Background
Nilaparvata lugens
is one of the most destructive pests of rice. RNAi-based
N. lugens
control offers one alternative strategy to traditional chemical insecticides. However, selection of potential target for RNAi against
N. lugens
remains a major challenge. Only two target genes for nuclear transgenic
N
.
lugens
-resistant plants have been screened. Importantly, only one or few potential target genes against
N. lugens
were screened every time by knowledge of essential genes from model organisms in previous study.
Results
Here, in silico genome-wide selection of potential target genes against
N. lugens
through homology comparison was performed. Through genome synteny comparisons, about 3.5% of
Drosophila melanogaster
genome was found to have conserved genomic synteny with
N. lugens
genome. By using
N. lugens
proteins to search
D
.
melanogaster
homologs defining lethal or sterile phenotype, 358
N. lugens
genes were first screened as putative target genes. Transgenic rice lines expressing dsRNA of randomly selected gene (
NlRan
or
NlSRP54
) from 358 putative target genes enhanced resistance to
N. lugens
. After expression check and safety check, 115
N. lugens
genes were screened as potential target candidates.
Conclusion
The combined efforts in this study firstly provide one in silico genome-wide homology-based screening approach for RNAi-based target genes against
N. lugens
, which not only offer one new opportunity to batch select potential target candidates in pests of interest, but also will facilitate the selection of RNAi target in many pest species by providing more than one hundred potential target candidates.
Supplementary Information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-024-10940-9.