Investigation of suppressing Anopheles stephensi reproduction with RNAi

Malaria is a global vector-borne disease transmitted by Anopheles stephensi and mosquito vector control is of great importance for malaria prevention and control. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new Anopheles methods that are both environmentally friendly and efficient. In this study, we investigated the functions of the candidate genes EOF1 and Asgen1, which affect the reproductive capacity of Anopheles stephensi, by RNA interference. At the same time, when the plasmid expressing Asgen1 gene dsRNA was introduced into the Anopheles intestinal microbiota, Serratia bizio, and fed to Anopheles stephensi, the dsRNA produced by the Anopheles gut symbiont could also effectively inhibit the expression of Asgen1 gene, which in turn inhibited the development of ovaries and significantly reduced the egg production. Therefore, the present study is an environmentally friendly and effective method to control Anopheles reproduction by modifying Anopheles intestinal symbiotic bacteria to express dsRNAs that interfere with the Asgen1 gene of Anopheles stephensi to regulate ovarian development.