Delivery of FANA ASOs by Topical Sprays to Plants: A Novel RNA Silencing Approach for Arthropod Pests Control

Topical sprays onto citrus leaves, using gymnotic delivery with 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-D- arabinonucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides (FANA ASOs) design to target a Coleopteran, successful increased mortality of citrus root weevils (Curculionidae). This is the first evidence for successful delivery of FANA ASOs through foliar spray application and provides a new strategy to manage agricultural pests and pathogens. FANA ASOs work by very specifically binding with the target mRNA via Watson-Crick base pairing and cause post-transcriptional gene silencing. FANA ASOs provide a superior RNA silencing alternative to existing strategies that have low efficacy, major delivery challenges and high manufacturing costs. FANA ASOs provides a highly stable, non toxic and target specific gene regulation. Further, the capability of FANA ASOs to efficiently self-deliver without the use of any formulation, conjugate or carrier make them very attractive for a topical spray approach.