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Bicaudal-C plays a vital role in oogenesis in Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)
Bing-Xin Zhang1, Hai-Jian Huang1, Bing Yu1
1Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
Abstract:
Bicaudal-C (Bic-C) was originally identified in a Drosophila melanogaster mutagenesis screen and plays vital roles in embryogenesis. In this study, we characterized the Bic-C gene in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), an insect pest that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis. Our result showed that N. lugens Bic-C (NlBic-C) is a female-specific gene in this species. It is specifically expressed in developing oocytes and is not expressed in laid eggs. Ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) of NlBic-C arrested the uptake of vitelline by oocytes, and resulted in undeveloped ovaries and the complete inhibition of oocyte growth in the ovarioles, suggesting that NlBic-C is required for oogenesis and oocyte maturation. NlBic-C is extremely highly sensitive to RNAi, suggesting that it may be a potential target in RNAi-based insect pest management.
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