Silencing of ATP Synthase β Impairs Egg Development in the Leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus, Vector of the Phytoplasma Associated with Grapevine Flavescence Dorée

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Cristina Marzachì¹  Luca Cerone¹  Simona Abb๠ Sabrina Palmano¹  Marika Rossi¹  Luciana Galetto¹  Matteo Ripamonti¹  Sara Ottati¹ 

[1] Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile Delle Piante, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, IPSP-CNR, Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, Italy;

关键词: RNA interference;    hexamerin;    cathepsin L;    RNAi specificity;    Euscelidius variegatus;    female sterility;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms23020765

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Scaphoideus titanus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is the natural vector of Flavescence dorée phytoplasma, a quarantine pest of grapevine with severe impact on European viticulture. RNA interference (RNAi) machinery components are present in S. titanus transcriptome and injection of ATP synthase β dsRNAs into adults caused gene silencing, starting three days post injection (dpi) up to 20 dpi, leading to decrease cognate protein. Silencing of this gene in the closely related leafhopper Euscelidiusvariegatus previously showed female sterility and lack of mature eggs in ovaries. Here, alteration of developing egg morphology in S. titanus ovaries as well as overexpression of hexamerin transcript (amino acid storage protein) and cathepsin L protein (lysosome proteinase) were observed in dsATP-injected females. To evaluate RNAi-specificity, E.variegatus was used as dsRNA-receiving model-species. Different doses of two sets of dsRNA-constructs targeting distinct portions of ATP synthase β gene of both species induced silencing, lack of egg development, and female sterility in E. variegatus, indicating that off-target effects must be evaluated case by case. The effectiveness of RNAi in S. titanus provides a powerful tool for functional genomics of this non-model species and paves the way toward RNAi-based strategies to limit vector population, despite several technical and regulatory constraints that still need to be overcome to allow open field application.

【 授权许可】

Unknown