NPF and sNPF can regulate the feeding behaviour and affect the growth and antioxidant levels of the rice brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens

Neuropeptide F (NPF) and short neuropeptide F (sNPF) are important neuropeptides and mainly affect feeding behaviour of insects. However, the regulation of insect feeding behaviour by NPF and sNPF appears to differ between species, and it is not clear how NPF and sNPF regulate the food intake of the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens). Therefore, the functions of NPF and sNPF in regulating food intake and affecting the growth and antioxidant levels of N. lugens fed on host rice plants were investigated by knocking down NPF and sNPF respectively and simultaneously knocking down both of them by RNA interference. The results showed that NPF and sNPF were mainly expressed in the head of N. lugens, and N. lugens increased food intake after NPF and sNPF were knocked down, which was reflected in the prolonged duration of N4a and N4b waves in the electrical penetration graph (EPG) experiment after knocking down NPF and sNPF. In addition, knocking down NPF and sNPF led to the increase of body weight and mortality of N. lugens, and also led to the increase of antioxidant level of N. lugens. So it was concluded that NPF and sNPF could regulate food intake, maintain body weight stability and oxidative balance in N. lugens. Our study clarified the molecular mechanism of NPF and sNPF regulating feeding behaviour and affect the growth and antioxidant level of N. lugens.