A valine421 to methionine mutation in IS6 of the hscp voltage-gated sodium channel associated with pyrethroid resistance in Heliothis virescens F

Pyrethroids in an AlphaFold2 Model of the Insect Sodium Channel

Pyrethroid insecticides stabilize the open state of insect sodium channels. Previous mutational, electrophysiological, and computational analyses led to the development of homology models predicting two pyrethroid receptor sites, PyR1 and PyR2. Many of the naturally occurring sodium channel mutations, which confer knockdown resistance (kdr) to pyrethroids, are located within or close to these receptor sites, indicating that these mutations impair pyrethroid binding. However, the mechanism of the state-dependent action of pyrethroids and the mechanisms by which kdr mutations beyond the receptor sites confer resistance remain unclear. Recent advances in protein structure prediction using the AlphaFold2 (AF2) neural network allowed us to generate a new model of the mosquito sodium channel AaNav1-1, with the activated voltage-sensing domains (VSMs) and the presumably inactivated pore domain (PM). We further employed Monte Carlo energy minimizations to open PM and deactivate VSM-I and VSM-II to generate additional models. The docking of a Type II pyrethroid deltamethrin in the models predicted its interactions with many known pyrethroid-sensing residues in the PyR1 and PyR2 sites and revealed ligand-channel interactions that stabilized the open PM and activated VSMs. Our study confirms the predicted two pyrethroid receptor sites, explains the state-dependent action of pyrethroids, and proposes the mechanisms of the allosteric effects of various kdr mutations on pyrethroid action. The AF2-based models may assist in the structure-based design of new insecticides.

Differential state-dependent effects of deltamethrin and tefluthrin on sodium channels in central neurons of Helicoverpa armigera

The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera is one of the worldwide pests. Electrophysiological properties of voltage-gated sodium channels in central neurons of sensitive and pyrethroid resistant H. armigera were investigated using whole-cell patch clamp technique. The modification effects of pyrethroid insecticides deltamethrin and tefluthrin on sodium channels were also compared. The V_0.5 of voltage dependence of activation of resistant H. armigera sodium channels (resistant channels) exhibited an obvious depolarizing shift by 13.52 mV compared to that of sensitive H. armigera sodium channels (sensitive channels). In contrast, the V_0.5 of the voltage dependence of steady-state inactivation of the resistant channels showed a significant hyperpolarizing shift by 7.59 mV in comparison with that of the sensitive channels. The time course of recovery from inactivation for the resistant channels was prolonged significantly, by 0.17 ms, compared with that for the sensitive channels. We also assessed the use-dependent effects of deltamethrin and tefluthrin on sensitive sodium channels. Repetitive depolarization remarkably increased the extent of the sensitive channel modification by 10 μM deltamethrin by ~4.61-fold but had no effect on the extent of sensitive channel modifications by 10 μM tefluthrin. These results provide more direct evidence for the presence of nerve insensitivity in resistant H. armigera strains in North of China. The sodium channels of the resistant H. armigera differ from those of the sensitive H. armigera in the fundamental electrophysiological properties, and correspondingly, have a different response to the modification of pyrethroids. Both deltamethrin and tefluthrin have effects on the closed state of the sensitive sodium channels, but deltamethrin has higher affinity to the open state of these channels.

Cytochrome P450-Mediated λ-Cyhalothrin-Resistance in a Field Strain of Helicoverpa armigera from Northeast China

Resistance to pyrethroid and organophosphate insecticides has been a growing problem in the management of cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) populations in the Yangtze River and Yellow River valleys of China, but resistance status and mechanisms of H. armigera populations from northeast China are less documented. In this study, a field strain collected from Shenyang in northeast China (SYR) is up to 16-fold more resistant than a susceptible strain (SS) to λ-cyhalothrin, while the resistance level to phoxim remained low (2.6-fold). Synergist tests and enzymatic assays show that increased cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) activity is the main mechanism for λ-cyhalothrin resistance. Eight out of 10 genes from CYP6 and CYP9 subfamilies were significantly overexpressed in the SYR strain, and CYP6AE11 was the mostly overexpressed P450 (59-fold). These results suggest that overexpression of multiple P450 enzymes contributes to λ-cyhalothrin resistance in the SYR strain of H. armigera from northeast China.

Parallel evolution of vgsc mutations at domains IS6, IIS6 and IIIS6 in pyrethroid resistant Aedes aegypti from Mexico

Aedes aegypti is the primary urban mosquito vector of viruses causing dengue, Zika and chikungunya fevers –for which vaccines and effective pharmaceuticals are still lacking. Current strategies to suppress arbovirus outbreaks include removal of larval-breeding sites and insecticide treatment of larval and adult populations. Insecticidal control of Ae. aegypti is challenging, due to a recent rapid global increase in knockdown-resistance (kdr) to pyrethroid insecticides. Widespread, heavy use of pyrethroid space-sprays has created an immense selection pressure for kdr, which is primarily under the control of the voltage-gated sodium channel gene (vgsc). To date, eleven replacements in vgsc have been discovered, published and shown to be associated with pyrethroid resistance to varying degrees. In Mexico, F1,534C and V1,016I have co-evolved in the last 16 years across Ae. aegypti populations. Recently, a novel replacement V410L was identified in Brazil and its effect on vgsc was confirmed by electrophysiology. Herein, we screened V410L in 25 Ae. aegypti historical collections from Mexico, the first heterozygote appeared in 2002 and frequencies have increased in the last 16 years alongside V1,016I and F1,534C. Knowledge of the specific vgsc replacements and their interaction to confer resistance is essential to predict and to develop strategies for resistance management.

