Clathrin heavy chain is important for viability, oviposition, embryogenesis and, possibly, systemic RNAi response in the predatory mite Metaseiulus occidentalis.

ABSTRACT: Clathrin heavy chain has been shown to be important for viability, embryogenesis, and RNA interference (RNAi) in arthropods such as Drosophila melanogaster. However, the functional roles of clathrin heavy chain in chelicerate arthropods, such as the predatory mite Metaseiulus occidentalis, remain unknown. We previously showed that dsRNA ingestion, followed by feeding on spider mites, induced systemic and robust RNAi in M. occidentalis females. In the current study, we performed a loss-of-function analysis of the clathrin heavy chain gene in M. occidentalis using RNAi. We showed that ingestion of clathrin heavy chain dsRNA by M. occidentalis females resulted in gene knockdown and reduced longevity. In addition, clathrin heavy chain dsRNA treatment almost completely abolished oviposition by

SUBMITTER: Wu K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4203830 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature