Bacteria-Mediated RNA Interference for Management of Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Abstract

RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a novel and feasible strategy for pest management. Methods for cost-effective production and stable delivery of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to the target insects are crucial for the wide application of RNAi for pest control. In this study, we tested the expression of dsRNA in RNaseIII-deficient <i>Escherichia coli</i> HT115 which was then fed to <i>Plagiodera versicolora</i> larvae, an insect pest of Salicaceae plants worldwide. By targeting six potential genes, including actin (<i>ACT</i>), signal recognition particle protein 54k (<i>SRP54</i>), heat shock protein 70 (<i>HSC70</i>), shibire (<i>SHI</i>), cactus (<i>CACT</i>), and soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion attachment proteins (<i>SNAP</i>), we found that feeding bacteria-expressed dsRNA successfully triggered the silencing of the five target genes tested and the suppression of <i>ACT</i> and <i>SRP54</i> genes caused significant mortality. Our results suggest that the oral delivery of bacteria-expressed dsRNA is a potential alternative for the control of <i>P. versicolora</i>, and that <i>ACT</i> and <i>SRP54</i> genes are the potent targets.