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Optimising reference gene selection in unravelling Begomovirus-induced autophagy expression in Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2025

N.R. Prasannakumar Open the ORCID record for N.R. Prasannakumar [Opens in a new window] ,
K. Ashok Open the ORCID record for K. Ashok [Opens in a new window] ,
N. Jyothi Open the ORCID record for N. Jyothi [Opens in a new window] ,
V. Venkataravanappa Open the ORCID record for V. Venkataravanappa [Opens in a new window]  and
R. Asokan Open the ORCID record for R. Asokan [Opens in a new window]
N.R. Prasannakumar*
Affiliation:
Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-Indian Institute for Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, KA, India
K. Ashok
Affiliation:
Division of Basic Sciences, ICAR-Indian Institute for Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, KA, India Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
N. Jyothi
Affiliation:
Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-Indian Institute for Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, KA, India
V. Venkataravanappa
Affiliation:
Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-Indian Institute for Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, KA, India
R. Asokan
Affiliation:
Division of Basic Sciences, ICAR-Indian Institute for Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, KA, India
*
Corresponding author: N.R. Prasannakumar; Email: prasannaent@gmail.com
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Abstract

Gene expression can be quantified using the sensitive technique of quantitative reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction. Inter-sample variances can be minimised through normalisation with an appropriate reference gene. Bemisia tabaci, a significant insect vector of the Begomovirus family, transmits the Tomato Leaf Curl Bangalore Virus, for which there is a dearth of information regarding appropriate reference genes for autophagy. The viral load surpasses the vector’s capacity when autophagy is activated, which is also detrimental to whiteflies, particularly concerning virus translocation. To mitigate this vector using a double-stranded RNA approach, a precise measurement of gene silencing is required. For this investigation, normalisation of housekeeping or internal control genes is necessary. The present work utilised software tools such as geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper to assess the suitability of five reference genes, namely, α-tubulin, β-tubulin, elongation factor, actin, and sucrose synthase, for gene expression studies in viruliferous and non-viruliferous B. tabaci. The analysis of the data showed that β-tubulin, which exhibits more stable expression, is the best-ranked reference gene. Furthermore, the reference genes were verified using the target gene expression of atg3 (an autophagy gene). The current findings enable precise measurement of gene expression in begomovirus-induced autophagy conditions of B. tabaci.

Keywords

autophagyBemisia tabacigene expressionnormalisationreference genes

Information

Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 115 , Issue 6 , December 2025 , pp. 801 - 807
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press.

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