Dialeurodes citri is an important pest in citrus‐producing areas of the world. Lecanicillium attenuatum parasitizes D. citri and kills it, suggesting a potential approach for the biological control of pests. However, the low virulence of the fungus and its slow rate of killing have limited its commercial competitiveness. The objective reason for these disadvantages is immunological rejection by the host. Our strategy was to use fungi to express the double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) of the host immune genes. The fungal hyphae release siRNA at the time of infection, thus interfering with the expression of immune genes in the host and facilitating fungal invasion.

中文翻译：

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弱毒杆菌表达外源dsRNA可增强其对柠檬色小球藻的毒力

在世界柑桔产区，柑桔迪氏酵母是重要的害虫。弱毒Lecanicillium pleum可以寄生并杀死柑橘D. citri，这表明了一种潜在的害虫生物防治方法。但是，真菌的低毒力和缓慢的杀灭速度限制了其商业竞争力。这些缺点的客观原因是宿主的免疫排斥。我们的策略是使用真菌表达宿主免疫基因的双链RNA（dsRNA）。真菌菌丝在感染时释放siRNA，从而干扰免疫基因在宿主中的表达并促进真菌的入侵。