Abstract:In order to explore the molecular mechanism of expression and regulation of storage protein (SP) in larvae of Ostrinia furnacalis (Guene), the sequences of conserved regions of storage protein gene in different insects were used to design the degenerate primers, and a cDNA fragment with the size of 892bp encoding 297 amino acids was amplified from the 5th instar larvae by RT-PCR. The fragment was predicted with molecular weight of 35.7kD and pI value of 8.73. Two conserved larval storage protein (LSP) signature motifs, YFTEDIDLNTYYYYFHVDYP and TALRDPVFC, in the O.furnacalis SP (OfSP) gene were found. Blast P analysis showed that the amino acid sequence of O.furnacalis had the highest identity (77%) to that of Spodoptera litura moderately methionine-rich SP-1, and 74%, 74%, 72%, 71%, 65% to the Plutella xylostella methionine-rich SP-1 and SP-2, Plodia interpunctella SP, Hyphantria cunea SP-2, and Sesamia nonagrioides moderately methionine-rich SP, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of SPs from nine lepidopterans showed that the genetic relationship between OfSP and P.xylostella methionine-rich SP-1 was the closest, while it was the farthest between OfSP and S.nonag- rioides moderately methionine-rich SP.