Evaluation of Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-Time PCR Analysis in the Bean Bug, (Hemiptera: Alydidae).

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is widely accepted as a precise and convenient method for quantitatively analyzing the expression of functional genes. The data normalization strongly depends upon stable reference genes. The bean bug, (Hemiptera: Alydidae), is a significant pest of leguminous crops and broadly distributed across Southeast Asia. In this study, a total of 16 candidate reference genes (, , , , , , -, , , , , , , α-, , and ) were carefully chosen in , and their expression levels were assessed across various conditions, including different developmental stages, diverse tissues, temperature treatments, adult age, molting time, and mating status. Following this, the stability of these reference genes was evaluated using four algorithms (ΔCt, GeNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper). Ultimately, the comprehensive rankings were determined using the online tool RefFinder. Our results demonstrate that the reference gene for qRT-PCR analysis in is contingent upon the specific experimental conditions. and are optimal reference genes for developmental stages. Furthermore, α- and exhibit the most stable expression across various adult tissues. and exhibit the most stable expression for adult age. For nymph age, and display the most stable expression. For temperature conditions, and were identified as the most suitable for monitoring gene expression. Lastly, we verified the practicability of evaluating expression levels of odorant-binding protein 37 () and cytochrome P450 6a2 () throughout developmental stages, tissues, and temperature conditions. These findings are a significant addition to the qRT-PCR analysis studies on , serving as a fundamental groundwork for future investigations on stable reference genes in as well as other organisms.