title: Targeting the diuretic hormone receptor to control the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis.
abstract: The cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is one of the most devastating pests of crops worldwide. Several types of treatments have been used against this pest, but many of them failed because of the rapid development of genetic resistance in the different insect populations. G protein coupled receptors have vital functions in most organisms, including insects; thus, they are appealing targets for species-specific pest control strategies. Among the insect G protein coupled receptors, the diuretic hormone receptors have several key roles in development and metabolism, but their importance in vivo and their potential role as targets of novel pest control strategies are largely unexplored. With the goal of using DHR genes as targets to control S. littoralis, we cloned a corticotropin-releasing factor-like binding receptor in this species and expressed the corresponding dsRNA in tobacco plants to knock down the receptor activity in vivo through RNA interference. We also expressed the receptor in mammalian cells to study its signaling pathways. The results indicate that this diuretic hormone receptor gene has vital roles in S. littoralis and represents an excellent molecular target to protect agriculturally-important plants from this pest.
authors.affiliation: Arterra BioSci., via Brin 69, 80142 Napoli, Italy fapone@arterrabio.it.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Apone
authors.affiliation: Arterra BioSci., via Brin 69, 80142 Napoli, Italy Current address: Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center, 6770 Bertner Street, Houston, TX 77030.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruggiero
authors.affiliation: Arterra BioSci., via Brin 69, 80142 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Assunta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tortora
authors.affiliation: Arterra BioSci., via Brin 69, 80142 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tito
authors.affiliation: Arterra BioSci., via Brin 69, 80142 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
authors.affiliation: Arterra BioSci., via Brin 69, 80142 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arciello
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, CNR, via Castellino 111, 80131 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Andrenacci
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, University of Napoli, via Università 100, 80055 Portici (NA), Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Di Lelio
authors.affiliation: Arterra BioSci., via Brin 69, 80142 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colucci
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D003412:Cricetulus; D007300:Insect Control; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007814:Larva; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D034622:RNA Interference; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D007301:Insect Hormones; D019476:Insect Proteins
keywords: G protein coupled receptors; RNA interference; insect pest; molecular target