For a devastating agricultural pest, functional genomics promotes the finding of novel technology to control Spodoptera frugiperda, such as the genetics-based strategies. In the present study, 11 yellow genes were identified in Spodoptera frugiperda. The transcriptome analysis showed the tissue-specific expression of part yellow genes, which suggested the importance of yellow genes in some biological processes in S. frugiperda, such as pigmentation. Among these yellow genes, the expression profiles of yellow-y gene showed that it was expressed in all life stages. In order to realize the further study of yellow-y, we employed CRISPR/Cas9 system to knock out this gene. Following knock out, diverse phenotypes were observed, such as color changes in both larvae and adults. Different from the wild-type larvae and adults, G₀ mutants were yellowed since hatching. However, no color difference was observed with the pupal cuticle between the wild-type and mutant pupae before the 8th day. On the basis of the single-pair strategy of G0 generation, the yellow-y gene was proved to be a recessive gene. The G1 yellowish larvae with biallelic mutations displayed a relatively longer development period than wild-type, and often generated abnormal pupae and moths. The deletion of yellow-y also resulted in a decline in the fecundity. The results revealed that yellow-y gene was important for S. frugiperda pigmentation, as well as in its development and reproduction. Besides, the present study set up a standard procedure to knock out genes in S. frugiperda, which could be helpful for our understanding some key molecular processes, such as functional roles of detoxification genes as insecticide resistance mechanisms or modes of action of insecticides to facilitate the management of this insect pest.

对于破坏性农业害虫，功能基因组学促进了控制草地夜蛾的新技术的发现，例如基于遗传学的策略。在本研究中，在草地夜蛾中鉴定了11 个黄色基因。转录组分析显示部分黄色基因的组织特异性表达，这表明黄色基因在草地贪夜蛾的一些生物过程中的重要性，例如色素沉着。在这些黄色基因中，yellow-y基因的表达谱表明它在生命的各个阶段都有表达。为了实现对yellow-y的进一步研究，我们采用 CRISPR/Cas9 系统敲除该基因。敲除后，观察到不同的表型，例如幼虫和成虫的颜色变化。与野生型幼虫和成虫不同的是，G ₀突变体在孵化后呈黄色。然而，在第 8 天之前，野生型和突变型蛹之间的蛹角质层没有观察到颜色差异。根据G0代单对策略，证明yellow-y基因为隐性基因。具有双等位基因突变的 G1 淡黄色幼虫比野生型显示出相对较长的发育期，并且经常产生异常的蛹和飞蛾。删除yellow-y也导致繁殖力下降。结果表明，黄色-y基因对于S. frugiperda色素沉着及其发育和繁殖很重要。此外，本研究建立了一个标准程序来敲除草地贪夜蛾中的基因，这可能有助于我们理解一些关键的分子过程，例如解毒基因作为杀虫剂抗性机制的功能作用或杀虫剂的作用模式以促进这种害虫的管理。