Parental silencing of a horizontally transferred carotenoid desaturase gene causes a reduction of red pigment and fitness in the pea aphid

BACKGROUND Aphids obtained carotenoid biosynthesis genes via horizontal gene transfers from fungi. However, the roles of these genes in the contributions of in aphids’adaptation and whether these genes could be used as RNAi‐based pest control targets are not yet clear. Thus, in this study we used parental RNAi to analyze the potential function of a carotenoid desaturase gene ( CdeB ) by combined molecular and chemical approaches in the pea aphid...