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Dual mutations in the whitefly nicotinic acetylcholine receptor β1 subunit confer target-site resistance to multiple neonicotinoid insecticides.

ABSTRACT: Neonicotinoid insecticides, which target insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), have been widely and intensively used to control the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, a highly damaging, globally distributed, crop pest. This has inevitably led to the emergence of populations with resistance to neonicotinoids. However, to date, there have been no reports of target-site resistance involving mutation of B. tabaci nAChR genes. Here we characterize the nAChR subunit gene family of B. tabaci and identify dual mutations (A58T&R79E) in one of these genes (BTβ1) that confer resistance to multiple neonicotinoids. Transgenic D. melanogaster, where the native nAChR Dβ1 was replaced with BTβ1A58T&R79E, were significantly more resistant to neonicotinoids than flies where Dβ1 were replaced with the wildtype BTβ1 sequence, demonstrating the causal role of the mutations in resistance. The two mutations identified in this study replace two amino acids that are highly conserved in >200 insect species. Three-dimensional modelling suggests a molecular mechanism for this resistance, whereby A58T forms a hydrogen bond with the R79E side chain, which positions its negatively-charged carboxylate group to electrostatically repulse a neonicotinoid at the orthosteric site. Together these findings describe the first case of target-site resistance to neonicotinoids in B. tabaci and provide insight into the molecular determinants of neonicotinoid binding and selectivity.

SUBMITTER: Yin C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10906874 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Dual mutations in the whitefly nicotinic acetylcholine receptor β1 subunit confer target-site resistance to multiple neonicotinoid insecticides.

Yin Cheng C O'Reilly Andrias O AO Liu Shao-Nan SN Du Tian-Hua TH Gong Pei-Pan PP Zhang Cheng-Jia CJ Wei Xue-Gao XG Yang Jing J Huang Ming-Jiao MJ Fu Bu-Li BL Liang Jin-Jin JJ Xue Hu H Hu Jin-Yu JY Ji Yao Y He Chao C Du He H Wang Chao C Zhang Rong R Tan Qi-Mei QM Lu Han-Tang HT Xie Wen W Chu Dong D Zhou Xu-Guo XG Nauen Ralf R Gui Lian-You LY Bass Chris C Yang Xin X Zhang You-Jun YJ

PLoS genetics 20240220 2

Neonicotinoid insecticides, which target insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), have been widely and intensively used to control the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, a highly damaging, globally distributed, crop pest. This has inevitably led to the emergence of populations with resistance to neonicotinoids. However, to date, there have been no reports of target-site resistance involving mutation of B. tabaci nAChR genes. Here we characterize the nAChR subunit gene family of B. tabaci and id ...[more]

PMID: 38377137

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Project description:BackgroundMyzus persicae is a globally important aphid pest with a history of developing resistance to insecticides. Unusually, neonicotinoids have remained highly effective as control agents despite nearly two decades of steadily increasing use. In this study, a clone of M. persicae collected from southern France was found, for the first time, to exhibit sufficiently strong resistance to result in loss of the field effectiveness of neonicotinoids.ResultsBioassays, metabolism and gene expression studies implied the presence of two resistance mechanisms in the resistant clone, one based on enhanced detoxification by cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, and another unaffected by a synergist that inhibits detoxifying enzymes. Binding of radiolabeled imidacloprid (a neonicotinoid) to whole body membrane preparations showed that the high affinity [3H]-imidacloprid binding site present in susceptible M. persicae is lost in the resistant clone and the remaining lower affinity site is altered compared to susceptible clones. This confers a significant overall reduction in binding affinity to the neonicotinoid target: the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of six nAChR subunit (Mpα1-5 and Mpβ1) genes from resistant and susceptible aphid clones revealed a single point mutation in the loop D region of the nAChR β1 subunit of the resistant clone, causing an arginine to threonine substitution (R81T).ConclusionPrevious studies have shown that the amino acid at this position within loop D is a key determinant of neonicotinoid binding to nAChRs and this amino acid change confers a vertebrate-like character to the insect nAChR receptor and results in reduced sensitivity to neonicotinoids. The discovery of the mutation at this position and its association with the reduced affinity of the nAChR for imidacloprid is the first example of field-evolved target-site resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides and also provides further validation of exisiting models of neonicotinoid binding and selectivity for insect nAChRs.

Project description:Background and purposeNeonicotinoid insecticides interact with the orthosteric site formed at subunit interfaces of insect nicotinic ACh (nACh) receptors. However, their interactions with the orthosteric sites at α-non α and α-α subunit interfaces remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanism of neonicotinoid actions using the Drosophila Dα1-chicken β2 hybrid nACh receptor.Experimental approachComputer models of the (Dα1)3 (β2)2 nACh receptor in complex with imidacloprid and thiacloprid were generated. Amino acids in the Dα1 subunit were mutated to corresponding amino acids in the human α4 subunit to examine their effects on the agonist actions of neonicotinoids on (Dα1)3 (β2)2 and (Dα1)2 (β2)3 nACh receptors expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes using voltage-clamp electrophysiology.Key resultsThe (Dα1)3 (β2)2 nACh receptor models indicated that amino acids in loops D, E and G probably determine the effects of neonicotinoids. The amino acid mutations tested had minimal effects on the EC50 for ACh. However, the R57S mutation in loop G, although having minimal effect on imidacloprid's actions, reduced the affinity of thiacloprid for the (Dα1)3 (β2)2 nACh receptor, while scarcely affecting thiacloprid's action on the (Dα1)2 (β2)3 nACh receptor. Both the K140T and the combined R57S;K140T mutations reduced neonicotinoid efficacy but only for the (Dα1)3 (β2)2 nACh receptor. Combining the E78K mutation with the R57S;K140T mutations resulted in a selective reduction of thiacloprid's affinity for the (Dα1)3 (β2)2 nACh receptor.Conclusions and implicationsThese findings suggest that a triangle of residues from loops D, E and G contribute to the selective actions of neonicotinoids on insect-vertebrate hybrid nACh receptors.Linked articlesThis article is part of a themed section on Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.11/issuetoc.

Dataset Information

Dual mutations in the whitefly nicotinic acetylcholine receptor β1 subunit confer target-site resistance to multiple neonicotinoid insecticides.

Publications

Dual mutations in the whitefly nicotinic acetylcholine receptor β1 subunit confer target-site resistance to multiple neonicotinoid insecticides.

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