RNAi-mediated mortality of the whitefly through transgenic expression of double-stranded RNA homologous to acetylcholinesterase and ecdysone receptor in tobacco plants

• DOI: 10.1038/srep38469
• Publication Date: 2016-12-08T10:33:51Z
• Authors: Hassan Jamil Malik; Amir Raza; Imran Amin; Jodi A. Scheffler; Brian E. Scheffler; Judith K. Brown; Shahid Mansoor
• Keywords: Whitefly; Ecdysone receptor

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) is a pest and vector of plant viruses to crop ornamental plants worldwide. Using RNA interference (RNAi) down regulate genes by expressing their homologous double stranded RNAs in has great potential for management whiteflies reduce virus disease spread. Tobacco rattle virus-derived plasmid planta transient expression (dsRNA) the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) ecdysone receptor (EcR) B. tabaci, resulted significant adult mortality. Nicotiana tabacum L. dsRNA AChE EcR were constructed fusing sequences derived from both genes. Mortality exposed feeding on N. plants, compared non-dsRNA recorded at 24-hr intervals post-ingestion three days, was >90% 10%, respectively. Analysis gene real time quantitative PCR indicated that mortality attributable down-regulation target RNAi. Results knock involved neuronal transmission transcriptional activation developmental genes, as bio-pesticide population size thereby decrease