| Summary: | Chitinases are of great importance in chitin degradation and remodeling in insects. However, the genome-wide distribution of chitinase-like gene family in <i>Bemsia tabaci</i>, a destructive pest worldwide, is still elusive. With the help of bioinformatics, we annotated 14 genes that encode putative chitinase-like proteins, including ten chitinases (Cht), three imaginal disk growth factors (<i>IDGF</i>), and one endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (<i>ENGase</i>) in the genome of the whitefly, <i>B. tabaci</i>. These genes were phylogenetically grouped into eight clades, among which 13 genes were classified in the glycoside hydrolase family 18 groups and one in the <i>ENGase</i> group. Afterwards, developmental expression analysis suggested that <i>BtCht10</i>, <i>BtCht5,</i> and <i>BtCht7</i> were highly expressed in nymphal stages and exhibit similar expression patterns, implying their underlying role in nymph ecdysis. Notably, nymphs exhibited a lower rate of survival when challenged by dsRNA targeting these three genes via a nanomaterial-promoted RNAi method. In addition, silencing of <i>BtCht10</i> significantly resulted in a longer duration of development compared to control nymphs. These results indicate a key role of <i>BtCht10</i>, <i>BtCht5,</i> and <i>BtCht7</i> in <i>B. tabaci</i> nymph molting. Our research depicts the differences of chitinase-like family genes in structure and function and identified potential targets for RNAi-based whitefly management.
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