Disruption of microRNA pathway core genes inhibits molting and reproduction of the cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne

Abstract BACKGROUND MicroRNA (miRNA) pathway genes have been widely reported to participate in several physiological events in insect lifecycles. The cigarette beetle Lasioderma serricorne is an economically important storage pest worldwide. However, the functions of miRNA pathway genes in L. serricorne remain to be clarified. Herein, we investigated the function of molting and reproduction of the miRNA pathway in L . serricorne . RESULTS LsDicer‐1 , LsArgonaute‐1 , LsLoquacious and LsExportin‐5 were universally expressed in adults, whereas LsPasha and LsDrosha were mainly expressed in the pupae. The genes presented different patterns in various tissues. Silencing of LsDicer‐1 , LsArgonaute‐1 , LsDrosha and LsExportin‐5 resulted in a high proportion of wing deformities and molting defects. Silencing of LsDicer‐1 , LsArgonaute‐1 , LsPasha and LsLoquacious affected the development of the ovary and the maturation of oocytes, resulting in a significant decrease in fecundity. Further investigation revealed that the decreases in LsDicer‐1 and LsArgonaute‐1 expression destroyed follicular epithelia and delayed vitellogenesis and oocyte development. In addition, the expression levels of several miRNAs ( let‐7 , let‐7‐5p , miR‐8‐3p , miR‐8‐5p , miR‐9c‐5p , miR‐71 , miR‐252‐5p , miR‐277‐3p , miR‐263b and Novel‐miR‐50 ) were decreased significantly after knockdown of these miRNA pathway core genes, indicating that they played important roles in regulating miRNA‐mediated gene expression. CONCLUSION The results indicate that miRNA pathway genes play important roles in the molting, ovarian development and female fecundity of L . serricorne , and thus are potentially suitable target genes for developing an RNAi strategy against a major pest of stored products. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.