Hyperactive piggyBac Transposase-mediated Germline Transformation in the Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda

Summary

Successful germline transformation in the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, was achieved using mRNA of hyperactive piggyBac transposase.

Abstract

Stable insertion of genetic cargo into insect genomes using transposable elements is a powerful tool for functional genomic studies and developing genetic pest management strategies. The most used transposable element in insect transformation is piggyBac, and piggyBac-based germline transformation has been successfully conducted in model insects. However, it is still challenging to employ this technology in non-model insects that include agricultural pests. This paper reports on germline transformation of a global agricultural pest, the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, using the hyperactive piggyBac transposase (hyPBase).

In this work, the hyPBase mRNA was produced and used in place of helper plasmid in embryo microinjections. This change led to the successful generation of transgenic FAW. Furthermore, the methods of screening transgenic animals, PCR-based rapid detection of transgene insertion, and thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR (TAIL-PCR)-based determination of the integration site, are also described. Thus, this paper presents a protocol to produce transgenic FAW, which will facilitate piggyBac-based transgenesis in FAW and other lepidopteran insects.

Introduction

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is native to tropical and subtropical regions of America. Currently, this is a devastating insect herbivore in more than 100 countries worldwide¹. FAW larvae feed on more than 350 host plants, including some important staple food crops². The strong migration ability of FAW adults contributes to its recent rapid spread from the Americas to other places^1,2. As a result, this insect is now threatening food security internationally. Applying new technologies may facilitate advanced studies in FAW and provide no....

Protocol

1. In vitro synthesis of hyPBase mRNA

NOTE: The complete coding sequence of the hyPBase sequence was synthesized and inserted into a pTD1-Cas9 vector (see the Table of Materials) to produce the pTD1-hyPBase construct, which contains a hyPBase-expressing cassette, T7 promoter: polyhedrin-5' UTR: hyPBase: polyhedrin-3' UTR: poly (A). The full sequence of the pTD1-hyPBase construct is provided in the Supplementary Material.

1. Preparation of the template for in vitro synthesis
   1. Perform a PCR reaction to amplify the hyPBase-expressing cassette using a forward primer....

Results

A construct for the expression of hyPBase-containing T7 promoter: polyhedrin-5'UTR: hyPBase: polyhedrin-3'UTR: poly (A) signal was generated (Figure 1A) and amplified as a ~2.2 kb PCR fragment to synthesize hyPBase mRNA in vitro (Figure 1B). Then, the hyPBase mRNA was produced and subjected to agarose gel electrophoresis. The mRNA of the expected size (~1.1 kb band) was detected on a 1% agarose gel (Figure 1C).

Discussion

The low rate of transposition and difficulty of delivering transgenic components into fresh embryos limit the success of germline transformation in many non-model insects, especially those from order, Lepidoptera. To increase the germline transformation rate, a hyperactive version of the most widely used piggyBac transposase (hyPBase) was developed^7,10. To date, successful germline transformation in lepidopteran insects is mainly reported in the model in.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
1.5" Dental Cotton Rolls	PlastCare USA	8542025591	REARING
1 oz Souffle Cup Lids	DART	PL1N
1 oz Souffle Cups	DART	P100N	REARING
48 oz Plastic Deli Containers	Genpack	AD48	REARING
Add-on Filter Set (Green)	NightSea LLC	SFA-BLFS-GR	SCREENING
Borosilicate Glass	Sutter Instruments	BF100-50-10	INJECTION
Borosilicate Glass	SUTTER INSTRUMENT	BF-100-50-10
Dissecting Scope	Nikon	SMZ745T	SCREENING
Featherweight Forceps	BioQuip	4750	REARING
Gutter Guard	ThermWell Products	VX620	REARING
Inverted Microscope	Olympus	IX71	INJECTION
Microinjector	Narishige	IM-300	INJECTION
Micropipette Puller	Sutter Instruments	P-1000	INJECTION
Microscope Slides	VWR	16004-22	INJECTION
NightSea Full System	NightSea LLC	SFA-RB-DIM	SCREENING
Nitrogen Gas	AWG/Scott-Gross	NI 225	INJECTION
Paper Towels	Bounty	43217-45074	REARING
Spodoptera frugiperda Artificial Diet	Southland Products, Inc	N/A [Request Species/Quantity]	REARING
Spodoptera frugiperda Eggs	Benzon Research, Inc	N/A [Request Species/Quantity]	REARING
Taq MasterMix			polymerase mixture