Contemporary evolution of a Lepidopteran species, Heliothis virescens, in response to modern agricultural practices

Adaptation to human-induced environmental change has the potential to profoundly influence the genomic architecture of affected species. This is particularly true in agricultural ecosystems, where anthropogenic selection pressure is strong. Heliothis virescens primarily feeds on cotton in its larval stages, and US populations have been declining since the widespread planting of transgenic cotton, which endogenously expresses proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). No physiological adaptation to Bt toxin has been found in the field, so adaptation in this altered environment could involve (i) shifts in host plant selection mechanisms to avoid cotton, (ii) changes in detoxification mechanisms required for cotton-feeding vs. feeding on other hosts or (iii) loss of resistance to previously used management practices including insecticides. Here, we begin to address whether such changes occurred in H. virescens populations between 1997 and 2012, as Bt-cotton cultivation spread through the agricultural landscape. For our study, we produced an H. virescens genome assembly and used this in concert with a ddRAD-seq-enabled genome scan to identify loci with significant allele frequency changes over the 15-year period. Genetic changes at a previously described H. virescens insecticide target of selection were detectable in our genome scan and increased our confidence in this methodology. Additional loci were also detected as being under selection, and we quantified the selection strength required to elicit observed allele frequency changes at each locus. Potential contributions of genes near loci under selection to adaptive phenotypes in the H. virescens cotton system are discussed.

Mutations of two acidic residues at the cytoplasmic end of segment IIIS6 of an insect sodium channel have distinct effects on pyrethroid resistance

Mutations in sodium channels are known to confer knockdown resistance to pyrethroid insecticides, such as permethrin and cypermethrin, in various agricultural pests and disease vectors. Double mutations, D3i28V and E3i32G, were detected in cypermethrin-resistant Helicoverpa armigera and Heliothis virescens populations. However, the role of the two mutations in pyrethroid resistance remains unclear. In this study, we introduced the mutations into the cockroach sodium channel, BgNav1-1a, and examined their effects on channel gating and pyrethroid sensitivity in Xenopus oocytes. D3i28V alone and the double mutation, D3i28V/E3i32G, shifted the voltage dependence of activation in the depolarizing direction by 15 mV and 20 mV, respectively, whereas E3i32G had no significant effect. D3i28V reduced the amplitude of tail currents induced by permethrin and NRDC 157 (Type I pyrethroids) and deltamethrin and cypermethrin (Type II pyrethroids), whereas E3i32G alone had no effect. Intriguingly, the amplitude of Type II pyrethroid-induced tail current from D3i28V/E3i32G channels was similar to that of BgNav1-1a channels, but the decay of the tail currents was accelerated. Such effects were not observed for Type I pyrethroid-induced tail currents. Computational analysis based on the model of dual pyrethroid receptors on insect sodium channels predicted D3i28V and E3i32G exert their effects on channel gating and pyrethroid action via allosteric mechanisms. Our results not only illustrate the distinct effect of the D3i28V/E3i32G double mutations on Type I vs. Type II pyrethroids, but also reinforce the concept that accelerated decay of tail currents can be an effective mechanism of pyrethroid resistance to Type II pyrethroids.

A new detection method for a newly revealed mechanism of pyrethroid resistance development in Varroa destructor

The Varroa destructor mite has recently displayed an ever increasing resistance to new drugs, contributing to CCD proliferation. This work was aimed at determining new viable methods for identifying the pyrethroid resistance of V. destructor and DNA methylation in resistant and sensitive mites. DNA was extracted from Varroa mites. Nucleotide changes in the DNA of pyrethroid-resistant, pyrethroid-sensitive, and control mites were identified with polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) in the case of five mitochondrial gene fragments. More bands were observed in the drug-resistant mites than in the other two groups. Sequencing confirmed these observations. Decreased global DNA methylation levels were observed in the pyrethroid-resistant mites. There exists a previously undescribed mechanism of pyrethroid resistance development in Varroa mites. The PCR-SSCP methods can be considered and further developed as useful tools for detecting V. destructor resistance.

Multiple mutations in the para-sodium channel gene are associated with pyrethroid resistance in Rhipicephalus microplus from the United States and Mexico

BACKGROUND

Acaricide resistant Rhipicephalus microplus populations have become a major problem for many cattle producing areas of the world. Pyrethroid resistance in arthropods is typically associated with mutations in domains I, II, III, and IV of voltage-gated sodium channel genes. In R. microplus, known resistance mutations include a domain II change (C190A) in populations from Australia, Africa, and South America and a domain III mutation (T2134A) that only occurs in Mexico and the U.S.

METHODS

We investigated pyrethroid resistance in cattle fever ticks from Texas and Mexico by estimating resistance levels in field-collected ticks using larval packet discriminating dose (DD) assays and identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the para-sodium channel gene that associated with resistance. We then developed qPCR assays for three SNPs and screened a larger set of 1,488 R. microplus ticks, representing 77 field collections and four laboratory strains, for SNP frequency.

RESULTS

We detected resistance SNPs in 21 of 68 U.S. field collections and six of nine Mexico field collections. We expected to identify the domain III SNP (T2134A) at a high frequency; however, we only found it in three U.S. collections. A much more common SNP in the U.S. (detected in 19 of 21 field collections) was the C190A domain II mutation, which has never before been reported from North America. We also discovered a novel domain II SNP (T170C) in ten U.S. and two Mexico field collections. The T170C transition mutation has previously been associated with extreme levels of resistance (super-knockdown resistance) in insects. We found a significant correlation (r = 0.81) between the proportion of individuals in field collections that carried any two resistance SNPs and the percent survivorship of F1 larvae from these collections in DD assays. This relationship is accurately predicted by a simple linear regression model (R2 = 0.6635).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings demonstrate that multiple mutations in the para-sodium channel gene independently associate with pyrethroid resistance in R. microplus ticks, which is likely a consequence of human-induced selection.

