RNAi-Mediated Manipulation of Cuticle Coloration Genes in Knight (Hemiptera: Miridae).

Cuticle coloration in insects is a consequence of the accumulation of pigments in a species-specific pattern. Numerous genes are involved in regulating the underlying processes of melanization and sclerotization, and their manipulation can be used to create externally visible markers of successful gene editing. To clarify the roles for many of these genes and examine their suitability as phenotypic markers in Knight (western tarnished plant bug), transcriptomic data were screened for sequences exhibiting homology with the proteins.

CRISPR-mediated knockout of cardinal and cinnabar eye pigmentation genes in the western tarnished plant bug.

The western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus, is a key hemipteran pest of numerous agricultural, horticultural, and industrial crops in the western United States and Mexico. A lack of genetic tools in L. hesperus hinders progress in functional genomics and in developing innovative pest control methods such as gene drive.