Cited by 471Insect Resistance and GeneticsTransgenic Plants and ApplicationsInsect-Plant Interactions and Control

Full crop protection from an insect pest by expression of long double-stranded RNAs in plastids

Zhang, Jiang, Khan, Sher Afzal, Hasse, Claudia, Ruf, Stephanie, Heckel, David G., Bock, Ralph·2015·Science

Abstract

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.

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Crossref · 10.1126/science.1261680

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  • Zhang et al. (2015) reported control of the Colorado potato beetle by expressing dsRNA in chloroplasts of potato.

    “Later, Zhang et al. (2015) reported control of the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) by expressing dsRNA in chloroplasts of potato.”

    From Genetically engineered crops help support conservation biological control (2019) · cites this paper as Zhang et al., 2015

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Authors
Zhang, J., Khan, S. A., Hasse, C., Ruf, S., Heckel, D. G., & Bock, R.
Affiliations
  • Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology (DE)
  • Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (DE)
Corresponding author
Bock, Ralph
Venue
Science
Published
2015-02-27
Volume
347
Issue
6225
Pages
991-994
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
OpenAlex
W2092704486
Cited by
471
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 27 · 2025: 51 · 2024: 43 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 54 · 2021: 56 · 2020: 45 · 2019: 47 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 42 · 2015: 20
FWCI
16.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Max Planck Society
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Insect Resistance and Genetics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biotechnology › Transgenic Plants and Applications
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
Keywords
RNA interference, long double-stranded RNA, transplastomic plants, Colorado potato beetle, beta-actin gene, insect pest control, plant resistance to pests, siRNA, potato, herbivore resistance
MeSH terms
Actins, Animals, Coleoptera, Genetic Vectors, Pest Control, Biological, Solanum tuberosum, RNA, Double-Stranded, Transformation, Genetic, Plastids, Plant Leaves, Crops, Agricultural, RNA Interference, RNA, Small Interfering

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