Mutagenesis of odorant coreceptor Orco reveals the distinct role of olfaction between sexes in Spodoptera frugiperda

Odorant receptor (OR) is crucial for insects to detect and recognize external chemical cues closely related to their survival. The insect OR forms a heteromeric complex composed of a ligand-specific receptor and a ubiquitously odorant receptor coreceptor (Orco). This study used the CRISPR/Cas9 technique to knock out (KO) Orco and reveal its essential role in acting on OR-meditated olfactory behavior in a critical invasive agricultural pest, the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda. Electroantennogram (EAG) results suggested that the Orco mutants of both male and female moths severely reduced their electrophysiological responses to the eight tested plant volatiles and two sex pheromones. However, the Orco gene played distinct roles in mating behavior between sexes: the mating behavior was fully disrupted in mutated males but not in mutated females. The oviposition result indicated that the Orco KO females displayed reduced egg laying by 24.1% compared with the mated wild type (WT) females. Overall, these results strongly suggest that Orco is an excellent target for disrupting FAW’s normal behavior and provides a feasible pest control approach.