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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Genetics and Breeding Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #426030
Research Project: Genetic Enhancement of Insect and Disease Resistance in Maize and Sorghum

Location: Crop Genetics and Breeding Research

Title: miR-252a-5p targets OVOL to regulate ovary development and egg viability (hatchability) in Helicoverpa armigera

Author
item DENG, ZHONGYUAN - Zhengzhou University
item LI, LEYAO - Zhengzhou University
item FANG, LIYING - Zhengzhou University
item Ni, Xinzhi
item LI, XIANCHUN - University Of Arizona

Submitted to: Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/17/2025
Publication Date: 11/27/2025
Citation: Deng, Z., Li, L., Fang, L., Ni, X., Li, X. 2025. miR-252a-5p targets OVOL to regulate ovary development and egg viability (hatchability) in Helicoverpa armigera. Insect Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7917.70239.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7917.70239

Interpretive Summary: MicroRNAs are a group of endogenous non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of various genes involved in a range of biological processes in insect life, such as growth, development, and reproduction. The old-world bollworm (an invasive pest that is closely related to the new-world bollworm, also known as the corn earworm in North America) is an important lepidopteran pest worldwide. Its high fecundity and heightened resistance to both insecticides and Bt toxins in transgenic crops make the reproductive destruction of this pest and similar species extremely appealing. The current study confirmed that the testis-biased microRNA played an important role in reproduction of this destructive pest by negatively regulating the expression of its target gene OVOL, a female germline development-related zinc finger transcription factor, at both cellular and organismal levels. The findings from the current study established the foundation for deciphering the regulatory processes of corn earworm reproduction. The results suggest that the microRNA may be utilized as the target for the development of reproductive-destruction-based control methods for not only this invasive pest, but also possibly other pests.

Technical Abstract: The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), is an important polyphagous lepidopteran pest on corn, cotton, and other crops. MicroRNA, as a class of endogenous non-coding single-stranded small RNAs of ~22 nucleotides, can bind to the 3’UTR of its target mRNA, leading to degradation of the target mRNA or translation suppression of the target mRNA. In a previous study, we demonstrated that miR-252a-5p had a higher expression level in testis when compared with ovary tissue. The current study showed that miR-252a-5p negatively regulates gonadal development and reproduction by targeting the OVOL gene in H. armigera. Injection of miR-252a-5p agomir/antagomir or siRNA of OVOL reduced fecundity and egg hatch rates. Ovarian defects were observed in females injected with OVOL siRNA. The study revealed miR-252a-5p's role in H. armigera reproduction, providing new insights into manipulating reproductive biology of females to suppress cotton bollworm and potentially other lepidopteran pest populations.