Nanomaterial-Mediated RNAi Targeting Chitin Metabolism Genes in MEAM1 Cryptic Species of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).

ABSTRACT: The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a globally invasive pest that threatens crop production through feeding and virus transmission. In this study, we identified genes encoding enzymes in the chitin metabolism pathway of B. tabaci-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (BtNAG), N-acetylglucosamine kinase (BtNAGK), phosphoacetylglucosamine mutase (BtPAGM), UDP-N-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase (BtUAP), and glucosamine-6-phosphate N-acetyltransferase (BtGNA)-using bioinformatic analysis. Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses revealed distinct stage-specific expression patterns for these genes. We used the nanomaterial star polycation (SPc) to deliver gene-specific double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting these genes to fourth instar B. tabaci nymphs, which resulted in

SUBMITTER: Kong D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12842457 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature