벌목 개미과의 일본열마디개미는 국내 토착종이다. 지금까지 야외에서 이 종의 월동기작을 이해하기 위한 내한성 연구는 진행되지 않았다. 저온에서 다양한 온도별 노출시간에 따른 발육태별 저온 저항성을 조사하였다. 성충인 일개미가 다른 발육태와 비교하여 5°C와 10°C의 저온에서 높은 생존율을 보였으며, 급속내한성 유기 조건인 15°C에서 12시간 노출 후 내한성을 획득하였다. 급속내한성 유기는 10°C에서 최대 44%까 지 생존율이 향상되었으며, 체내과냉각점과 체내빙점은 각각 -10.0°C에서 -14.2°C, -11.3°C에서 -15.3°C까지 낮아졌다. 저온처리는 저온 또는 스트레스 관련 유전자인 글리세롤 인산화효소와 열충격 단백질의 발현을 증가시켰다. 이상의 결과는 일본열마디개미의 내한성이 급속내한성 유기에 의해 야기된다는 것을 의미한다.

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) has been applied to control insect pests due to its induction of RNA interference (RNAi) of a specific target gene expression. Bacterial expression and formulation of dsRNA led to minimizing dsRNA degradation. In our studies overexpression of dsRNA specific to chymotrypsin, essential protease for the survival of the beet armyworm, Sopodoptera exigua, (SeCHY2) in Escherichia coli HT115 (DE3), was toxic to larvae after oral administration. In the other view, silencing of the transformer2 (tra-2) gene that seems to performance as the genetic modification generate female development in several dipteran species including the striped fruit fly, Baetrocera scutellata can used to development for male-only release technique to control of this pest.

오리엔탈과실파리(Bactrocera dorsalis)는 주요 검역 대상으로 지정된 해충이다. 이 해충에 대한 고감도 모니터링과 진단 기술이 초기 방역 처리에 요구된다. 본 연구는 오리엔탈과실파리를 유인하여 치사시킬 목적으로 메틸유제놀과 생물농약을 혼합한 왁스형 방출기를 제작하였다. 본 연구는 또한 5종의 주요 검역 과실파리(오리엔탈과실파리, 오이과실파리, 퀸즐랜드과실파리, 말레이시아과실파리, 지중해과실파리)에 대한 PCR 진단프라이머를 개발하였다. 이상의 모니터링용 왁스방출기과 분자진단기술을 말레이시아 코타키나발루 지역에서 실증 시험하였다.

RNAi (RNA interference) is a tool for silencing of target genes through sequence-specific manner. Spodoptera exigua belongs to Noctuidae family of Lepidoptera and is serious threat to crops of economic importance. One of S. exigua chymotrypsin gene (SeCHY2) was cloned into the L4440 vector to produce sequence specific dsRNAs (double-stranded RNAs). Recombinant L4440 vectors were transformed into Escherichia coli strain HT115 (DE3). Oral delivery of bacterially expressed dsRNA gave significant larval mortality. Quantitative real-time PCR results showed that expression level of target SeCHY2 gene in the larval gut tissue was significantly down-regulated. Pretreatment with an ultra-sonication and heating to disrupt bacterial cell wall/membrane significantly increased the insecticidal activity of the transformed bacteria

A blast search using SPODOBASE gave 10 chymotrypsin (CHY) candidate genes with complete open reading frames (ORFs) of Spodoptera exigua. Among these candidates, Se-CHY2 was chosen and further analyzed in expression and RNAi. Se-CHY2 was expressed only in larval stage and especially in midgut. Its RNAi was successfully performed by double injection of specific double-stranded RNA (301 bp). qPCR showed a decrease of Se-CHY2 expression level by ~50% at 48 h and ~83% at 72 h. RNAi resulted in significant larval mortality. All treated larvae died at 96 h after dsRNA injection. In contrast, control dsRNA treatment did not give any mortality. Enzyme activity of gut juice was measured with N-succinyl-alanine-alanine-prolin-phenylalanine-p-nitroanilide substrate and significantly decreased in larvae treated with dsRNA. These results indicate that Se-CHY2 is a chymotrypsin that is secreted into midgut lumen and plays a role in nutrient digestion.