CRISPR-Cas13-mediated RNA editing in the silkworm Bombyx mori

The CRISPR-Cas13 system, an RNA-guided editing tool, has emerged as a highly efficient and stable RNA editing technique. Although the CRISPR-Cas13 system has been developed in several insect species, its application in lepidopterans has not yet been reported. In the present study, we evaluated the RNA cleavage activity of the CRISPR-Cas13 system in the silkworm (Bombyx mori), a model lepidopteran insect, both ex vivo and in vivo. We PspCas13b and CasRx, respectively. Further analysis demonstrated that both PspCas13b and CasRx effectively down-regulated the transcription of exogenouslystrains, one expressing CasRx and the other expressing manipulation in lepidopteran insects.