Distinct Fitness Costs Associated with the Knockdown of RNAi Pathway Genes in Western Corn Rootworm Adults

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2017 Dec 22

PMID 29267401

Citations 6

Authors

Ke Wu

Carolina Camargo

Elane Fishilevich

Kenneth E Narva

Xiuping Chen

Caitlin E Taylor

Blair D Siegfried

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

RNA interference (RNAi) based approaches can potentially be used to control insect pests. These approaches may depend on the usage of microRNA (miRNA) or double stranded RNA (dsRNA) mediated gene knockdown, which likely involves proteins that regulate these pathways, such as Argonaute 1 (Ago1), Argonaute 2 (Ago2), Dicer 1 (Dcr1), Dicer 2 (Dcr2), and Drosha in insects. We previously performed functional characterization of Ago2 and Dcr2 of western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and observed that knockdown of Ago2 and Dcr2 ameliorated the lethal effect induced by the dsRNA-mediated knockdown of an essential gene in WCR, thereby confirming the involvement of Ago2 and Dcr2 in the dsRNA pathway. In the current study, we identified and characterized additional members of the Argonaute and Dicer gene families, namely Ago1, Ago3, Aubergine, and Dcr1, in a previously developed WCR transcriptome. We also identified a Drosha homolog in the same transcriptome. We evaluated the impacts on WCR adult fitness associated with the dsRNA-mediated knockdown of Ago1, Ago2, Dcr1, Dcr2, and Drosha genes. Among these putative RNAi pathway genes, only the knockdown of Ago1 incurred significant fitness costs such as reduced survival and oviposition rate, as well as decreased egg viability. The present study, to our knowledge, represents the first report showing that Ago1 is critical to the survival of insect adults. Our findings suggest that Ago1 plays an essential role in broader life stages of an insect than previously thought. Importantly, since fitness costs were not observed, downregulation or loss of function of RNAi pathway genes such as Ago2 or Dcr2 may confer resistance to pest control measures that rely on the normal functions of these genes. However, the precise roles of these genes under field conditions (i.e., in the presence of possible viral pathogens) requires further investigation.

Citing Articles

Cyantraniliprole and Thiamethoxam Exposure Changes Expression of Transcripts Associated with Small Non-Coding RNA Processing in the Colorado Potato Beetle.

Bastarache P, Timani K, Ben Youssef M, Omakele E, Vickruck J, Morin P Insects. 2024; 15(3).

PMID: 38535343 PMC: 10971089. DOI: 10.3390/insects15030147.

RNAi for Western Corn Rootworm Management: Lessons Learned, Challenges, and Future Directions.

Darlington M, Reinders J, Sethi A, Lu A, Ramaseshadri P, Fischer J Insects. 2022; 13(1).

PMID: 35055900 PMC: 8779393. DOI: 10.3390/insects13010057.

Insecticidal Gene Silencing by RNAi in the Neotropical Region.

Dias N, Cagliari D, Dos Santos E, Smagghe G, Jurat-Fuentes J, Mishra S Neotrop Entomol. 2019; 49(1):1-11.

PMID: 31749122 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-019-00722-4.

RNA Interference in Insects: Protecting Beneficials and Controlling Pests.

Vogel E, Santos D, Mingels L, Verdonckt T, Broeck J Front Physiol. 2019; 9:1912.

PMID: 30687124 PMC: 6336832. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01912.

Identification and comparison of key RNA interference machinery from western corn rootworm, fall armyworm, and southern green stink bug.

Davis-Vogel C, Van Allen B, Van Hemert J, Sethi A, Nelson M, Sashital D PLoS One. 2018; 13(9):e0203160.

PMID: 30183751 PMC: 6124762. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203160.

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