RNA Interference of Chitin Synthase 2 Gene in Liriomyza trifolii through Immersion in Double-Stranded RNA

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Liriomyza trifolii is an important insect pest that infects many horticultural crops and vegetables, displaying strong interspecific competitiveness and inflicting serious harm. Here, chitin synthase 2 transcript was studied, and a prepupal immersion dsRNA delivery method was established for L. trifolii. The dsRNA can enter in the prepupal stage and play a role in the pupal stage, resulting in a decrease in the CHS2 expression level and eclosion rate. This study is an important supplement to the research on the RNAi of L. trifolii, enhances knowledge of the function of chitin synthase 2 in Liriomyza species, and may also provide a new idea for its control strategies. ABSTRACT: Liriomyza trifolii is an important invasive pest that infects horticultural vegetables, displaying a strong competitive advantage and showing great potential for inflicting harm. Chitin synthase is one of the key enzymes in insect chitin metabolism and plays an important role in insect growth and development. In this study, a chitin synthase (CHS) transcript of L. trifolii was cloned, and the results showed that LtCHS belongs to the CHS2 family. The expression analysis indicated the presence of the highest abundance of LtCHS2 in the pupae at different developmental stages but showed no significant difference among different tissues in the adult. Furthermore, a dsRNA immersion method was developed for RNA interference (RNAi) in L. trifolii using LtCHS2 transcript. RNAi can significantly reduce the expression of LtCHS2 in pupae, and the emergence rate of the pupae was significantly lower than that of the control. The results provide a theoretical basis for exploring the role of chitin synthase gene in L. trifolii and proposing new pest control strategies.