Recent advances in understanding of the mechanisms of RNA interference in insects

Jinmo Koo; Subba Reddy Palli

doi:10.1111/imb.12941

Recent advances in understanding of the mechanisms of RNA interference in insects

Jinmo Koo
, Subba Reddy Palli

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

We highlight the recent 5 years of research that contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms of RNA interference (RNAi) in insects. Since its first discovery, RNAi has contributed enormously as a reverse genetic tool for functional genomic studies. RNAi is also being used in therapeutics, as well as agricultural crop and livestock production and protection. Yet, for the wider application of RNAi, improvement of its potency and delivery technologies is needed. A mechanistic understanding of every step of RNAi, from cellular uptake of RNAi trigger molecules to targeted mRNA degradation, is key for developing an efficient strategy to improve RNAi technology. Insects provide an excellent model for studying the mechanism of RNAi due to species-specific variations in RNAi efficiency. This allows us to perform comparative studies in insect species with different RNAi sensitivity. Understanding the mechanisms of RNAi in different insects can lead to the development of better strategies to improve RNAi and its application to manage agriculturally and medically important insects.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	491-504
Number of pages	14
Journal	Insect Molecular Biology
Volume	34
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/imb.12941
State	Published - Aug 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Royal Entomological Society.

Funding

Research in the Palli laboratory is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (GM070559-15 and 1R21AI131427-01), the National Science Foundation (Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers, the Center for Arthropod Management Technologies under grant IIP-1821936) and the USDA/NIFA (under Hatch Project 2351177000 and Grant 2019-67013-29351). The content is solely the author's responsibility and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funders. Research in the Palli laboratory is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (GM070559‐15 and 1R21AI131427‐01), the National Science Foundation (Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers, the Center for Arthropod Management Technologies under grant IIP‐1821936) and the USDA/NIFA (under Hatch Project 2351177000 and Grant 2019‐67013‐29351). The content is solely the author's responsibility and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funders.

Funders	Funder number
National Science Foundation Arctic Social Science Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative	2351177000, 2019‐67013‐29351
Center for Arthropod Management Technologies	IIP‐1821936
National Institutes of Health (NIH)	1R21AI131427‐01, GM070559‐15

Keywords

RNAi
dsRNA
insects
mechanisms

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Molecular Biology
Genetics
Insect Science

Access to Document

10.1111/imb.12941

Cite this

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title = "Recent advances in understanding of the mechanisms of RNA interference in insects",

abstract = "We highlight the recent 5 years of research that contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms of RNA interference (RNAi) in insects. Since its first discovery, RNAi has contributed enormously as a reverse genetic tool for functional genomic studies. RNAi is also being used in therapeutics, as well as agricultural crop and livestock production and protection. Yet, for the wider application of RNAi, improvement of its potency and delivery technologies is needed. A mechanistic understanding of every step of RNAi, from cellular uptake of RNAi trigger molecules to targeted mRNA degradation, is key for developing an efficient strategy to improve RNAi technology. Insects provide an excellent model for studying the mechanism of RNAi due to species-specific variations in RNAi efficiency. This allows us to perform comparative studies in insect species with different RNAi sensitivity. Understanding the mechanisms of RNAi in different insects can lead to the development of better strategies to improve RNAi and its application to manage agriculturally and medically important insects.",

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AB - We highlight the recent 5 years of research that contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms of RNA interference (RNAi) in insects. Since its first discovery, RNAi has contributed enormously as a reverse genetic tool for functional genomic studies. RNAi is also being used in therapeutics, as well as agricultural crop and livestock production and protection. Yet, for the wider application of RNAi, improvement of its potency and delivery technologies is needed. A mechanistic understanding of every step of RNAi, from cellular uptake of RNAi trigger molecules to targeted mRNA degradation, is key for developing an efficient strategy to improve RNAi technology. Insects provide an excellent model for studying the mechanism of RNAi due to species-specific variations in RNAi efficiency. This allows us to perform comparative studies in insect species with different RNAi sensitivity. Understanding the mechanisms of RNAi in different insects can lead to the development of better strategies to improve RNAi and its application to manage agriculturally and medically important insects.

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Recent advances in understanding of the mechanisms of RNA interference in insects

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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