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Interference with orco gene expression affects host recognition in Diorhabda tarsalis
Hong-Hao Chen1,2, Youssef Dewer3, Yan Wang2
1Department of Entomology and MOA Key Laboratory of Pest Monitoring and Green Management Chinese Medicinal Herbs Research Center and College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
Frontiers in Physiology
|January 6, 2023
Summary
Researchers identified 29 odorant receptor genes in the Chinese licorice beetle, Diorhabda tarsalis. Disrupting the odorant coreceptor (orco) gene impaired the beetle's ability to locate host plants, suggesting new pest control strategies.
Area of Science:
- Insect olfaction mechanisms
- Molecular biology of insect-pest interactions
- Chemical ecology
Background:
- Diorhabda tarsalis is a significant pest of Chinese licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis).
- Insect behavior, including host location, is influenced by plant volatiles and insect pheromones.
- Understanding olfaction is key to developing novel pest management strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify odorant receptors (ORs) in D. tarsalis.
- To investigate the function of the odorant coreceptor (orco) in D. tarsalis olfaction.
- To elucidate the molecular basis of host location in this insect pest.
Main Methods:
- Antennal transcriptomes of adult D. tarsalis were sequenced using the PacBio RS II platform to identify OR genes.
- Phylogenetic analysis was performed on identified ORs and those from other Coleoptera species.
- Gene function was explored using dsRNA interference (RNAi) targeting the DtarORco gene.
- Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to assess gene expression levels.
- Electrophysiological recordings were conducted to measure antennal responses to olfactory stimuli.
Main Results:
- Twenty-nine candidate odorant receptor genes were identified in D. tarsalis.
- DtarORco, DtarOR7, and DtarOR26 showed specific and high expression in the antennae of both male and female beetles.
- Knockdown of DtarORco via dsRNA interference significantly reduced gene expression and electrophysiological responses to host localization cues.
- Beetles with reduced DtarORco expression lost their ability to locate host plants.
Conclusions:
- The odorant coreceptor DtarORco plays a crucial role in the olfaction and host-locating behavior of D. tarsalis.
- The identified ORs provide a foundation for further research into the olfactory mechanisms of this pest.
- Targeting olfactory pathways, particularly the odorant coreceptor, offers potential for developing environmentally friendly pest control methods.
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