Diversity and Convergence of Sodium Channel Mutations Involved in Resistance to Pyrethroids

Pyrethroid insecticides target voltage-gated sodium channels, which are critical for electrical signaling in the nervous system. The intensive use of pyrethroids in controlling arthropod pests and disease vectors has led to many instances of pyrethroid resistance around the globe. In the past two decades, studies have identified a large number of sodium channel mutations that are associated with resistance to pyrethroids. The purpose of this review is to summarize both common and unique sodium channel mutations that have been identified in arthropod pests of importance to agriculture or human health. Identification of these mutations provides valuable molecular markers for resistance monitoring in the field and helped the discovery of the elusive pyrethroid receptor site(s) on the sodium channel.

First detection of multiple knockdown resistance (kdr)-like mutations in voltage-gated sodium channel using three new genotyping methods in Anopheles sinensis from Guangxi Province, China

To investigate knockdown resistance (kdr)-like mutations associated with pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles sinensis (Wiedemann, 1828), from Guangxi province, southwest China, a segment of a sodium channel gene was sequenced and genotyped using three new genotyping assays. Direct sequencing revealed the presence of TTG-to-TCG and TG-to-TTT mutations at allele position L1014, which led to L1014S and L1014F substitutions in a few individual and two novel substitutions of N1013S and L1014W in two DNA templates. A low frequency of the kdr allele mostly in the heterozygous state of L1014S and L1014F was observed in this mosquito population. In this study, the genotyping of An. sinensis using three polymerase chain reaction-based methods generated consistent results, which agreed with the results of DNA sequencing. In total, 52 mosquitoes were genotyped using a direct sequencing assay. The number of mosquitoes and their genotypes were as follows: L/L = 24, L/S = 19, L/F = 8, and F/W = 1. The allelic frequency of L1014, 1014S, and 1014F were 72, 18, and 9%, respectively.

Actions of Tefluthrin on Rat Na(v)1.7 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels Expressed in Xenopus Oocytes

In rats expression of the Na(v)1.7 voltage-gated sodium channel isoform is restricted to the peripheral nervous system and is abundant in the sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglion. We expressed the rat Na(v)1.7 sodium channel α subunit together with the rat auxiliary β1 and β2 subunits in Xenopus laevis oocytes and assessed the effects of the pyrethroid insecticide tefluthrin on the expressed currents using the two-electrode voltage clamp method. Tefluthrin at 100 µM modified of Na(v)1.7 channels to prolong inactivation of the peak current during a depolarizing pulse, resulting in a marked "late current" at the end of a 40-ms depolarization, and induced a sodium tail current following repolarization. Tefluthrin modification was enhanced up to two-fold by the application of a train of up to 100 5-ms depolarizing prepulses. These effects of tefluthrin on Na(v)1.7 channels were qualitatively similar to its effects on rat Na(v)1.2, Na(v)1.3 and Na(v)1.6 channels assayed previously under identical conditions. However, Na(v)1.7 sodium channels were distinguished by their low sensitivity to modification by tefluthrin, especially compared to Na(v)1.3 and Na(v)1.6 channels. It is likely that Na(v)1.7 channels contribute significantly to the tetrodotoxin-sensitive, pyrethroid-resistant current found in cultured dorsal root ganglion neurons. We aligned the complete amino acid sequences of four pyrethroid-sensitive isoforms (house fly Vssc1; rat Na(v)1.3, Na(v)1.6 and Na(v)1.8) and two pyrethroid-resistant isoforms (rat Na(v)1.2 and Na(v)1.7) and found only a single site, located in transmembrane segment 6 of homology domain I, at which the amino acid sequence was conserved among all four sensitive isoform sequences but differed in the two resistant isoform sequences. This position, corresponding to Val410 of the house fly Vssc1 sequence, also aligns with sites of multiple amino acid substitutions identified in the sodium channel sequences of pyrethroid-resistant insect populations. These results implicate this single amino acid polymorphism in transmembrane segment 6 of sodium channel homology domain I as a determinant of the differential pyrethroid sensitivity of rat sodium channel isoforms.

Genetic differentiation across North America in the generalist moth Heliothis virescens and the specialist H. subflexa

The two moth species Heliothis virescens (Hv) and H. subflexa (Hs) are closely related, but have vastly different feeding habits. Hv is a generalist and an important pest in many crops in the USA, while Hs is a specialist feeding only on plants in the genus Physalis. In this study, we conducted a comparative population genetic analysis to assess whether and how generalist and specialist life styles are reflected in differences in population structures. In Hv 98% of the total variation occurred within populations. The overall differentiation (F(ST) ) between regions was 0.006 and even lower between years (0.0039) and hosts (0.0028). Analyses of population structure suggest that all individuals form one genetically homogeneous population, except for at most 12 individuals (6%) that diverged from this cluster. Population homogeneity likely results from the high mobility of Hv and its generalist feeding behaviour. Hs exhibited substantially more population structure. Even though 96% of the total variation was attributable to within-population variability, F(ST) -values between Hs populations were 10 times higher than between Hv populations. Hs populations showed significant isolation by distance. Analyses of Hs population structure suggest at least two subpopulations and thus some degree of metapopulation structure. We speculate that the patchy distribution of Physalis- the exclusive food source of Hs - contributes to differences in population structure between these closely related species. The finding that the specialist shows more population differentiation than the generalist corroborates the notion that host specialization is not an evolutionary dead end but a dynamic trait.

