Pest control. Full crop protection from an insect pest by expression of long double-stranded RNAs in plastids.
Double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) targeted against essential genes can trigger a lethal RNA interference (RNAi) response in insect pests. The application of this concept in plant protection is hampered by the presence of an endogenous plant RNAi pathway that processes dsRNAs into short interfering RNAs. We found that long dsRNAs can be stably produced in chloroplasts, a cellular compartment that appears to lack an RNAi machinery. When expressed from the chloroplast genome, dsRNAs accumulated to as much as 0.4% of the total cellular RNA. Transplastomic potato plants producing dsRNAs targeted against the β-actin gene of the Colorado potato beetle, a notorious agricultural pest, were protected from herbivory and were lethal to its larvae. Thus, chloroplast expression of long dsRNAs can provide crop protection without chemical pesticides.
Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Jiang
J
Zhang
Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Ökologie, D-07745 Jena, Germany.
Sher Afzal
SA
Khan
Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Claudia
C
Hasse
Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Stephanie
S
Ruf
Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Ökologie, D-07745 Jena, Germany.
David G
DG
Heckel
Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany. rbock@mpimp-golm.mpg.de.
Ralph
R
Bock
D000199:Actins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology; D018087:Plastids / Q000235:genetics*; D034622:RNA Interference; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000235:genetics*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
D000199:Actins; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering