Ann Clin Virol | Volume 3, Issue 1 | Research Article | Open Access
Wamiq G and Khan JA*
Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), India
*Correspondance to: Jawaid A Khan
Fulltext PDFRNA interference (RNAi) holds tremendous potential in controlling various pests and pathogens. It has demonstrated promising results in silencing genes of diverse groups of insects and pathogens. In a previous study, we have demonstrated the potential of Gossypium hirsutum- encoded miRNA, ghr-miR166b, in controlling Bemisia tabaci (whitefly), the insect vector responsible for transmission of plant infecting, single-stranded DNA containing Begomoviruses. In this communication, efficacy of the overexpressed ghr-miR166b in transformed Nicotiana tabacum plants against whitefly infestation, and the inheritance of the transgene in the N. tabacum progeny were studied. Integration and expression of the transgene were confirmed by RT-PCR and northern hybridization assays. In transgenic N. tabacum lines, inheritance of the transgene was observed in accordance with the Chi square test. Further, the role of overexpressing ghr-miR166b in the Transgenic (T1) plants against B. tabaci was investigated. The toxicity of the transgenic lines against B. tabaci were tested following feeding of the insects on the individual leaves as well whole plant of N. tabacum. Corresponding to highest expression of ghr-miR166b, highest level of whitefly mortality (77%) was achieved on the transgenic line NT-5. Following feeding of viruliferous whiteflies on the transgenic lines, begomoviral DNA was detected in non-transformed control and a transgenic line NT-1. Remarkably, no Begomovirus symptoms were seen in the transgenic line NT-1 even four months post infestation with viruliferous whiteflies. This study highlights the importance of Cross-Kingdom RNAi for the development of next generation pest management.
Nicotiana tabacum; ghr-miR166b; Cross kingdom RNA; Bemisia tabaci
Wamiq G, Khan JA. Efficacy of PM- RNAi for the Control of Begomovirus Vector Whitefly in Transgenic Tobacco Plants. Ann Clin Virol. 2023; 3(1): 1009.