Biochemical and molecular analysis of deltamethrin resistance in the common bed bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)

This study establishes deltamethrin resistance in a common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., population collected from New York City (NY-BB). The NY-BB population was 264-fold more resistant to 1% deltamethrin in contact bioassay compared with an insecticide-susceptible population collected in Florida (FL-BB). General esterase, glutathione S-transferase, and 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase activities of NY-BB were not statistically different from those of FL-BB. cDNA fragments that encoded the open reading frame of voltage-sensitive sodium channel alpha-subunit genes from the FL-BB and NY-BB populations, respectively, were obtained by homology probing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. Sequence alignment of the internal and 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) fragments generated a 6500-bp cDNA sequence contig, which was composed of a 6084-bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 2027 amino acid residues and 186-bp 5' and 230-bp 3' untranslated regions (5' and 3' UTRs, respectively). Sequence comparisons of the open reading frames of the alpha-subunit genes identified two point mutations (V419L and L925I) that were presented only in the NY-BB population. L925I, located the intracellular loop between IIS4 and IIS5, has been previously found in a highly pyrethroid-resistant populations of whitefly (Bemisia tabaci). V419L, located in the IS6 transmembrane segment, is a novel mutation. A Val to Met mutation at the corresponding position of the bed bug V419, however, has been identified in the tobacco budworm as a kdr-type mutation. This evidence suggests that the two mutations are likely the major resistance-causing mutations in the deltamethrin-resistant NY-BB through a knockdown-type nerve insensitivity mechanism.

Efficacy of the pyrethroid alpha-cypermethrin against Bactrocera oleae populations from Greece, and improved diagnostic for an iAChE mutation

BACKGROUND

The most important pest of olive orchards worldwide is the olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin). Its control in Greece has been based on organophosphates (OPs), but their intense use has led to the development of resistance. A test previously developed to monitor the trait may not be as robust as originally thought. The pyrethroid alpha-cypermethrin has recently been registered for bait sprays, as an alternative to OPs.

RESULTS

The susceptibility of 20 B. oleae populations to alpha-cypermethrin was examined. Variation was observed in their response, with LD(50) ranging from 0.14 to 3.28 ng insect(-1) and resistance factors from 2.3 to 54.7. Resistance mechanisms were investigated. Cytochrome P450 monoxygenase activities showed an association with resistance. Sequences in the domain IIS4-IIS6 of the B. oleae para-type sodium channel were also analysed, but no resistance-associated mutations were identified. Finally, a novel diagnostic assay able to reliably monitor the frequency of the iAChE G488S resistance mutation was developed.

CONCLUSION

This is the first attempt to evaluate the efficacy of alpha-cypermethrin against B. oleae from Greece. Data showed that it can be used effectively, but also highlighted the importance of continuous monitoring. The IIS4-IIS6 sodium channel region is the default area in which to look for resistance mutations if target-site resistance to pyrethroids arises. The application of the novel iAChE molecular diagnostic may facilitate the introduction of pyrethroids alongside OPs currently in use.

Insect sodium channels and insecticide resistance

Voltage-gated sodium channels are essential for the generation and propagation of action potentials (i.e., electrical impulses) in excitable cells. Although most of our knowledge about sodium channels is derived from decades of studies of mammalian isoforms, research on insect sodium channels is revealing both common and unique aspects of sodium channel biology. In particular, our understanding of the molecular dynamics and pharmacology of insect sodium channels has advanced greatly in recent years, thanks to successful functional expression of insect sodium channels in Xenopus oocytes and intensive efforts to elucidate the molecular basis of insect resistance to insecticides that target sodium channels. In this review, I discuss recent literature on insect sodium channels with emphases on the prominent role of alternative splicing and RNA editing in the generation of functionally diverse sodium channels in insects and the current understanding of the interactions between insect sodium channels and insecticides.

Modelling insecticide-binding sites in the voltage-gated sodium channel

A homology model of the housefly voltage-gated sodium channel was developed to predict the location of binding sites for the insecticides fenvalerate, a synthetic pyrethroid, and DDT an early generation organochlorine. The model successfully addresses the state-dependent affinity of pyrethroid insecticides, their mechanism of action and the role of mutations in the channel that are known to confer insecticide resistance. The sodium channel was modelled in an open conformation with the insecticide-binding site located in a hydrophobic cavity delimited by the domain II S4-S5 linker and the IIS5 and IIIS6 helices. The binding cavity is predicted to be accessible to the lipid bilayer and therefore to lipid-soluble insecticides. The binding of insecticides and the consequent formation of binding contacts across different channel elements could stabilize the channel when in an open state, which is consistent with the prolonged sodium tail currents induced by pyrethroids and DDT. In the closed state, the predicted alternative positioning of the domain II S4-S5 linker would result in disruption of pyrethroid-binding contacts, consistent with the observation that pyrethroids have their highest affinity for the open channel. The model also predicts a key role for the IIS5 and IIIS6 helices in insecticide binding. Some of the residues on the helices that form the putative binding contacts are not conserved between arthropod and non-arthropod species, which is consistent with their contribution to insecticide species selectivity. Additional binding contacts on the II S4-S5 linker can explain the higher potency of pyrethroid insecticides compared with DDT.

Ion channels: molecular targets of neuroactive insecticides

Many of the insecticides in current use act on molecular targets in the insect nervous system. Recently, our understanding of these targets has improved as a result of the complete sequencing of an insect genome, i.e., Drosophila melanogaster. Here we examine the recent work, drawing on genetics, genomics and physiology, which has provided evidence that specific receptors and ion channels are targeted by distinct chemical classes of insect control agents. The examples discussed include, sodium channels (pyrethroids, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), dihydropyrazoles and oxadiazines); nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (cartap, spinosad, imidacloprid and related nitromethylenes/nitroguanidines); gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors (cyclodienes, gamma-BHC and fipronil) and L-glutamate receptors (avermectins). Finally, we have examined the molecular basis of resistance to these molecules, which in some cases involves mutations in the molecular target, and we also consider the future impact of molecular genetic technologies in our understanding of the actions of neuroactive insecticides.

