Characterization of a dual-action adulticidal and larvicidal interfering RNA pesticide targeting the < i > Shaker < /i > gene of multiple disease vector mosquitoes

by Keshava Mysore, Limb K. Hapairai, Longhua Sun, Ping Li, Chien-Wei Wang, Nicholas D. Scheel, Alexandra Lesnik, Jessica Igiede, Max P. Scheel, Na Wei, David W. Severson, Molly Duman-Scheel The existing mosquito pesticide repertoire faces great challenges to sustainability, and new classes of pesticides are vitally needed to address established and emerging mosquito-borne infectious diseases. RNA interference- (RNAi-) based pesticides are emerging as a promising new biorational mosqu ito control strategy. In this investigation, we describe characterization of an interfering RNA pesticide (IRP) corresponding to the mosquitoShaker (Sh) gene, which encodes an evolutionarily conserved voltage-gated potassium channel subunit. Delivery of the IRP toAedes aegypti adult mosquitoes in the form of siRNA that was injected or provided as an attractive toxic sugar bait (ATSB) led toSh gene silencing that resulted in severe neural and behavioral defects and high levels of adult mortality. Likewise, when provided toA.aegypti larvae in the form of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expressed inSaccharomyces cerevisiae (baker ’s yeast) that had been formulated into a dried inactivated yeast tablet, the yeast IRP induced neural defects and larval death. Although theSh IRP lacks a known target site in humans or other non-target organisms, conservation of the target site in theSh genes of multiple mosquito species suggested that it may function as a biorational broad-range mosquito insecticide. In sup...
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Source Type: research