Nanocarrier‐delivered dsRNA suppresses wing development of green peach aphids

RNA interference (RNAi) has developed rapidly as a potential “green” pest management strategy. At present, most studies have focused on the screening of aphid lethal genes, whereas only a few studies have been conducted on wing development, which is crucial for aphid migration and plant‐virus dissemination. Here, the Myzus persicae genes vestigial (vg) and Ultrabithorax (Ubx) related to wing development, were cloned. These two genes were expressed in various tissues of 3rd‐instar winged aphids. The mRNA level of vg was high in 3rd‐instar nymphs, whereas the expression level of Ubx was high in adults. The nanocarrier‐mediated delivery system delivered double‐stranded RNAs for aphid RNAi using topical and root applications. The expression levels of vg and Ubx were downregulated by 44.0% and 36.5%, respectively, using the topical application. The simultaneous RNAi of the two target genes caused 63.3% and 32.2% wing aberration rates using topical and root applications, respectively. The current study provided a promising method for controlling aphid migration to alleviate the spread of insect transmitted plant diseases. The star polycation (SPc) could combine with negatively‐charged dsRNA to form dsRNA/SPc complex. The detergent was added to the formulation to reduce the surface tension of hydrophilic nanocomplexes to construct a nanoparticle‐based dsRNA delivery system. The nanocomplex formulation was either topically applied on the aphid notum or irrigated to the plant roots for RNAi. Two genes related to wing development were screened as potential RNAi target genes, and the RNAi of these two genes simultaneously caused a 63.3% aberration rate through topical application, and a 32.2% aberration rate through root application. The two candidate genes are suitable to be developed as targets for sprayable RNA pesticides. Suppression of aphid wing development may be a potential strategy for controlling aphid transmitted plant disease.