Nucleic acid molecules that target rps6 and confer resistance to coleopteran pests

A plant transformation vector comprising at least one nucleotide sequence(s) selected from the group consisting of:

• SEQ ID NO:7;
• the complement of SEQ ID NO:7;
• a fragment of at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of SEQ ID NO:7;
• the complement of a fragment of at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of SEQ ID NO:7;
• a native coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• the complement of a native coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• a native non-coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism that is transcribed into a native RNA molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• the complement of a native non-coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism that is transcribed into a native RNA molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• a fragment of at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of a native coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• the complement of a fragment of at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of a native coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• a fragment of at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of a native non-coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism that is transcribed into a native RNA molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• and
• the complement of a fragment of at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of a native non-coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism that is transcribed into a native RNA molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:7,
• wherein the at least one nucleotide sequence(s) is operably linked to a heterologous promoter functional in a plant cell.

A method for controlling a coleopteran pest population comprising providing an agent comprising a double-stranded ribonucleic acid molecule that functions upon contact with the coleopteran pest to inhibit a biological function within the coleopteran pest, wherein the agent comprises a polynucleotide comprising at least one nucleotide sequence(s) selected from the group consisting of:

• SEQ ID NO:7;
• the complement of SEQ ID NO:7;
• a fragment of at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of SEQ ID NO:7;
• the complement of a fragment of at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of SEQ ID NO:7;
• a native coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• the complement of a native coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• a native non-coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism that is transcribed into a native RNA molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• the complement of a native non-coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism that is transcribed into a native RNA molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• a fragment of at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of a native coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• the complement of a fragment of at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of a native coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• a fragment of at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of a native non-coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism that is transcribed into a native RNA molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:7;
• and
• the complement of a fragment of at least 19 contiguous nucleotides of a native non-coding sequence of a Diabrotica organism that is transcribed into a native RNA molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:7.

A method for producing a transgenic plant cell, the method comprising:

• transforming a plant cell with a vector comprising a means for providing coleopteran pest resistance to a plant;
• culturing the transformed plant cell under conditions sufficient to allow for development of a plant cell culture comprising a plurality of transformed plant cells;
• selecting for transformed plant cells that have integrated the means for providing coleopteran pest resistance to a plant into their genomes;
• screening the transformed plant cells for expression of a means for inhibiting expression of an essential gene in a coleopteran pest;
• and
• selecting a plant cell that expresses the means for inhibiting expression of an essential gene in a coleopteran pest.