| Title: | Deletion of the Bombyx mori odorant receptor co-receptor (BmOrco) impairs olfactory sensitivity in silkworms |
| Author(s): | Liu Q; Liu W; Zeng B; Wang G; Hao D; Huang Y; |
| Address: | "Co-Innovation Center for the Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China. State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China. Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China. Co-Innovation Center for the Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China. Electronic address: djhao@njfu.edu.cn. Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China. Electronic address: yphuang@sibs.ac.cn" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ibmb.2017.05.007 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-0240 (Electronic) 0965-1748 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Olfaction plays an essential role in many important insect behaviors such as feeding and reproduction. To detect olfactory stimuli, an odorant receptor co-receptor (Orco) is required. In this study, we deleted the Orco gene in the Lepidopteran model insect, Bombyx mori, using a binary transgene-based clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system. We initially generated somatic mutations in two targeted sites, from which we obtained homozygous mutants with deletion of a 866 base pair sequence. Because of the flight inability of B. mori, we developed a novel method to examine the adult mating behavior. Considering the specialization in larval feeding, we examined food selection behavior in Orco somatic mutants by the walking trail analysis of silkworm position over time. Single sensillum recordings indicated that the antenna of the homozygous mutant was unable to respond to either of the two sex pheromones, bombykol or bombykal. An adult mating behavior assay revealed that the Orco mutant displayed a significantly impaired mating selection behavior in response to natural pheromone released by a wild-type female moth as well as an 11:1 mixture of bombykol/bombykal. The mutants also exhibited a decreased response to bombykol and, similar to wild-type moths, they displayed no response to bombykal. A larval feeding behavior assay revealed that the Orco mutant displayed defective selection for mulberry leaves and different concentrations of the volatile compound cis-jasmone found in mulberry leaves. Deletion of BmOrco severely disrupts the olfactory system, suggesting that BmOrco is indispensable in the olfactory pathway. The approach used for generating somatic and homozygous mutations also highlights a novel method for mutagenesis. This study on BmOrco function provides insights into the insect olfactory system and also provides a paradigm for agroforestry pest control" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Base Sequence Bombyx/*physiology CRISPR-Cas Systems Feeding Behavior Female Insect Proteins/physiology Male Molecular Sequence Data Receptors, Odorant/*physiology Sensilla/physiology Sexual Behavior, Animal *Smell Bombyx mori CRISPR/Cas9 Odorant-r;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineLiu, Qun Liu, Wei Zeng, Baosheng Wang, Guirong Hao, Dejun Huang, Yongping eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2017/06/05 Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2017 Jul; 86:58-67. doi: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2017.05.007. Epub 2017 May 31" |
