Oligonucleotide insecticides and RNA-based insecticides: 16 years of experience in contact using of the next generation pest control agents

Recently, sustainable and ecological approach in plant protection has produced many innovative ideas, including insecticides based on nucleic acids. Oligonucleotide insecticides (contact unmodified antisense DNA biotechnology, CUAD biotechnology) and RNA-based insecticides (double-stranded RNA technology) are pest control agents with different mechanisms of action, but they can complement each other’s insecticidal potential in the control of insect pests from different orders, and may be present together in complex preparations. The insect physiology shows that the contact method of delivery of such controlling agents is very perspective enabling avoidance of meeting with nucleases in digestive tract. The future of CUAD biotechnology and double-stranded RNA technology looks alluring: two natural molecular genetic mechanisms for insect pest control in the service of plant protection with minimal harm to non-target organisms. As clean technologies, insecticides based on DNA and RNA can make a significant contribution to environmental health improvment.