Larval RNAi in Nasonia (parasitoid wasp).
Nasonia is a complex of four closely related species of wasps with several features that make it an excellent system for a variety of genetic studies. These include a short generation time, ease of rearing, interfertile species, visible and molecular markers, and a sequenced genome. Furthermore, its parasitoid lifestyle allows investigations of questions relating to parasitoid/host dynamics, host preference, and specialist versus generalist biology. It also can serve as a behavior model for studies of courtship, male aggression and territoriality, female dispersal, and sex ratio control. This protocol describes a method to use RNA interference (RNAi) to knock down genes in Nasonia larvae. Unlike in Drosophila, RNAi in Nasonia is systemic. In the example presented here, adult red-eye-color phenotypes are produced by injecting double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) against the eye color gene cinnabar into last-instar Nasonia larvae.
Werren
John H
JH
Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA. werr@mail.rochester.edu
Loehlin
David W
DW
Giebel
Jonathan D
JD
D000818:Animals; D001695:Biology / Q000379:methods*; D005127:Eye Color / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D016678:Genome; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D034622:RNA Interference; D013045:Species Specificity; D014863:Wasps / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*