Cloning, Characterization, and RNA Interference Effect of the Gene in .

The rice leaf folder, is a major pest of rice and is difficult to control. UDP-N-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase (UAP) is a key enzyme in the chitin synthesis pathway in insects. In this study, the gene from () was cloned and characterized. The cDNA of is 1788 bp in length, containing an open reading frame of 1464 nucleotides that encodes 487 amino acids. Homology and phylogenetic analyses of the predicted protein indicated that CmUAP shared 91.79%, 87.89%, and 82.75% identities with UAPs of , , and , respectively. Expression pattern analyses by droplet digital PCR demonstrated that was expressed at all developmental stages and in 12 tissues of adults. Silencing of by injection of double-stranded RNA specific to caused death, slow growth, reduced feeding and excretion, and weight loss in larvae; meanwhile, severe developmental disorders were observed. The findings suggest that is essential for the growth and development of , and that targeting the gene through RNAi technology can be used for biological control of this insect.