Identification and evaluation of reference genes for gene expression analysis in the weevil pest Pagiophloeus tsushimanus using RT-qPCR

[Display omitted] •Suitable reference genes should be screened out under different experimental conditions.•Three stable reference genes combination are necessary for quantitative analysis.•RPS3, RPL10, and UBQ are for developmental stages in Pagiophloeus tsushimanus.•RPL10, RPS3, and 18S rRNA are for different tissues in P. tsushimanus.•18S rRNA, TBP, and RPS3 are for P. tsushimanus reared on different plants. Pagiophloeus tsushimanus is a newly and specialist wood-boring beetle of Cinnamomum camphora in China. RT-qPCR is an accurate quantitative method to quantify target genes expression, which relies on suitable reference genes for data normalization. Reference genes must to be stably expressed under specific experimental conditions. No suitable reference genes of P. tsushimanus have been reported so far. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and evaluate suitable reference genes for the study of functional genes of this pest. In this research, the expression stability of eight candidate reference genes (RPS3, 18S rRNA, GAPDH, TBP, RPL10, UBQ, GST, and RPS27A) were systematically evaluated in P. tsushimanus by five algorithms (geNorm, BestKeeper, NormFinder, delta Cq, and RefFinder) under different developmental stages, various tissues, and insects reared on different plants, and validated by the olfactory key gene odorant binding protein 33 (PtsuOBP33). The results showed that three stable reference genes combination were necessary for quantitative analysis of target gene. RPS3, RPL10, and UBQ were the optimal reference genes combination for gene expression analysis of developmental stages, while RPL10, RPS3, and 18S rRNA were recommended for different tissues, and 18S rRNA, TBP, and RPS3 were recommended for insects reared on different plants. The results indicated that suitable reference genes should be screened out for gene expression analysis under different conditions. This paper systematically analyzed and obtained suitable reference genes in P. tsushimanus for the first time, which would contribute to the functional analysis of genes and the in-depth mining of genetic resources in it.