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siRNA machinery in whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)
Santosh Kumar Upadhyay1, Sameer Dixit2, Shailesh Sharma1
1National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, (Department of Biotechnology, Government of India), Mohali, Punjab, India.
Plos One
|January 7, 2014
Summary
RNA interference (siRNA) machinery, including Dicer2, R2D2, Argonaute2, and Sid1, is present and universally expressed in whiteflies. This discovery paves the way for developing siRNA-based strategies to control this destructive agricultural pest.
Area of Science:
- Entomology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- RNA interference (siRNA) is a potent tool for controlling sap-sucking insect pests.
- Systemic control is crucial for field applications against pests like whiteflies.
- The specific siRNA machinery and mechanisms in whiteflies remain largely uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize the core siRNA machinery components in whiteflies.
- To investigate the expression patterns of these components across different developmental stages.
- To establish the foundation for developing RNAi-based pest control strategies.
Main Methods:
- Transcriptome data from whiteflies were curated from NCBI.
- Key siRNA-related genes (Dicer2, R2D2, Argonaute2, Sid1) were identified using tblastn and RACE.
- Protein sequences were analyzed using Expasy translate and blastp; conserved domains were identified via Prosite-Scan.
Main Results:
- Sequences encoding Dicer2, R2D2, Argonaute2, and Sid1 were identified and characterized.
- Conserved domain analysis revealed typical RNAi machinery architecture.
- Phylogenetic analysis indicated whitefly RNAi machinery is closely related to aphids; genes showed universal expression similar to housekeeping genes.
Conclusions:
- The presence and universal expression of core siRNA machinery, including Sid1, suggest whiteflies are responsive to siRNA.
- This study provides critical insights into whitefly RNAi pathways.
- The findings open avenues for novel, targeted control strategies against whitefly infestations.
