松材线虫病是世界性的检疫性病害，在我国严重发生。高效频繁的交配行为是松材线虫快速繁殖及病害发生的基础，而性信息素是松材线虫实现高效交配的重要保障。开展松材线虫性信息素受体基因的挖掘及表达调控研究，对于揭示松材线虫性信息素信号接收的分子机制具有十分重要的意义，也是亟待研究的科学问题之一。在前一个国家基金的资助下，本团队对松材线虫的交配行为和性信息素开展了深入研究，明确了交配行为模式，确定了性信息素的有效组分和诱集效果。本项目拟在上述研究的基础上，进一步采用生物信息学等方法，分析并确定松材线虫性信息素受体基因，明确其进化地位；揭示松材线虫性信息素受体基因的时空表达特性，并采用RNAi和转基因等技术验证其功能。本研究结果可以为进一步揭示松材线虫性信息素信号转导机制提供基础，为全面研究松材线虫与寄主松树和传媒昆虫的信号交流机制提供参考，也能够为设计特异性、针对性的松材线虫病防控措施提供新的思路。

Pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is responsible for the devastating epidemic of pine wilt disease in Asia and Europe, especially in China. Frequent and efficient mating behavior plays important roles in the exponential population growth and epidemic of pine wilt disease, where sex pheromone is the most important factor. Gene discovery, expression and regulation of sex pheromone receptors will greatly contribute to the understanding of pheromone signalling in pinewood nematode. In the previous NSFC project, we have demonstrated the mating strategy, defined the components of sex pheromone, and confirmed their attracting effect in pinewood nematode. This project will determine sex pheromone receptors via high throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics, and further shed light on the evolutionary relationships among sex pheromone receptors across all species. In addition, the spatio-temporal expression pattern will be defined by mRNA in situ hybridization and reporter gene of GFP in the trans-genetic nematodes. Further more, we will confirm their roles in mating process using RNAi and CRISPR/Cas9 knock-down techniques. This study will not only significantly contribute to the understanding of mechanism of signal transduction in pinewood nematode, but also provide the crucial evidences of pheromone communication between pinewood nematode, host pine trees and vector beetles, as well as, provide the theoretical principles to design specific agents against pine wilt disease at molecular level.