Double-Stranded DNA Reduces dsRNA Degradation in the Saliva and Significantly Enhanced RNAi-Mediated Gene Silencing in Halyomorpha halys.

ABSTRACT: The invasive pest Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) poses a significant threat to agriculture and requires control methods beyond chemical pesticides. This study investigates RNA interference (RNAi) as a targeted gene silencing approach to manage H. halys populations. However, RNAi efficacy varies between insect orders, including hemipterans, due to factors such as the rapid degradation of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) by a DNA/RNA non-specific nuclease (HhNSE) present in the saliva of H. halys. Notably, this study proves that double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) can stabilise dsRNA in saliva, probably by competitively inhibiting HhNSE, which is highly expressed in salivary glands. In vivo tests targeting the clathrin heavy chain gene (HhCHC) demonstrate that a mixture of dsRNA-CHC and dsDN

SUBMITTER: Amineni VPS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12447125 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature