Gene-editing tool takes aim at a major bean-crop pest moth
Pradeep C, Sujatha PM, Nagesha SN, Asokan R, Karuppannasamy A
Crispr
If you grow beans, peas, or cowpeas, the legume pod borer moth is one of the most damaging pests you're up against, and this early gene-editing work is a step toward controlling it without heavier insecticide use.
Researchers studied a moth called the legume pod borer, which can wipe out most of a bean or pea harvest by tunneling into pods. They decoded the gene the moth uses to make egg yolk protein, a process essential for its eggs to develop, and tested CRISPR gene-editing tools designed to disrupt that gene. Two of the three tools worked well in lab tests, laying groundwork for a future pest-control method that targets the moth's reproduction instead of relying on chemical sprays.
Key Findings
The legume pod borer causes yield losses of up to 80% in grain legume crops like beans and peas.
Researchers cloned the full vitellogenin gene (about 5.3 kb) and confirmed it shares 99.04% identity with a previously reported sequence for this moth.
Two of three designed CRISPR guide RNAs successfully cut the target DNA in lab tests, while a third failed due to poor secondary structure.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists have mapped the reproductive genes of a moth that destroys up to 80% of some bean and pea harvests, and tested CRISPR gene-editing tools that could one day sterilize or disrupt the pest instead of spraying it with insecticide.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Molecular characterization of vitellogenin and its receptor with CRISPR-based sgRNA validation in the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Geyer) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).
Maruca vitrata, the legume pod borer, causes yield losses of up to 80% in grain legumes. Increasing insecticide resistance and environmental concerns necessitate sustainable pest management alterna...
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Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae, or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, but also as livestock forage and silage, and as soil-enhancing ...