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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Front. Insect Sci.
Sec. Insect Economics
Volume 4 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/finsc.2024.1467221

The 'genetic zipper' method offers a cost-effective solution for aphid control

Provisionally accepted
  • V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Russia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Twenty years ago, it was difficult to imagine the use of nucleic acids in plant protection as insecticides, but today it is a reality. New technologies often work inefficiently and are very expensive; however, qualitative changes occur during their development, making them more accessible and work effectively. Invented in 2008, contact oligonucleotide insecticides (olinscides, or DNA insecticides) based on the CUAD (contact unmodified antisense DNA) platform have been substantially improved and rethought. The main paradigm shift was demonstrating that unmodified antisense DNA can act as a contact insecticide. Key breakthroughs included identifying convenient target genes (rRNA genes), mechanism of action (DNA containment), and discovering insect pests (sternorrhynchans) with high susceptibility. Today, the CUAD platform possesses impressive characteristics: low carbon footprint, high safety for non-target organisms, rapid biodegradability, and avoidance of target-site resistance. The 'genetic zipper' method, based on CUAD biotechnology, integrates molecular genetics, bioinformatics, and in vitro nucleic acid synthesis. It serves as a simple and flexible tool for DNA-programmable plant protection using unmodified antisense oligonucleotides targeting pest rRNAs. Aphids, key pests of important agricultural crops, can be effectively controlled by oligonucleotide insecticides at an affordable price, ensuring efficient control with minimal environmental risks. In this article, a lowdose concentration (0.1 ng/µL; 20 mg per hectare in 200 L of water) of the 11 nt long oligonucleotide insecticide Schip-11 shows effectiveness against the aphid Schizolachnus pineti, causing mortality rate of 76.06 ± 7.68 on the 12 th day (p<0.05).

    Keywords: 'genetic zipper' method, oligonucleotide insecticides, contact unmodified antisense DNA (CUAD) biotechnology, cost-effective aphid control, DNA-programmable plant protection

    Received: 19 Jul 2024; Accepted: 11 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Oberemok, Puzanova and Gal’chinsky. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Nikita V. Gal’chinsky, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Russia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.