Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Bidari, Farzad
• Fathipour, Yaghoub
• Asgari, Sassan
• Mehrabadi, Mohammad

Titel

Targeting the microRNA pathway core genes, Dicer 1 and Argonaute 1, negatively affects the survival and fecundity of Bemisia tabaci

Ist Teil von

• Pest management science, 2022-10, Vol.78 (10), p.4234-4239

Ort / Verlag

Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2022

Quelle

Wiley-Blackwell Journals

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• BACKGROUND MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory non‐coding RNAs that are involved in a variety of biological processes such as immunity, cell signaling and development by regulating gene expression. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a polyphagous vector that transmits many plant viruses causing economic damage to crops worldwide. In this study, we characterized and analyzed the expression of the miRNA core genes Argonaute‐1 (Ago1) and Dicer‐1 (Dcr1) in B. tabaci and explored the effect of their silencing on the insect's fitness. RESULTS Our results showed that Ago1 and Dcr1 are differentially expressed in different tissues and developmental stages of B. tabaci. To determine the function of the miRNA pathway in B. tabaci, we silenced Ago1 and Dcr1 using specific double‐stranded RNAs to the genes. RNA interference (RNAi) of Ago1 and Dcr1 decreased the expression level of the core genes and reduced the abundance of Let‐7 and miR‐184 miRNAs. Silencing of the miRNA pathway core gene also negatively affected the biology of B. tabaci by reducing fertility, fecundity and survival of this insect pest. CONCLUSIONS Together, our results showed that silencing the miRNA pathway core genes reduced the miRNA levels followed by reduced fecundity and survival of B. tabaci, which highlighted the importance of the miRNA pathway in this insect. The miRNA core genes are attractive targets for developing an RNAi‐based strategy for targeting this notorious insect pest. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. RNAi of Dcr1 and Ago1 reduced the abundances of miR‐184 and let‐7 miRNAs in the adults and led to early death and mortality in both males and females, with reductions in fecundity.