2.7. Determination of the LC50 of Paraquat in TcDJ-1 Knockdown Adults

The LC50 (the concentration at which half of the treated individuals were killed) of paraquat in TcDJ-1 knockdown adults was examined according to the methods of Tabunoki et al. [21]. Paraquat was administered to TcVer knockdown adults (n = 10 for each paraquat concentration) and TcDJ-1 knockdown adults (n = 5 for each paraquat concentration) one month after treatment with TcVer or TcDJ-1 dsRNA. The number of dead insects after 24 h was counted, and the mortality rate was calculated as follows: mortality rate = (X/Y), where X = the number of dead insects in the group and Y = the total number of insects in the group (a value of 1 indicates 100% survival). The LC50 values were calculated by using the probit analysis [22] option in the JMP 10.0 software package (SAS Institute Japan Ltd., Tokyo, Japan).