Functional characterization of three trehalase genes regulating the chitin metabolism pathway in rice brown planthopper using RNA interference

Citations Over TimeTop 10% of 2016 papers

Abstract

RNA interference (RNAi) is an effective gene-silencing tool, and double stranded RNA (dsRNA) is considered a powerful strategy for gene function studies in insects. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the function of trehalase (TRE) genes (TRE 1-1, TRE 1-2, and TRE-2) isolated from the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, a typical piercing-sucking insect in rice, and investigate their regulating roles in chitin synthesis by injecting larvae with dsRNA. The results showed that TRE1 and TRE2 had compensatory function, and the expression of each increased when the other was silenced. The total rate of insects with phenotypic deformities ranged from 19.83 to 24.36% after dsTRE injection, whereas the mortality rate ranged from 14.16 to 31.78%. The mRNA levels of genes involved in the chitin metabolism pathway in RNA-Seq and DGEP, namely hexokinase (HK), glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (G6PI) and chitinase (Cht), decreased significantly at 72 h after single dsTREs injection, whereas two transcripts of chitin synthase (CHS) genes decreased at 72 h after dsTRE1-1 and dsTREs injection. These results demonstrated that TRE silencing could affect the regulation of chitin biosynthesis and degradation, causing moulting deformities. Therefore, expression inhibitors of TREs might be effective tools for the control of planthoppers in rice.

Related Papers

• → Regulatory functions of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase in the chitin biosynthesis pathway in Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) revealed by RNA interference(2017)42 cited
• → RNA interference of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase and trehalase genes regulates chitin metabolism in two color morphs of Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris(2021)39 cited
• → Regulatory function of the trehalose‐6‐phosphate synthase gene TPS3 on chitin metabolism in brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens(2021)15 cited
• → Brown planthopper infestations alter sugar metabolism in the rice plant as well as brown planthopper(2021)7 cited
• → Effects of Inhibiting the Expression of Chitin Synthase Gene SfCHSB on the Metabolism of Trehalose and Chitin in Spodoptera frugiperda Larvae(2022)7 cited