Frontiers in Physiology (Mar 2023)

RNA interference in cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP) gene results in reduced insecticide resistance in Megalurothrips usitatus Bagnall

  • Weiyi Chen,
  • Zhaoyang Li,
  • Chenyan Zhou,
  • Asad Ali,
  • Shaukat Ali,
  • Jianhui Wu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1130389
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14

Abstract

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Genes of the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) superfamily are known to be involved in the evolution of insecticide resistance. In this study, the transcriptomes of two Megalurothrips usitatus Bagnall (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) strains (resistant and susceptible) were screened for detoxification genes. MusiDN2722 encodes a protein composed of 504 amino acid residues with a relative molecular mass of 57.3 kDa. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that MusiDN2722 is a member of the CYP450 family and has characteristics of the conserved CYP6 domain shared by typical CYP450 family members. RT-qPCR (real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction) analysis showed that MusiDN2722 was upregulated in the acetamiprid-resistant strain compared with the susceptible strain (p < 0.05), and the relative expression level was significantly higher at 48 h after exposure than at 24 h after exposure. The interference efficiency of the injection method was higher than that of the membrane-feeding method. Silencing of MusiDN2722 through RNA interference significantly increased the sensitivity of M. usitatus to acetamiprid. Overall, this study revealed that MusiDN2722 plays a crucial role in the resistance of M. usitatus to acetamiprid. The findings will not only advance our understanding of the role of P450s in insecticide resistance but also provide a potential target for the sustainable control of destructive pests such as thrips.

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