
Larval and adult Helicoverpa armigera use different gustatory receptor genes, Gr10 and Gr6, to detect and respond to sucrose in their respective food sources.


coremsg

Almost all herbivorous insects feed on plants and use sucrose as a feeding stimulant, but the molecular basis of their sucrose reception remains unclear. Helicoverpa armigera as a notorious crop pest worldwide mainly feeds on reproductive organs of many plant species in the larval stage, and its adult draws nectar. In this study, we determined that the sucrose sensory neurons located in the contact chemosensilla of larval maxillary galeae were 100–1000 times more sensitive to sucrose than those of adult antennae, tarsi and proboscis. Using the Xenopus expression system, we discovered that Gr10 highly expressed in the larval sensilla was specifically tuned to sucrose, while Gr6 highly expressed in the adult sensilla responded to fucose, sucrose and fructose. Moreover, using CRISPR/Cas9, we revealed that Gr10 was mainly used by larvae to detect lower sucrose, while Gr6 was primarily used by adults to detect higher sucrose and other saccharides, which results in differences in selectivity and sensitivity between larval and adult sugar sensory neurons. Our results demonstrate the sugar receptors in this moth are evolved to adapt towards the larval and adult foods with different types and amounts of sugar, and fill in a gap in sweet taste of animals.

### Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

The larva and adult of Helicoverpa armigera use differential gustatory receptors to sense sugars

molecular-basis-of-sucrose-perception-differs-between-larval-and-adult-stages-of-the-cotton-bollworm-moth


Molecular Basis of Sucrose Perception Differs Between Larval and Adult Stages of the Cotton Bollworm Moth
