Bioscience Methods 2024, Vol.15, No.3, 139-148 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/bm 141 resistance to cane borers (Wang et al., 2017). Similarly, microprojectile bombardment has been used to introduce a synthetic cry1Ac gene, leading to transgenic sugarcane lines with high resistance to stem borers (Weng et al., 2006). Figure 1 “Microbiota-plant-soil-insect” mechanism diagram (Adopted from Li et al., 2023) Image caption: The chemical properties of the soil influence the dynamics of the Microbiome in the soil, and there is a close correlation between the aboveground and belowground soils of plants. There are differences in microbial ecology of different resistant plants. In addition, the invasion of herbivores destabilizes the original Microbiome of plants (Adopted from Li et al., 2023) 3.1.2 Expression of insecticidal proteins (Bt Toxins, etc.) The expression of insecticidal proteins such as Bt toxins (Cry and Vip proteins) in transgenic sugarcane has shown significant promise in enhancing insect resistance (Narayan et al., 2020; Tabashnik et al., 2023). Transgenic sugarcane expressing Cry1Ab and Cry2A proteins has demonstrated high resistance to shoot borers, with up to 100% mortality of Chilo infuscatellus larvae (Qamar et al., 2021). Additionally, sugarcane lines expressing the Vip3A protein have shown complete resistance to the sugarcane stem borer, with a direct correlation between Vip3A protein levels and insect mortality (Riaz et al., 2020). These findings underscore the effectiveness of Bt toxins in providing robust insect resistance in sugarcane. 3.2 RNA interference (RNAi) technology 3.2.1 Mechanism and application of RNAi in sugarcane RNA interference (RNAi) is a gene-silencing mechanism that has been harnessed to develop insect-resistant crops. In sugarcane, RNAi technology involves the production of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that targets specific genes essential for insect survival. This approach disrupts the expression of these genes, leading to insect mortality. RNAi has been successfully applied in other crops, such as cotton, where it has been used to target genes involved in juvenile hormone synthesis and transport, providing effective control against Bt-resistant pests (Ni et al., 2017). 3.2.2 Case studies: RNAi-mediated insect resistance Although specific case studies of RNAi-mediated insect resistance in sugarcane are limited, the success of RNAi in other crops suggests its potential application in sugarcane. For example, transgenic cotton plants producing dsRNA targeting juvenile hormone acid methyltransferase (JHAMT) and juvenile hormone-binding protein (JHBP) have shown high efficacy against Bt-resistant Helicoverpa armigera (Ni et al., 2017). These findings indicate that similar RNAi strategies could be developed for sugarcane to enhance resistance against key insect pests.
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