Abstract:
 Transcriptome is the complete set of RNA transcripts in a specific type of cell or tissue under a certain stage or physiological condition. Next generation high-throughput sequencing technology has changed the study patterns of transcriptomics tremendously, from which RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) is derived. Next generation sequencing is rapidly becoming an advanced technology to explore genetic outlines of non-model organisms. It helps to elucidate the types and number of expressed genescomprehensively, which reveals the molecular mechanisms of physiological and biochemical processes in organisms under certain conditions. This article introduced briefly thebasic concepts of transcriptome sequencing technology and technical processes, elaborated the contribution of this technology to solve problems about taxonomy, toxicology,growth and development, insect-plant interactions, and even non-coding RNA in Lepidoptera, and elucidated the current technical difficulties and the future trends of this technology.

Key words: Transcriptome, transcriptome sequencing, high-throughput sequencing, data assembly, sequencing processes, Lepidoptera