Deleting one gene throws off moth mating signals and dances
Zhang X, Han S, Wu Q, Liang K, Cai J
Crispr
If you grow cabbage, broccoli, kale, or other brassicas, the diamondback moth is likely already chewing through your crop, and this gene could become the basis for pheromone traps or biocontrol that spare beneficial insects.
Moths find mates using scent signals called pheromones, and making those scents requires specific genes working like tiny chemical factories. Researchers used gene-editing to switch off one such gene in diamondback moths and found the moths' pheromone production dropped sharply, so males had trouble finding females and courtship rituals fell apart. Since diamondback moths are a top pest of cabbage-family crops worldwide, understanding this gene could help scientists design smarter pheromone-based traps that disrupt mating without harming other insects.
Key Findings
CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of PxylDES3, a Δ11-desaturase gene, significantly reduced the three main sex pheromone components (Z11-16:Ald, Z11-16:OH, Z11-16:Ac) in female moths compared to wild type
Pheromone components were reduced but not eliminated, suggesting other desaturase genes partially compensate for the loss
Mutant females had lower mating success, and males showed impaired orientation and weaker wing-fanning and hair-pencil courtship responses toward them
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists disabled a single gene in diamondback moths and found it controls much of their sex pheromone production, cutting mating success and courtship behavior. The discovery offers a new genetic target for controlling this major crop pest without broad-spectrum pesticides.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
In vivo functional analysis of Fatty-acyl desaturase 3 in sex pheromone biosynthesis and courtship behavior of Plutella xylostella.
Moths rely on sex pheromones for long-distance mate attraction and recognition. The biosynthesis of moth sex pheromones involves multiple enzymatic steps, among which desaturases play a pivotal rol...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Targeted knockout of a host peroxisomal peptidase confers field resistance to...
The corn in your grocery store and the staple food keeping millions of East African families fed is under serious threat from a viral disease that can wipe o...
Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of Brassica oleracea, is a leafy green, red (purple), or white biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage, and belongs to the "cole crops" or brassicas, meaning it is closely related to b...