Abstract

Graduate research using dsRNA to knockdown three genes of the unfolded protein response in pea aphids supported by the NIH K-INBRE Program.

Three genes found in the Unfolded protein response, Ribophorin 1, Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 beta, and Peptidylprolyl isomerase A are thought to be potential targets for RNA Interference (RNAi) in Acyrthosiphon pisum.  Ribophorin 1 (RPN1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that assists in anchoring ribosomes to the rough endoplasmic reticulum membrane.  It acts as a substrate-specific chaperone.  It facilitates N-glycosylation by delivering newly synthesized proteins to the oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) complex.  Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 beta (eIF2B) is a key component of the eIF2 heterotrimer that facilitates protein synthesis initiation by binding GTP and recruiting a specific transfer RNA to the 40S ribosome.  The RNA it recruits is tRNAiMet, which delivers the first methionine to the ribosome to start protein synthesis.  eIF2B is part of both the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) and the Integrated Stress Response (ISR).  Peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA) is also known as Cyclophilin A (CypA).  CypA is a molecular chaperone that catalyzes the cis-trans isomerization of peptide bonds, which facilitates protein folding and maturation during stressful conditions.  Previous studies confirm that RNAi can affect the lifespan and fecundity of pea aphids.  The objective of this study was to determine whether the selected genes would also affect the lifespan of pea aphids.  Decreasing concentrations of dsRNA were fed to the aphids to test the effects of each chosen gene.  The experiment's objective is to identify the effects of each dsRNA knockdown on the aphids.  Higher concentrations had a greater effect on decreasing aphid survival.  RPN1 and CypA reduced aphid survival only at the highest concentration tested.  eIF2B showed a greater effect on aphid survival at lower concentrations than the other genes tested.  It was effective at decreasing survival at a concentration of 100 ng/mL.  The result of this study agrees with previous studies that aphid survival can be affected by the introduction of dsRNAs.

Document Type

Article

Source Publication

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Journal

Version

Published Version

Publication Date

5-20-2026

Volume

12

Issue

3

First Page

1

Last Page

10

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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This article is also hosted in the Master's Thesis Collection for Brandon Kennemer.

https://scholars.fhsu.edu/theses/3299/

For questions contact ScholarsRepository@fhsu.edu

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