have facilitated biotechnological applications based on these cellular mechanisms. This includes the promise of using engineered dsRNA molecules, either endogenously produced in crop plants or exogenously synthesized and applied onto crops, as a new generation of highly specific, sustainable, and environmentally friendly insecticides. Fueled on this expectation, this article reviews current knowledge about the RNAi pathways in insects, and some other applied questions such as production and delivery of recombinant RNA, which are critical to establish RNAi as a reliable technology for insect control in crop plants.

show abstract

Chemically modified dsRNA induces RNAi effects in insects in vitro and in vivo: A potential new tool for improving RNA-based plant protection

Cited by 10 publications

References 58 publications

Dichotomous sperm in Lepidopteran insects: a biorational target for pest management

Dichotomous sperm in Lepidopteran insects: a biorational target for pest management

The use of RNA interference for the management of arthropod pests in livestock farms

RNA Interference in Insects: From a Natural Mechanism of Gene Expression Regulation to a Biotechnological Crop Protection Promise

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About