Involvement of a sodium channel mutation in pyrethroid resistance in Cydia pomonella L, and development of a diagnostic test

Populations of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella L (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) have developed resistance to several classes of insecticide such as benzoylureas, juvenile hormone analogues, ecdysone agonists and pyrethroids, but the corresponding resistance mechanisms have not been extensively studied. Knockdown resistance (kdr) to pyrethroid insecticides has been associated with point mutations in the para sodium channel gene in a great variety of insect pest species. We have studied two susceptible strains (S and Sv) and two resistant strains (Rt and Rv) of C pomonella that exhibited 4- and 80-fold resistance ratios to deltamethrin, respectively. The region of the voltage-dependent sodium channel gene which includes the position where kdr and super-kdr mutations have been found in Musca domestica L was amplified. The kdr mutation, a leucine-to-phenylalanine replacement at position 1014, was found only in the Rv strain. In contrast, the super-kdr mutation, a methionine-to-threonine replacement at position 918, was not detected in any C pomonella strain. These data allowed us to develop a PCR-based diagnostic test (PASA) to monitor the frequency of the kdr mutation in natural populations of C pomonella in order to define appropriate insecticide treatments in orchards.

Identification of mutations associated with pyrethroid resistance in the para-type sodium channel of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis

Knockdown resistance (kdr) to pyrethroid insecticides is caused by point mutations in the pyrethroid target site, the para-type sodium channel of nerve membranes. This most commonly involves alterations within the domain II (S4-S6) region of the channel protein where five different mutation sites have been identified across a range of insect species. To investigate the incidence of this mechanism in cat fleas, we have cloned and sequenced the IIS4-IIS6 region of the para sodium channel gene from seven laboratory flea strains. Analysis of these sequences revealed two amino acid replacements at residues previously implicated in pyrethroid resistance. One is the 'common' kdr mutation, a leucine to phenylalanine substitution (equivalent to L1014F of housefly) reported previously in several other insects. The other is a threonine to valine substitution (equivalent to T929V) and is a novel variant of the T929I mutation first identified in diamondback moth. The L1014F mutation was found at varying frequency in all of the laboratory flea strains, whereas the T929V mutation was found only in the highly resistant Cottontail strain. We have developed rapid PCR-based diagnostic assays for the detection of these mutations in individual cat fleas and used them to show that both L1014F and T929V are common in UK and US flea populations. This survey revealed a significant number of fleas that carry only the V929 allele indicating that co-expression with the F1014 allele is not necessary for flea viability.

Molecular analysis of a para sodium channel gene from pyrethroid-resistant head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis (Anoplura: Pediculidae)

The problem of pyrethroid-resistance in head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis (De Geer), is growing worldwide, and an insensitive sodium channel is suspected as the major mechanism of this resistance. We sequenced an open reading frame (ORF) encoding for the para-orthologous sodium channel from an insecticide-susceptible strain of the body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus (L.), based on conserved peptide sequences and a known partial gene sequence. Phenothrin-susceptible and -resistant head louse colonies from Japanese were individually analyzed for point mutations of the sodium channel cDNA; susceptible head and body lice differed in double homozygous synonymous substitutions. The resistant head lice shared 23 base substitutions homozygously, in which four resulted in amino acid substitutions: D11E in the N-terminal inner-membrane segment; M850T in the outer-membrane loop between segments four and five of domain II; T952I and L955 F in the trans-membrane segment five of domain II. The latter two substitutions coincided with those of pyrethroid-resistant head lice in the U.S. and U.K. (Lee et al. 2000), within the available published information on the peptide sequences. The potential mechanisms of head louse pyrethroid-resistance are discussed based on the four structural changes of the target molecule.

The molecular biology of knockdown resistance to pyrethroid insecticides

The term "knockdown resistance" is used to describe cases of resistance to diphenylethane (e.g. DDT) and pyrethroid insecticides in insects and other arthropods that result from reduced sensitivity of the nervous system. Knockdown resistance, first identified and characterized in the house fly (Musca domestica) in the 1950's, remains a threat to the continued usefulness of pyrethroids in the control of many pest species. Research since 1990 has provided a wealth of new information on the molecular basis of knockdown resistance. This paper reviews these recent developments with emphasis on the results of genetic linkage analyses, the identification of gene mutations associated with knockdown resistance, and the functional characterization of resistance-associated mutations. Results of these studies identify voltage-sensitive sodium channel genes orthologous to the para gene of Drosophila melanogaster as the site of multiple knockdown resistance mutations and define the molecular mechanisms by which these mutations cause pyrethroid resistance. These results also provide new insight into the mechanisms by which pyrethroids modify the function of voltage-sensitive sodium channels.

Distinct sites regulating grayanotoxin binding and unbinding to D4S6 of Na(v)1.4 sodium channel as revealed by improved estimation of toxin sensitivity

Grayanotoxin (GTX) exerts selective effects on voltage-dependent sodium channels by eliminating fast sodium inactivation and causing a hyperpolarizing shift in voltage dependence of channel activation. In this study, we adopted a newly developed protocol that provides independent estimates of the binding and unbinding rate constants of GTX (k(on) and k(off)) to GTX sites on the sodium channel protein, important in the molecular analysis of channel modification. Novel GTX sites were determined in D2S6 (Asn-784) and D3S6 (Ser-1276) by means of site-directed mutagenesis; the results suggested that the GTX receptor consists of the S6 transmembrane segments of four homologous domains facing the ion-conducting pore. We systematically introduced at two sites in D4S6 (Na(v)1.4-Phe-1579 and Na(v)1.4-Tyr-1586) amino acid substituents with residues containing hydrophobic, aromatic, charged, or polar groups. Generally, substitutions at Phe-1579 increased both k(on) and k(off), resulting in no prominent change in dissociation constant (K(d)). It seems that the smaller the molecular size of the residue at Na(v)1.4-Phe-1579, the larger the rates of k(on) and k(off), indicating that this site acts as a gate regulating access of toxin molecules to a receptor site. Substitutions at Tyr-1586 selectively increased k(off) but had virtually no effect on k(on), thus causing a drastic increase in K(d). At position Tyr-1586, a hydrophobic or aromatic amino acid side chain was required to maintain normal sensitivity to GTX. These results suggest that the residue at position Tyr-1586 has a more critical role in mediating GTX binding than the one at position Phe-1579. Here, we propose that the affinity of GTX to Na(v)1.4 sodium channels might be regulated by two residues (Phe and Tyr) at positions Phe-1579 and Tyr-1586, which, respectively, control access and binding of GTX to its receptor.

