Core RNAi machinery and gene knockdown in the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)

Chaoyang Zhao; Miguel A. Alvarez Gonzales; Therese M. M. Poland; Omprakash Mittapalli

doi:10.1016/j.jinsphys.2014.12.002

Treesearch

Core RNAi machinery and gene knockdown in the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Chaoyang Zhao, Miguel A. Alvarez Gonzales, Therese M. M. Poland, Omprakash Mittapalli

Year:

2015

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Northern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2014.12.002

Source:

Journal of Insect Physiology. 72: 70-78.

Download (PDF 1.13 MB)

Download (PDF 1.13 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/47314.pdf

Abstract

The RNA interference (RNAi) technology has been widely used in insect functional genomics research and provides an alternative approach for insect pest management. To understand whether the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), an invasive and destructive coleopteran insect pest of ash tree (Fraxinus spp.), possesses a strong RNAi machinery that is capable of degrading target mRNA as a response to exogenous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) induction, we identified three RNAi pathway core component genes, Dicer-2, Argonaute-2 and R2D2, from the A. planipennis genome sequence. Characterization of these core components revealed that they contain conserved domains essential for the proteins to function in the RNAi pathway. Phylogenetic analyses showed that they are closely related to homologs derived from other coleopteran species.

Keywords

Agrilus planipennis, RNA interference, Dicer-2, Argonaute-2, R2D2, ScrB

Citation

Zhao, Chaoyang; Alvarez Gonzales, Miguel A.; Poland, Therese M.; Mittapalli, Omprakash. 2015. Core RNAi machinery and gene knockdown in the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis). Journal of Insect Physiology. 72: 70-78.