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Published on: March 26, 2021
Regulatory roles of microRNAs in insect pests: prospective targets for insect pest control
Qiang Zhang1, Wei Dou1, Clauvis Nji Tizi Taning2
1Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; International China-Belgium Joint Laboratory on Sustainable Crop Pest Control between Southwest University in China and Ghent University in Belgium, Chongqing 400715, China.
Abstract:
At the post-transcriptional level, microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the regulation of gene expression, thereby influencing the outcome of many biological processes in insects, such as development, reproduction, metamorphosis, immunity, and insecticide resistance. The alteration of miRNA expression by mimic/agomir or inhibitor/antagomir via injection/feeding can lead to pest developmental abnormalities, death, or reduced pesticide resistance, indicating that miRNAs are potential targets for pest control. This review provides an overview of recent advances in understanding the regulatory roles of miRNA in agricultural and public health insect pest, and further highlights the potential of miRNAs as prospective targets in pest control.
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