Chemical-free control of diamondback moth

小菜蛾（Plutella xylostella， DBM）是世界范围内芸苔类植物（如卷心菜、花椰菜、西兰花、萝卜、芥菜）的主要害虫，以叶子为食，在许多国家造成重大经济损失。目前的防治活动在很大程度上依赖于杀虫剂的使用，包括Bt等微生物杀虫剂。不幸的是，DBM已经对包括Bt在内的大多数一线杀虫剂产生了抗性。然而，DBM被认为是昆虫不育技术（SIT）的最佳候选之一，作为全区域综合防治方法的一部分，但传统SIT方法的一些局限性限制了它的广泛应用[1-2]。SIT依赖于大规模饲养，使用辐照进行绝育，并在目标区域释放大量不育雄性[1,3]。释放的不育雄性与野生雌性交配，降低了野生种群的繁殖潜力，从而导致下一代野生种群的减少。如果在足够长的时间内释放足够多的不育雄性，目标种群将会崩溃。传统的生物杀灭技术依靠辐照对目标害虫进行绝育。然而，在鳞翅目中，诱导性不育所需的电离辐射往往会损害交配行为，以至于雄性在SIT计划中无法存活[4-5]。此外，目前还没有遗传性别机制，这意味着雄性和雌性F1后代都在项目设施内饲养，这增加了生产成本，降低了效率，因为不育的雌性会“分散”不育的雄性寻找野生雌性的注意力[6-7]。Oxitec的核心专利技术RIDL （Release of insect with Dominant Lethal）首次在果蝇[8]中得到验证，目前正应用于真正的害虫[9-10]，为克服SIT对DBM的限制性限制提供了一种可行的手段。该学生将开发RIDL小菱形蛾菌株，取代辐照灭菌的需要，并作为一种遗传性别机制[11]。这项拟议的研究将受益于Oxitec在其他害虫物种（包括粉棉虫和Medfly）中产生RIDL菌株的独特专业知识，我们独特的转化DBM的能力，以及在学术和公司实验室中昆虫分子遗传学和转化的丰富经验。害虫的基因工程还处于起步阶段（例如，直到2000年才首次发表了对飞蛾的改造），而这个项目处于应用昆虫遗传学的前沿。我们在其他昆虫方面的经验现在使我们第一次能够解决这些问题，并有现实的希望为这种具有重大经济意义的害虫开发一种新的、可持续的、低环境影响的害虫控制策略。引用1。戴克等人编。昆虫不育技术：区域病虫害综合治理的原理与实践。2005,1(2)。国际原子能机构，“改进冷却蛾SIT以促进扩大现场应用”。2000年，原子能机构：奥地利维也纳。P. 33；尼卜林，E.， J.经济学。Entomol。, 1955年。48:459 4。Robinson， A., Mut Res, 2002。511:113 5。刘建军等，戴克等（主编）2005，第6卷第1页。Rendón， P.等。J经济学。Entomol。, 2004年。97:1547 7。马瑞克，F，等…j .经济学。Entomol。, 2005年。[00:48 . 48]托马斯博士等人。科学,2000。287:2474 9。龚平，等。Nat,生物技术。, 2005年。23:453 10。付刚，等。奈特，生物科技，2007年。25:353 11。Alphey， L.,（2008）在“转基因和媒介传播疾病的管理”，Aksoy（主编）Landes Bioscience 12。佩洛昆，j.j.等。昆虫分子生物学, 2000年。9:323

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (DBM), is a major pest of brassicas (e.g. cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, radish, mustard) worldwide, feeding on the leaves and causing significant economic damage in many countries. Current control activities largely rely on insecticide use, including microbial pesticides such as Bt. Unfortunately, DBM has developed resistance to most front-line insecticides, including Bt. However, DBM is considered one of best candidates for the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) as part of an area-wide integrated control approach, but several limitations of the conventional SIT approach limit its widespread utilisation [1-2]. SIT relies on the mass rearing, sterilisation using irradiation and release of large numbers of the sterile males over the target area [1, 3]. Released sterile males mate with wild females, reducing the reproductive potential of the wild population and so causing a reduction in the wild population in the subsequent generation. If enough sterile males are released for a sufficient time, the target population will collapse. Conventional SIT relies on irradiation to sterile the target pest species. However, the ionising radiation required to induce sexual sterility in Lepidoptera often impairs mating behaviour to such an extent that the males are not viable within an SIT programme [4-5]. Furthermore, there is currently no genetic sexing mechanism, which means males and female F1 progeny are both reared within the programme facilities, increasing production costs and decreasing effectiveness as sterile females 'distract' sterile males from seeking wild females [6-7]. Oxitec's core proprietary technology, known as RIDL (Release of Insects with Dominant Lethal), first demonstrated in Drosophila[8] and now being applied to real pest insects [9-10], provides a viable means of overcoming the limiting constraints of SIT for DBM. The student will develop RIDL strains of diamondback moth that replace the need for sterilisation by irradiation and also act as a genetic sexing mechanism [11]. The proposed research will benefit from the unique expertise within Oxitec of generation of RIDL strains of other pest species including pink bollworm and Medfly, our unique ability to transform DBM, and the extensive experience of insect molecular genetics and transformation in both the academic and company laboratories. Genetic engineering of insect pests is in its infancy (e.g. first transformation of any moth was published as recently as 2000 [12]), and this project is at the cutting edge of applied insect genetics. Our experience with other insects now enables us for the first time to address these issues with a realistic hope of developing a novel, sustainable, low-environmental-impact pest control strategy for a pest of great economic importance. References 1. Dyck et al, eds. Sterile Insect Technique: principles and practice in area-wide Integrated Pest Management. 2005, Springer 2. IAEA, 'Improvement of Codling moth SIT to facilitate expansion of field application.' 2000, IAEA: Vienna, Austria. p. 33 3. Knipling, E., J. Econ. Entomol., 1955. 48:459 4. Robinson, A., Mut Res, 2002. 511:113 5. Bloem, K.A., et al in Dyck, et al (eds) 2005, Springer 6. Rendón, P., et al. J Econ. Entomol., 2004. 97:1547 7. Marec, F., et al.. J. Econ. Entomol., 2005. 98: 248 8. Thomas, D.D., et al. Science, 2000. 287:2474 9. Gong, P., et al. Nat. Biotech., 2005. 23:453 10. Fu, G., et al. Nat. Biotech, 2007. 25:353 11. Alphey, L., (2008) in 'Transgenesis and the management of vector-borne disease', Aksoy (ed) Landes Bioscience 12. Peloquin, J.J., et al. Insect Mol. Biol., 2000. 9:323