RNA interference controls two insect pests in tobacco plants

Chinese researchers used RNA interference to control two insect pests of tobacco plants. Their study enhances the variety of transgenic RNAi techniques for crop protection.

Pests and diseases decrease crop yield by about 20-40% around the world. Even though chemical pesticides help address this issue, their usage causes insects to develop resistance and negatively affects the environment. Due to this, other methods of pest control are necessary. An alternative tool for pest control is RNA interference (RNAi), which utilizes double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) to induce gene silencing in a certain sequence.

Researchers from Hubei University and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences artificially synthesized dsRNA (iACT) to target two β-Actin (ACT) genes of Bemisia tabaci and Myzus persicae pests by correcting their mismatches. Their findings demonstrate that the transgenic tobacco plants are protected from both pests individually or simultaneously.

Read the journal article in the Plant Biotechnology Journal for more information.