title: Tissue-dependence and sensitivity of the systemic RNA interference response in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria.
abstract: We report on a comprehensive study of the systemic RNAi-response in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. Upon intra-abdominal injection of dsRNA for two housekeeping genes (alpha-tubulin 1a and gapdh) in the range of pg amounts of dsRNA per mg tissue, a potent reduction of their corresponding mRNA was obtained. Moreover, the observed transcript knockdown significantly increased in at least a 10 days period and eventually resulted in high mortality upon silencing of the alpha-tubulin 1a gene. A more moderate RNAi-response was however observed in the reproductive systems. Analysis of the tissue-dependent transcript level profile of several putative RNAi-genes indicated reduced levels of two genes, namely sg-dicer-2 and sg-argonaute-2, in the reproductive systems. By silencing these components, we confirmed their importance in the RNAi-process and suggest that their expression levels are determinant for tissue-dependent differences in the potency of RNAi in the desert locust.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, P.O. Box 02465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Niels.Wynant@bio.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wynant
authors.forename: Heleen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Verlinden
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Breugelmans
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simonet
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vanden Broeck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006110:Grasshoppers / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins