雄蛾依靠触角来感受同种雌蛾的性信息素，因而触角特异或高表达是信息素结合蛋白（PBP）等嗅觉相关基因的基本特征；但我们新近从斜纹夜蛾发现一个新的夜蛾科PBP基因（PBP4），在触角中仅微量表达，却只在雄蛾生殖系统高表达（雌蛾腹部也不表达），暗示该基因在雄蛾生殖生理中的重要作用。为揭示PBP这一新功能，项目拟首先利用qPCR和Western blot，测定该基因在雄性生殖系统不同部位的表达和分布；然后通过CRISPR/Cas9技术敲除并建立敲除纯合品系；继而通过敲除品系和野生品系的比较研究，从雄蛾交配行为、生殖系统（精巢、精子等）发育、营养等生化物质方面，阐明PBP4在雄性生殖过程中的作用；最后对精巢等组织进行转录组测序，分析敲除和对照品系间差异表达基因及其涉及的代谢通路，探讨其分子机制。结果可为PBP基因的功能及进化提供新见解，为基于生殖系统的害虫防治技术的开发提供新思路。

Antenna is the only organ for males to percept sex pheromones released by conspecific females, and thus PBP and other olfactory genes all show an antenna highly or specifically expressed pattern. PBPs play roles in transporting pheromone components, under a strong selection pressure. However, we recently found a new PBP member (PBP4) in noctuids from Spodoptera exigua, which expressed very weakly in antennae, but very highly in the reproductive system, and the protein did not transport to females during the copulation. This fact strongly implies that PBP4 play important physiological roles in the male reproductive system. To reveal this new function of PBP, we in the project intend to: 1) by qPCR and Western blot, to locate the mRNA and the protein in different parts of the reproduction organ; 2) to set up a PBP4 gene knocked out strain of S. exigua by using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique, and by the comparison with the wild insects, to 3) to clarify the function of PBP4 in male reproduction physiology, by investigating males’ calling and mating behaviors, morphology and development of reproductive system (especially the testis, sperm and accessory gland), and contents of nutrient and other chemicals; and 4) to further explore the molecular mechanisms of the regulation of PBP4 to reproduction physiology, by sequencing and analyzing the up and down expressed genes, and further the metabolism pathways the differential genes involved in. The results will provide a new understanding to the function and evolution of PBP genes, and also new idea to develop the reproduction physiology based pest control techniques.