Silencing of Chitinase 3 Gene Inhibits Survival and Reproduction of Myzus persicae

doi:10.16409/j.cnki.2095-039x.2025.05.002

Abstract

Abstract: The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, is an important agricultural pest. This study aims to elucidate the molecular characteristics of the chitinase gene MperCht3 in Myzus persicae and to unravel the effects of MperCht3-silencing on aphid survival and reproduction. MperCht3 was identified from the M. persicae transcriptome, and its sequence features were analyzed using bioinformatic software. The transcriptional profile of MperCht3 in M. persicae during various developmental stages and following exposure to 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) were examined using reverse transcription quantitative PCR. The transcription of MperCht3 was suppressed using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technology and the changes in survival rate and offspring number of M. persicae were investigated. The results indicate that the MperCht3 gene consists of seven exons and contains an open reading frame of 1422 bp. The protein encoded by MperCht3 has a conserved chitinase domain and displays the closest phylogenetic relationship with ApisCht3 from Acyrthosiphon pisum. The transcriptional level of MperCht3 was low in the 1 ^st and the 2^nd instars, but increased obviouslyin the 3^rd instars and reached the peak in the 4^th instars. The transcriptional level of MperCht3 was greatly upregulated at 24 h following treatment with 20E. At 48, 72, 96, and 120 h after silencing of MperCht3, the survival rates of M. persicae were 83.4%, 78.02%, 70.55%, and 66.38%, respectively, which were significantly lower than those of the control. In addition, 37.4% of the MperCht3- silenced nymphs displayed incomplete molting phenotypes, and the fecundity of the MperCht3-silenced female adults was significantly reduced. The findings of this study indicate that MperCht3 plays essential roles in survival and reproduction in M. persicae and could be used as a potential RNA interference target for the biological control of M. persicae.

Key words: Myzus persicae, chitinase, sequence analysis, transcriptional pattern, RNA interference

CLC Number:

S435.72

MIAO Zhiguo, FENG Wenlong, LIU Dongyang, DENG Quan, XU Pengjun, WU Shengyong, YU Jiamin, PENG Jiangnan, LI Maoye, LIU Su. Silencing of Chitinase 3 Gene Inhibits Survival and Reproduction of Myzus persicae[J]. Chinese Journal of Biological Control, 2025, 41(6): 1349-1358.

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