Mutations in the Bemisia tabaci para sodium channel gene associated with resistance to a pyrethroid plus organophosphate mixture

The voltage-gated sodium channel is the primary target site of pyrethroid insecticides. In some insects, super knockdown resistance (super-kdr) to pyrethroids is caused by point mutations in the linker fragment between transmembrane segments 4 and 5 of the para-type sodium channel protein domain II (IIS4-5). Here, we identify two mutations in the IIS4-5 linker of the para-type sodium channel of the whitefly, BEMISIA TABACI: methionine to valine at position 918 (M918V) and leucine to isoleucine at position 925 (L925I). Although each mutation was isolated independently from strains >100-fold resistant to a pyrethroid (fenpropathrin) plus organophosphate (acephate) mixture, only L925I was associated with resistance in strains derived from the field in 2000 and 2001. The L925I mutation occurred in all individuals from nine different field collections that survived exposure to a discriminating concentration of fenpropathrin plus acephate. Linkage analysis of hemizygous male progeny of unmated heterozygous F1 females (L925Ixwild-type) shows that the observed resistance is tightly linked to the voltage-gated sodium channel locus. The results provide a molecular tool for better understanding, monitoring and managing pyrethroid resistance in B. tabaci.

Molecular diagnosis of pyrethroid resistance in Mexican strains of Boophilus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae)

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic assays were used to identify possible resistance-associated roles of two amino acid substitutions found in pyrethroid resistance-associated genes of Boophilus microplus (Canestrini). Individual larvae from the San Felipe target site resistant strain and the Coatzacoalcos (Cz) metabolic resistant strain were separated into resistant and susceptible groups by larval packet bioassays and analyzed by PCR. A Phe --> Ile amino acid mutation in the sodium channel gene S6 transmembrane segment of domain III was found to have a close association with survival of acaricide treatments containing as high as 30% permethrin. As the permethrin dose was increased, an increase was seen in the proportion of surviving larvae that possessed two mutated sodium channel alleles. An Asp --> Asn amino acid substitution, originally found in high allele frequency in alleles of the CzEst9 esterase of the Cz strain, appeared to provide some resistance to permethrin. However, the presence of the mutation did not associate with resistance in the dose-response fashion seen with the sodium channel amino acid mutation. Resistance provided by CzEst9 might be more dependent on concentration of CzEst9 more so than the presence of a mutated allele.

High nucleotide diversity in the para-like voltage-sensitive sodium channel gene sequence in the western flower thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

In a search for a pyrethroid resistance diagnostic marker, a partial sequence of the para-like sodium channel gene was obtained from 78 diploid females of the arrhenotokous insect pest species Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), the western flower thrips. Although all the insects analyzed came from a single laboratory population, nine different haplotypes were obtained. Two haplotypes did have the well-known L to F kdr mutation, but only one of these could be statistically linked to pyrethroid resistance in our population. This haplotype did not have the superkdr mutation, but did have a unique mutation a few amino acids downstream, at a position already linked to resistance in Plutella. Although this para-like locus seemed to have a role in pyrethroid resistance in our population, other resistance mechanisms were also probably involved. The fact that our laboratory population, open to migration, contained ahigh genetic diversity forthis selected gene shows that "pest tourism" is a major factor for resistance dynamics in this greenhouse pest. This, with the possible occurrence of an original resistance mutation, might preclude the use of very specific approaches for resistance monitoring in the field in this species.

The molecular interactions of pyrethroid insecticides with insect and mammalian sodium channels

Recent progress in the cloning of alpha (para) and beta (TipE) Na channel sub-units from Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) and Musca domestica (housefly) have facilitated functional expression studies of insect Na channels in Xenopus laevis oocytes, assayed by voltage clamp techniques. The effects of Type I and Type III pyrethroids on the biophysical properties of these channels are critically reviewed. Pyrethroid resistance mutations (termed kdr and super-kdr) that reduce the sensitivity of the insect Na channel to pyrethroids have been identified in a range of insect species. Some of these mutations (e.g. L1014F, M918T and T929I) have been incorporated into the para Na channel of Drosophila, either individually or in combination, to investigate their effects on the sensitivity of this channel to pyrethroids. The kdr mutation (L1014F) shifts the voltage dependence of both activation and steady-state inactivation by approximately 5 mV towards more positive potentials and facilitates Na channel inactivation. Incorporation of the super-kdr mutation (M918T) into the Drosophila Na channel also increases channel inactivation and causes a > 100-fold reduction in deltamethrin sensitivity. These effects are shared by T929I, an alternative mutation that confers super-kdr-like resistance. Parallel studies have been undertaken using the rat IIA Na channel to investigate the molecular basis for the low sensitivity of mammalian brain Na channels to pyrethroids. Rat IIA channels containing the mutation L1014F exhibit a shift in their mid-point potential for Na activation, but their overall sensitivity to permethrin remains similar to that of the wild-type rat channel (i.e. both are 1000-fold less sensitive than the wild-type insect channel). Mammalian neuronal Na channels have an isoleucine rather than a methionine at the position (874) corresponding to the super-kdr (M918) residue of the insect channel. Replacement of the isoleucine of the wild-type rat IIA Na channel with a methionine (I874M) increases deltamethrin sensitivity 100-fold. In this way, studies of wild-type and mutant Na channels of insects and mammals are providing a molecular understanding of kdr and super-kdr resistance in insects, and of the low pyrethroid sensitivity of most mammalian Na channels. They are also giving valuable insights into the binding sites for pyrethroids on these channels.

