Knockout of cryptochrome 1 disturbs the locomotor circadian rhythm and development of Plutella xylostella

In this study,cry1 was cloned and identified inP.  xylostella. Then, acry1-knockout strain (Cry1-KO) ofP.  xylostella with a 2-bp deletion was established from the strain Geneva 88 (G88) using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. No daily temporal oscillation ofcry1 was observed in G88 and Cry1-KO, andcry1 mean daily transcription of Cry1-KO was lower than that of G88. Both G88 and Cry1-KO demonstrated rhythmic locomotion under the light/dark condition with Cry1-KO being more active than G88 in the daytime, whereas Cry1-KO completely lost rhythmicity under constant darkness. The developmental period of pre-adult of Cry1-KO was longer than that of G88; the lifespan of the Cry1-KO male adult was shorter than that of G88; the fecundity of Cry1-KO was lower than that of G88; and Cry1-KO showed lower intrinsic rate of increase (r), net reproduction rate (R0), finite increase rate (λ), and longer mean generation time (T) than G88. Our results indicate thatcry1 is involved in the regulation of locomotor circadian rhythm and development inP.  xylostella, providing a potential target gene for controlling the pest and a basis for further investigation on circadian rhythms in lepidopterans.
Source: Insect Science - Category: Biology Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research