MicroRNAs in plant-insect interaction and insect pest control

Abstract

Plants interact with insects in a myriad of complex ways. Plants are posed as inevitable targets to several phytophagous insects and therefore have developed constitutive and induced defense mechanisms in response to herbivory. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of Small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) regulating gene expression in eukaryotes either by degrading the complementary mRNA transcripts or through translational repression. During plant-insect interactions, both of them take advantage of miRNA-mediated regulation of key physiological processes for manipulating each other. miRNAs have been reported to provide epigenetic means of plant immunity against insect herbivores and also regulate offense strategies in many insects. Research on these micromanagers of gene expression shows the involvement of many miRNAs regulating plant growth and development genes, transcription factors, transmembrane receptors, and phytohormone signaling in plants in complex ways during insect herbivory. miRNAs, along with the elements of miRNA-biogenesis machinery, have a substantial influence on plant defense against insect pests. The irrefutable involvement of miRNAs in controlling the translational machinery of several genes during various biotic stress responses and developmental conditions makes them promising targets for agro-biotechnological approaches addressed to crop protection. They are also an important regulator of many key physiological processes in insects, and targeting insect miRNAs through anti-mRNA or mRNA mimics could pave the way for the development of innovative pest management strategies. Artificial miRNAs (amiRNAs) mediated RNA silencing strategies, plin-amiRs (plant-expressed insect pre-amiRs) are increasingly being probed for combatting insect pests in an eco-friendly and inheritable manner. © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.