The codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), (Lepidoptera:Tortricidae), is a global pest of apple, pear and walnut. Pest management strategies incorporating semiochemicals, including pheromones and kairomones have been successful in reducing codling moth damage in the orchards, though codling moth persists as a major pest throughout the world. A better understanding of the fundamentals of the codling moth olfactory system are sought, in order to augment the olfactory-based pest-management systems. Odorant receptors are central molecular players to the insect olfactory system, responsible for detecting odorants from the environment and thus serving as gatekeepers to the brain and behavior. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing serves as an excellent way to study the biological effects of individual genes, in vivo, of non-model organisms. For this study, we have targeted a female-specific codling moth odorant receptor for CRISPR/CAS9 editing, in order to disrupt the gene and research the effects of its absence on olfactory-based behaviors of female codling moth. We report on the genomic dynamics of CRISPR editing at this gene locus, with respect to genomic DNA and mRNA transcripts, and discuss downstream implications in genome-edited codling moth.
