Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (
NADPH)-cytochrome P450 reductase (
CPR) is an essential
enzyme that transfers electrons from
NADPH to
cytochrome P450 monooxygenases.
CPR is involved in cuticular
hydrocarbon (CHC) synthesis in insects and is vital for insect development and survival. Here, we clarify the physiological function of a
CPR gene in Nilaparvata lugens, an important rice pest, by using RNA interference.
CPR gene knockdown leads to the functional loss of waterproofing and water retention in the integument of female adults, which causes significantly reduced
body weight and a lethal phenotype. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the
lipid layer on the outermost surface of the abdominal cuticle becomes thin in dsCPR-injected adults. Furthermore, CHC profile analysis reveals that
CPR knockdown significantly decreases the contents of CHCs with a
carbon chain length ≥ C27 in adult females. Moreover, we find that
CPR knockdown generates a deficient phenotype in ovaries with deformed oocytes and a complete failure of egg-laying. These findings suggest that
CPR plays multiple functional roles in CHC biosynthesis and embryo development in insects.