Functional Genomics of Emerald Ash Borer: Identifying Odor Processing Genes and Gene Blocking for Alternative Pest Management
The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a serious invasive insect that has killed hundreds of millions of North American ash trees. Because adult EAB rely in part on their sense of smell to locate food and mates, Forest Service scientists and their partners are working to understand the antennal genes potentially involved in odor perception and processing. They studied candidate genes by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and found gene expression varied in male and female EAB of different developmental stages. Higher levels of certain genes in sexually mature females may indicate a perception response to host or sex-attractants. They also demonstrated RNA interference and found a significantly decreased expression of a target gene.. These understandings of gene functions and interactions of EAB can help lead to the development of alternative pest management strategies through interfering with genes involved in host location, feeding, or digestion.
|Core RNAi machinery and gene knockdown in the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)||(publication)|