Cloning of doublesex gene, dsx for its rnai-mediated silencing in fruit fly [Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)]
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Date
2020
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) is a highly invasive pest of fruits and vegetables in the oriental region. The management of fruit fly is highly challenging due to its high fecundity, wider climatic adaptability and unexposed developmental stages. Bactrocera dorsalis is a major pest in several northern and northeastern parts of India. Effective management of fruit fly requires collective input of cultural, chemical and post-harvest techniques. One of the widely used methods for control of B. dorsalis is the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). We have investigated the potential of RNAi mediated silencing of doublesex gene for its use in SIT, by feeding dsx-dsRNA expressing bacteria to fruit flies. By designing male and female specific dsx-dsRNA sex specific knockdown of the target gene was achieved. Distortion in sex ratio was observed by feeding dsRNA expressing bacteria to maggots. Feeding bacteria expressing dsRNA to adults delayed the sexual maturity in both males (3 days) and females (4 days). The number of eggs laid were found to be reduced due to dsx-dsRNA treatment, a maximum reduction of 20 percent was observed in dsxf silencing and 26 percent reduction in dsxm silencing. The egg hatching efficiency of treated females and males were found to be reduced up to 52 percent and 51 percent respectively. These results demonstrate the ability of this method to replace the radiation induced sterilization technique for SIT due to its cost-efficiency and simplicity. It can also be used for sex sorting or sex selection for SIT.