Abstract
RNAi is applied as a new and safe method for pest control in agriculture but efficiency and specificity of delivery of dsRNA trigger remains a critical issue. Various agents have been proposed to augment dsRNA delivery, such as engineered micro-organisms and synthetic nanoparticles, but the use of viruses has received relatively little attention. Here we present a critical view of the potential of the use of recombinant viruses for efficient and specific delivery of dsRNA. First of all, it requires the availability of plasmid-based reverse genetics systems for virus production, of which an overview is presented. For RNA viruses, their application seems to be straightforward since dsRNA is produced as an intermediate molecule during viral replication, but DNA viruses also have potential through the production of RNA hairpins after transcription. However, application of recombinant virus for dsRNA delivery may not be straightforward in many cases, since viruses can encode RNAi suppressors, and virus-induced silencing effects can be determined by the properties of the encoded RNAi suppressor. An alternative is virus-like particles that retain the efficiency and specificity determinants of natural virions but have encapsidated non-replicating RNA. Finally, the use of viruses raises important safety issues which need to be addressed before application can proceed.
Highlights
RNA interference (RNAi) is a transforming technology that triggers specific gene silencing through delivery of homologous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) fragments (Mello and Conte, 2004)
From the beginning of the discovery of the RNAi process it has become abundantly clear that dsRNA delivery is the key event and that engineering of sophisticated dsRNA vehicles may be required to trigger gene silencing in more recalcitrant insect species
The involvement of RNAi in antiviral defense was established by criteria such as (1) production of viral small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) by Dicer-2 during viral infection; (2) increased viral replication and mortality in RNAi mutants such as ago-2 and dcr-2; and (3) production of viral suppressors of RNAi (VSR) proteins as viral counterdefense
Summary
RNA interference (RNAi) is a transforming technology that triggers specific gene silencing through delivery of homologous dsRNA fragments (Mello and Conte, 2004). The technique incited great interest for potential applications in medicine (RNAi-based drugs) (Bouchie, 2014; Haussecker and Kay, 2015) but is harnessed as a new method for specific and safe pest control in agriculture (Swevers and Smagghe, 2012; Scott et al, 2013; Santos et al, 2014; Nandety et al, 2015; Andrade and Hunter, 2016; Joga et al, 2016; Perkin et al, 2016). RNAi technology has matured such that the first RNAi-based pest control agent, consisting of a transgenic corn that produces dsRNA targeting an essential gene and two Bt toxins for control of the western corn rootworm, was approved for release in the field and commercialization (Hitchon et al, 2016; Joga et al, 2016)
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