Orco mutagenesis causes deficiencies in olfactory sensitivity and fertility in the migratory brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2025
Embryo Injections for CRISPR-Mediated Mutagenesis in the Ant Harpegnathos saltator
Published on: February 9, 2021
Xin-Yang Liu1, Ru Yan1, Sun-Jie Chen1
1State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Background:
The migratory brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), is the most destructive pest affecting rice plants in Asia and feeds exclusively on rice. Studies have investigated the olfactory response of BPHs to the major rice volatile compounds in rice. The insect olfactory co-receptor (Orco) is a crucial component of the olfactory system and is essential for odorant detection. Functional analysis of the Orco gene in BPHs would aid in the identification of their host preference.
Results:
We identified the BPH Orco homologue (NlOrco) by Blast searching the BPH transcriptome with the Drosophila Orco gene sequence. Spatiotemporal analysis indicated that NlOrco is first expressed in the later egg stage, and is expressed mainly in the antennae in adult females. A NlOrco-knockout line (NlOrco-/- ) was generated through clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis. The NlOrco-/- mutants showed no response to rice volatile compounds and consequently no host-plant preference. In addition, NlOrco-/- mutants exhibited extended nymphal duration and impaired fecundity compared with wild-type BPHs.
Conclusion:
Our findings indicated that BPHs exhibit strong olfactory responses to major rice volatile compounds and suggest that NlOrco is required for the maximal fitness of BPHs. Our results may facilitate the identification of potential target genes or chemical compounds for BPH control applications. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Related Concept Videos
01:16In-vitro Mutagenesis
02:27Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...