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RNAi for insect-proof plants

Nature Biotechnology volume 25, pages 1231–1232 (2007)Cite this article

RNA interference induced in insects after ingestion of plant-expressed hairpin RNA offers promise for managing devastating crop pests.

Plants and the insects that feast on them have waged war for hundreds of millions of years. Insect pests cost billions of dollars in the form of crop losses and insecticides, and farmers face an ever-present threat of insecticide resistance, fueling a continual search for alternative pest-control strategies. Two papers in this issue1,2 show the potential of using RNA interference (RNAi) induced by hairpin RNAs as a new line of defense against coleopteran and lepidopteran pests.

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Figure 1: RNAi and the genes that control it in plants and animals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Karl H.J. Gordon is at CSIRO Entomology and Peter M. Waterhouse is at CSIRO Plant Industry, Clunies Ross St., Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. Karl.Gordon@csiro.au or Peter.Waterhouse@csiro.au,

    Karl H J Gordon & Peter M Waterhouse

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  1. Karl H J Gordon
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  2. Peter M Waterhouse
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Gordon, K., Waterhouse, P. RNAi for insect-proof plants. Nat Biotechnol 25, 1231–1232 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1107-1231

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