Exosome as potential dsRNA carrier in RNAi

Stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) are among the most important arthropod pests of domestic livestock, which also acts as potential vectors for disease transmission. The estimated economic losses exceeding $2 billion annually in the United States. Current stable fly management with insecticides and other control methods have showed limited effectiveness and are often associated with having residual environmental impacts caused by synthetic chemical and rising of pesticide resistance. RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful tool in study of gene function and pest insect management. However, its effectiveness and application have been limited by numerous harsh environmental conditions, as well as low uptake mechanism observed in various insect pest groups, including Dipteran containing many major livestock insect pests (such as flies, midges, mosquitoes etc.). Exosomes are commonly found in biofluids and showed to be bioavailable cross-kingdom, and exhibited the safety, efficacy and molecules delivery potentiality. Here, we explored and tested its potential as dsRNA carrier for the enhanced systemic spread of RNAi signals in adult stable flies with very low susceptibility to RNAi.