CRISPR/Cas9-Based Genome Editing of Fall Armyworm (<i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i>): Progress and Prospects
Yussuf Mohamed Salum,
Anyuan Yin,
Uroosa Zaheer,
Yuanyuan Liu,
Yi Guo,
Weiyi He
Affiliations
Yussuf Mohamed Salum
State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Anyuan Yin
State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Uroosa Zaheer
State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Yuanyuan Liu
State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Yi Guo
Plant Protection Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou 510640, China
Weiyi He
State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) poses a substantial threat to many important crops worldwide, emphasizing the need to develop and implement advanced technologies for effective pest control. CRISPR/Cas9, derived from the bacterial adaptive immune system, is a prominent tool used for genome editing in living organisms. Due to its high specificity and adaptability, the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been used in various functional gene studies through gene knockout and applied in research to engineer phenotypes that may cause economical losses. The practical application of CRISPR/Cas9 in diverse insect orders has also provided opportunities for developing strategies for genetic pest control, such as gene drive and the precision-guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT). In this review, a comprehensive overview of the recent progress in the application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system for functional gene studies in S. frugiperda is presented. We outline the fundamental principles of applying CRISPR/Cas9 in S. frugiperda through embryonic microinjection and highlight the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in the study of genes associated with diverse biological aspects, including body color, insecticide resistance, olfactory behavior, sex determination, development, and RNAi. The ability of CRISPR/Cas9 technology to induce sterility, disrupt developmental stages, and influence mating behaviors illustrates its comprehensive roles in pest management strategies. Furthermore, this review addresses the limitations of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in studying gene function in S. frugiperda and explores its future potential as a promising tool for controlling this insect pest.
