Utilizing Star Polycation Nanocarrier for the Delivery of miR-184 Agomir and Its Impact on the Life History Traits of the English Grain Aphid, <i>Sitobion avenae</i>
Cong Zhang,
Guohua Wei,
Linyuan Wu,
Yunhui Zhang,
Xun Zhu,
Austin Merchant,
Xuguo Zhou,
Xiangying Liu,
Xiangrui Li
Affiliations
Cong Zhang
College of Plant Protection, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Guohua Wei
State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Linyuan Wu
State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Yunhui Zhang
State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Xun Zhu
State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Austin Merchant
Department of Entomology, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
Xuguo Zhou
Department of Entomology, School of Integrative Biology, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
Xiangying Liu
College of Plant Protection, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Xiangrui Li
State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
The investigation of genetics-based biopesticides has become a central focus in pesticide studies due to their inherent advantages, including species specificity, environmental safety, and a wide range of target genes. In this study, a mixture of miR-184 agomir and nanomaterial star polycation (SPc) was used to treat the nymphs of the English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.). The life parameters of the aphids at various developmental stages were analyzed using an age–stage two-sex life table to assess the effect of miR-184 agomir on the experimental population. The results indicated that miR-184 agomir had a significant negative effect on four key life parameters, including the intrinsic rate of increase, the finite rate of increase, the net rate of increase, and the mean generation time. The population prediction revealed a substantial reduction (91.81% and 95.88%) in the population size of S. avenae at 60 d after treatment with miR-184 agomir, compared to the control groups. Our findings suggest that the miR-184 agomir has the potential to reduce the survival rate and mean longevity of S. avenae, highlighting its potential as a promising candidate for the development of an effective genetics-based biopesticide.