AFLP-based genetic linkage map of the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata: sex chromosomes and a pyrethroid-resistance candidate gene

A genetic linkage map was constructed from an intraspecific cross of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata. This is an initial step toward mapping the loci that underlie important phenotypes associated with insect adaptation to an agroecosystem. The map was made with 172 AFLP and 10 anonymous codominant markers segregating among 74 backcross (BC(1)) individuals. Markers were mapped to 18 linkage groups and a subset of the markers with a mean intermarker distance of 11.1 cM is presented. A pyrethroid-resistance candidate gene, LdVssc1, was placed onto the map as well. The sex chromosome was identified by exploiting the XO nature of sex determination in this species using patterns of variation at LdVssc1 and the codominant markers.

Interaction of tetramethrin and deltamethrin at the single sodium channel in rat hippocampal neurons

Type I and type II pyrethroids are known to modulate the sodium channel to cause persistent openings during depolarization and upon repolarization. Although there are some similarities between the two types of pyrethroids in their actions on sodium channels, the pattern of modification of sodium currents is different between the two types of pyrethroids. In the present study, interactions of the type I pyrethroid tetramethrin and the type II pyrethroid deltamethrin at rat hippocampal neuron sodium channels were investigated using the inside-out single-channel patch clamp technique. Deltamethrin-modified sodium channels opened much longer than tetramethrin-modified sodium channels. When 10 microM tetramethrin was applied to membrane patches that had been exposed to 10 microM deltamethrin, deltamethrin-modified prolonged single sodium currents disappeared and were replaced by shorter openings which were characteristic of tetramethrin-modified channel openings. These single-channel data are compatible with previous whole-cell competition study between type I and type II pyrethroids. These results are interpreted as being due to the displacement of the type II pyrethroid molecule by the type I pyrethroid molecule from the same binding site or to the allosteric interaction of the two pyrethroid molecules at separate sodium channel sites.

Disparate role of Na(+) channel D2-S6 residues in batrachotoxin and local anesthetic action

Batrachotoxin (BTX) stabilizes the voltage-gated Na(+) channels in their open conformation, whereas local anesthetics (LAs) block Na(+) conductance. Site-directed mutagenesis has identified clusters of common residues at D1-S6, D3-S6, and D4-S6 segments within the alpha-subunit Na(+) channel that are critical for binding of these two types of ligands. In this report, we address whether segment D2-S6 is similarly involved in both BTX and LA actions. Thirteen amino acid positions from G783 to L795 of the rat skeletal muscle Na(+) channel ((mu)1/Skm1) were individually substituted with a lysine residue. Four mutants (N784K, L785K, V787K, and L788K) expressed sufficient Na(+) currents for further studies. Activation and/or inactivation gating was altered in mutant channels; in particular, mu1-V787K displays enhanced slow inactivation and exhibited use-dependent inhibition of peak Na(+) currents during repetitive pulses. Two of these four mutants, (mu)1-N784K and (mu)1-L788K, were completely resistant to 5 microM BTX. This BTX-resistant phenotype could be caused by structural perturbations induced by a lysine point mutation in the D2-S6 segment. However, these two BTX-resistant mutants remained quite sensitive to bupivacaine block with affinity for inactivated Na(+) channels (K(I)) of approximately 10 microM or less, which suggests that (mu)1-N784 and (mu)1-L788 residues are not in close proximity to the LA binding site.

The V410M mutation associated with pyrethroid resistance in Heliothis virescens reduces the pyrethroid sensitivity of house fly sodium channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes

Some strains of Heliothis virescens carry a novel sodium channel mutation, corresponding to the replacement of Val410 by Met (designated V410M) in the house fly Vssc1 sodium channel, that is genetically and physiologically associated with pyrethroid resistance. To test the functional significance of this mutation, we created a house fly Vssc1 sodium channel containing the V410M mutation by site-directed mutagenesis, expressed wildtype and specifically mutated sodium channels in Xenopus laevis oocytes, and evaluated the effects of the V410M mutation on the functional and pharmacological properties of the expressed channels by two-electrode voltage clamp. The V410M mutation caused depolarizing shifts of approximately 9mV and approximately 5mV in the voltage dependence of activation and steady-state inactivation, respectively, of Vssc1 sodium channels. The V410M mutation also reduced the sensitivity of Vssc1 sodium channels to the pyrethroid cismethrin at least 10-fold and accelerated the decay of cismethrin-induced sodium tail currents. The degree of resistance conferred by the V410M mutation in the present study is sufficient to account for the degree of pyrethroid resistance in H. virescens that is associated with this mutation. Although Val410 is located in a sodium channel segment identified as part of the binding site for batrachotoxin, the V410M mutation did not alter the sensitivity of house fly sodium channels to batrachotoxin. The effects of the V410M mutation on the voltage dependence and cismethrin sensitivity of Vssc1 sodium channels were indistinguishable from those caused by another sodium channel point mutation, replacement of Leu1014 by Phe (L1014F), that is the cause of knockdown resistance to pyrethroids in the house fly. The positions of the V410M and L1014F mutations in models of the tertiary structure of sodium channels suggest that the pyrethroid binding site on the sodium channel alpha subunit is located at the interface between sodium channel domains I and II.

