Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 20, 2026

Double-stranded RNA Oral Delivery Methods to Induce RNA Interference in Phloem and Plant-sap-feeding Hemipteran Insects
Published on: May 4, 2018
Nuclear Receptors as Lethal Targets in the White-Backed Planthopper via RNAi and Nanocarrier Delivery
Jiang Wang1, Yu Zhao1, Xing-Yu Liu1
1State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals of Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang 550025, China.
Abstract:
Nuclear receptors (NRs) are master regulators of insect ecdysis, metamorphosis, and reproduction, ideal targets for eco-friendly pest control. However, no comprehensive functional screening of the entire NR family has been conducted in any of the insect species. Here, we systematically identified 21 NR genes in the white-backed planthopper (Sogatella furcifera, WBPH), a major rice pest, and conducted an RNA interference (RNAi) screen via microinjection. Five highly lethal targets (SfHR38-3, SfHR39, SfHR51, SfEG, and SfE75) were validated using a spray-induced and nanocarrier-delivered gene silencing (SI-NDGS) system, causing severe ecdysis failure and wing deformities. Transcriptomic analyses of previously uncharacterized SfEG and SfHR51 reveal that SfEG is an essential mediator of ecdysone signaling for epidermal development, while SfHR51 integrates cellular proteostasis with hormonal control of development. This study introduces a dual innovation: potent species-specific RNAi targets and the functional characterization of previously unknown NRs, establishing a mechanistic framework for next-generation, eco-friendly biopesticides.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Experimental RNAi
Transducer Mechanism: Nuclear Receptors
About 48 different soluble family members of nuclear receptors are identified that can be divided into two main classes:
RNA Interference
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting

