RNAi-mediated knockdown of tektins does not affect male fertility in Lygus hesperus

Authors: Hull, Jimmy; LE, KEVIN - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); SCHUTZE, INANA - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); HEU, CHAN - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); GROSS, RONI - Former ARS Employee; FABRICK, PETER - Former ARS Employee; RODRIGUEZ, JOSEPH - Former ARS Employee; HULL, AIDEN - Former ARS Employee; Langhorst, Daniel; Fabrick, Jeffrey; Brent, Colin

Submitted to: Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/13/2025
Publication Date: 4/1/2025
Citation: Hull, J.J., Le, K.P., Schutze, I.X., Heu, C.C., Gross, R.J., Fabrick, P.G., Rodriguez, J.A., Hull, A.M., Langhorst, D.R., Fabrick, J.A., Brent, C.S. 2025. RNAi-mediated knockdown of tektins does not affect male fertility in Lygus hesperus. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology. 118(4). Article e70053. https://doi.org/10.1002/arch.70053.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/arch.70053

Interpretive Summary: Lygus hesperus is a major pest of numerous crops throughout the western United States and western Mexico. A lack of information on its gene functions hinders development of genetic-based population control methods. Tektins, often involved in sperm motility, are one potential target that might be manipulated to produce males with reduced fertility. To determine the role of these proteins in L. hesperus, previously published transcriptomes were searched for similar sequences and four possible tektins were identified (tektin-1, tektin-2, tektin-3, and tektin-4). The genes were all expressed primarily in the testes, but the effects of gene knockdown on male fertility were negligible, suggesting that tektins would be poor candidates for genetic-based sterilization in Lygus.

Technical Abstract: Mirid plant bugs (Hemiptera: Miridae), including Lygus hesperus (western tarnished plant bug), are key pests of numerous agricultural crops. While management of this pest relies heavily on chemical insecticides, the evolution of resistance and environmental concerns underscore the need for new and more effective approaches. Genetic-based strategies that target male fertility are currently being evaluated for population suppression. However, a lack of candidate gene targets with appropriate function, specifically in non-model species like L. hesperus, has hindered progress in the development and application of such approaches. Given their conserved role in stabilization of the flagella axoneme and association with sperm motility in many organisms, members of the tektin gene family represent logical targets for genetic-based sterilization. Here, we identified four homologs of the non-vertebrate tektin family from L. hesperus and used RNA interference-mediated knockdown to assess their roles in male fertility. Although transcription of the four tektins was predominantly in the testis, knockdown had negligible effects on either sperm abundance or male fertility. Our results suggest that tektins do not play a critical role in sperm fertilization of eggs in L. hesperus and are thus likely poor targets for genetic-based sterilization approaches in this species.