Functional and evolutionary consequences of pyrethroid resistance mutations in S6 transmembrane segments of a voltage-gated sodium channel

Pyrethroids are a class of voltage-dependent sodium channel modifiers widely used as insecticides for control of disease vectors and agricultural pests. Many insect populations have developed resistance to pyrethroids linked to nervous system insensitivity and structural mutations in neuronal sodium channels. Pyrethroid resistant strains of the moth Heliothis virescens carry single point mutations leading to amino acid substitutions in either transmembrane segment I-S6 (V421M) or II-S6 (L1029H) of the para-homologous sodium channel. We analyzed the consequences of V421M and L1029H mutations constructed in the Drosophila para sodium channel heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes, and found that both mutations confer channel insensitivity to permethrin, with the L1029H mutation having a more pronounced effect. Both mutations also modify the intrinsic voltage-dependent gating properties of the channel, but L1029H less so than V421M. These results suggest that mutation V421M exacts a higher fitness cost than L1029H, providing a plausible explanation for genetic succession observed in field strains, where V421M was replaced by L1029H during the past decade.

Novel point mutations in the German cockroach para sodium channel gene are associated with knockdown resistance (kdr) to pyrethroid insecticides

Knockdown resistance (kdr) to pyrethroid insecticides has been attributed to point mutations in the para sodium channel gene in more than a half dozen insect pest species. In this study, we identified two novel para mutations in five highly resistant kdr-type German cockroach strains. The two mutations, from glutamic acid (E434) to lysine (K434) and from cysteine (C764) to arginine (R764), respectively, are located in the first intracellular linker connecting domains I and II. E434K is located near the beginning of the linker (closest to domain I), whereas C764R is found toward the end of the linker (closest to domain II). Two additional mutations from aspartic acid (D58) to glycine (G58), and from proline (P1880) to leucine (L1888), respectively, were found in one of the resistant strains. The four mutations coexist with the previously identified leucine to phenylalanine (L993F) kdr mutation in IIS6, and are present only in the highly resistant individuals of a given strain. These findings suggest that these mutations might be responsible for high levels of knockdown resistance toward pyrethroid insecticides in the German cockroach.

Gain of function mutants: ion channels and G protein-coupled receptors

Many ion channels and receptors display striking phenotypes for gain-of-function mutations but milder phenotypes for null mutations. Gain of molecular function can have several mechanistic bases: selectivity changes, gating changes including constitutive activation and slowed inactivation, elimination of a subunit that enhances inactivation, decreased drug sensitivity, changes in regulation or trafficking of the channel, or induction of apoptosis. Decreased firing frequency can occur via increased function of K+ or Cl- channels. Channel mutants also cause gain-of-function syndromes at the cellular and circuit level; of these syndromes, the cardiac long-QT syndromes are explained in a more straightforward way than are the epilepsies. G protein-coupled receptors are also affected by activating mutations.

Sodium channels in central neurons of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens: basic properties and modification by scorpion toxins

Voltage-activated sodium channels in central neurons of larval and adult Heliothis virescens were characterized using whole-cell patch clamp techniques. Macroscopic currents showing rapid activation and inactivation kinetics were uniformly sensitive to tetrodotoxin (IC(50)=1.9nM). Currents began to activate at voltage steps to -45mV and reached half maximal at -30mV. Fast inactivation was evident at voltages as negative as -75mV and reached half maximal at -50mV. Full recovery from inactivation occurred within 1 to 2ms. Currents in larval neurons exhibited similar properties to those of adult neurons, except for the rate of fast inactivation (t(1)), which was significantly slower in larval neurons. The biophysical properties of sodium channels remained unchanged for up to 3days in culture. Two insecticidal neurotoxins, LqhalphaIT and AaIT, produced distinctly different modifications of H. virescens sodium channels. LqhalphaIT slowed channel inactivation, while AaIT specifically shifted voltage-dependent activation to more negative potentials. Overall, the results indicate that sodium channels in H. virescens neurons exhibit biophysical characteristics similar to those of vertebrates, yet possess pharmacological uniqueness with respect to scorpion toxin modification.

Activation of Drosophila sodium channels promotes modification by deltamethrin. Reductions in affinity caused by knock-down resistance mutations

kdr and super-kdr are mutations in houseflies and other insects that confer 30- and 500-fold resistance to the pyrethroid deltamethrin. They correspond to single (L1014F) and double (L1014F+M918T) mutations in segment IIS6 and linker II(S4-S5) of Na channels. We expressed Drosophila para Na channels with and without these mutations and characterized their modification by deltamethrin. All wild-type channels can be modified by <10 nM deltamethrin, but high affinity binding requires channel opening: (a) modification is promoted more by trains of brief depolarizations than by a single long depolarization, (b) the voltage dependence of modification parallels that of channel opening, and (c) modification is promoted by toxin II from Anemonia sulcata, which slows inactivation. The mutations reduce channel opening by enhancing closed-state inactivation. In addition, these mutations reduce the affinity for open channels by 20- and 100-fold, respectively. Deltamethrin inhibits channel closing and the mutations reduce the time that channels remain open once drug has bound. The super-kdr mutations effectively reduce the number of deltamethrin binding sites per channel from two to one. Thus, the mutations reduce both the potency and efficacy of insecticide action.

Resistance to insecticides in Heliothine Lepidoptera: a global view

The status of resistance to organophosphate, carbamate, cyclodiene and pyrethroid insecticides in the heliothine Lepidoptera is reviewed. In particular, resistance in the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens , and the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea , from the New World, and the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera , from the Old World, are considered in detail. Particular emphasis has been placed on resistance to the most widely used of these insecticide groups, the pyrethroids. In each case, the incidence and current status of resistance are considered before a detailed view of the mechanisms of resistance is given. Controversial issues regarding the nature of mechanisms of resistance to pyrethroid insecticides are discussed. The implications for resistance management are considered.