Cloning, Tissue Distribution, and Transmembrane Orientation of the Olfactory Co-Receptor Orco from Two Important Lepidopteran Rice Pests, the Leaffolder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis) and the Striped Stem Borer (Chilo suppressalis)

In insects, the sense of smell is mainly mediated by olfactory receptors (Ors). Olfactory co-receptor (Orco), which is co-expressed with the Ors in almost all olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), is demonstrated to be an essential component in the insect olfactory system. It can be potential target for developing novel olfactory-disruption strategy to control insect pests. In this study, two full-length cDNA sequences encoding Orcos (CmedOrco and ChsupOrco) were cloned from two Lepidopteran rice pests, the rice leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and the rice striped stem borer, Chilo suppressalis. The amino acid sequences of CmedOrco and ChsupOrco showed high similarity to the previously identified Orcos from other insect species. Bioinformatic prediction and cellular immunofluorescence indicated that CmedOrco and ChsupOrco were both seven-transmembrane proteins with intracellular N-termini and extracellular C-termini. mRNA expression levels of the two Orcos were much higher in male and female antennae than those in non-olfactory tissues, and the ChsupOrco transcripts reached a peak level in adults compared to other life stages. Our results provide a foundation from which it will be possible to elucidate the roles of Orco in moth olfaction and for the development of environment-friendly management strategies of these two rice insect pests.