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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Commodity Protection and Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #393482
Research Project: Improved Systems-based Approaches that Maintain Commodity Quality and Control of Arthropod Pests Important to U.S. Agricultural Production, Trade and Quarantine

Location: Commodity Protection and Quality Research

Title: RNA interference-mediated knockdown of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (vermilion) in the dried fruit beetle, Carpophilus hemipterus

Author
item Bansal, Raman
item Hunter, Wayne

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/10/2022
Publication Date: 4/10/2022
Citation: Bansal, R., (April 10-13, 2022). RNA interference-mediated knockdown of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (vermilion) in the dried fruit beetle, Carpophilus hemipterus. (Oral Presentation). Pacific Branch (Entomological Society of America) Meeting, Santa Rosa, CA.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The dried fruit beetle, Carpophilus hemipterus, is a worldwide pest of agricultural produce including a wide variety of ripe, fermenting, and dried fruits. Here, we report the characterization of the gene named vermilion in C. hemipterus. The gene vermilion encodes tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase which is involved in biosynthesis of eye coloration pigments in insects. We identified a full-length transcript of vermillion from transcriptomic database of whole-body C. hemipterus. The injection of vermilion dsRNA in larval C. hemipterus resulted in significant reduction in vermillion transcript levels as well as caused a complete loss of eye color i.e. the white-eyed phenotype in adults. The expression analysis among adult body parts revealed peak expression of vermillion in head compared to thorax and abdomen which is consistent with its proposed role.