1
|
Afzal MBS, Ijaz M, Abbas N, Shad SA, Serrão JE. Resistance of Lepidopteran Pests to Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins: Evidence of Field and Laboratory Evolved Resistance and Cross-Resistance, Mode of Resistance Inheritance, Fitness Costs, Mechanisms Involved and Management Options. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:315. [PMID: 39057955 PMCID: PMC11281168 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16070315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 07/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins are potential alternatives to synthetic insecticides for the control of lepidopteran pests. However, the evolution of resistance in some insect pest populations is a threat and can reduce the effectiveness of Bt toxins. In this review, we summarize the results of 161 studies from 20 countries reporting field and laboratory-evolved resistance, cross-resistance, and inheritance, mechanisms, and fitness costs of resistance to different Bt toxins. The studies refer mainly to insects from the United States of America (70), followed by China (31), Brazil (19), India (12), Malaysia (9), Spain (3), and Australia (3). The majority of the studies revealed that most of the pest populations showed susceptibility and a lack of cross-resistance to Bt toxins. Factors that delay resistance include recessive inheritance of resistance, the low initial frequency of resistant alleles, increased fitness costs, abundant refuges of non-Bt, and pyramided Bt crops. The results of field and laboratory resistance, cross-resistance, and inheritance, mechanisms, and fitness cost of resistance are advantageous for predicting the threat of future resistance and making effective strategies to sustain the effectiveness of Bt crops.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Babar Shahzad Afzal
- Beekeeping & Hill Fruit Pests Research Station, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan;
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan;
| | - Mamuna Ijaz
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan;
| | - Naeem Abbas
- Pesticides and Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarfraz Ali Shad
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan;
| | - José Eduardo Serrão
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Vicosa, Vicosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil;
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jin M, Shan Y, Li Q, Peng Y, Xiao Y. A novel Cry1A resistance allele of fall armyworm in the new invaded region. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 244:125392. [PMID: 37321433 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a devastating pest in its native range Western Hemisphere and has become a major invasive pest around the globe. Transgenic crops producing Bt toxins have been widely used to control S. frugiperda. However, the evolution of resistance threatens the sustainability of Bt crops. Field-evolved S. frugiperda resistance to Bt crops was observed in America, whereas, no case of field-resistance was reported in its newly invaded East Hemisphere. Here we investigated the molecular mechanism of a Cry1Ab-resistant LZ-R strain of S. frugiperda, which selected 27-generations using Cry1Ab after being collected in corn fields from China. Complementation tests between LZ-R strain and SfABCC2-KO strain, which have been knockout SfABCC2 gene and confer 174-fold resistance to Cry1Ab, showed a similar level of resistance in the F1-progeny as their parent stains, indicating that a common locus of SfABCC2 mutation in LZ-R stain. Sequencing of the full length of SfABCC2 cDNA from LZ-R strain, we characterize a novel mutation allele of SfABCC2. Cross-resistance results showed that Cry1Ab-resistance strain also confers >260-fold resistance to Cry1F, with no cross-resistance to Vip3A. These results provided evidence of a novel SfABCC2 mutation allele in the newly invaded East Hemisphere of S. frugiperda.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Jin
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yinxue Shan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qi Li
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Peng
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yutao Xiao
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Muita BK, Baxter SW. Temporal Exposure to Bt Insecticide Causes Oxidative Stress in Larval Midgut Tissue. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:toxins15050323. [PMID: 37235357 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15050323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) three-domain Cry toxins are highly successful biological pesticides; however, the mechanism through which they cause death to targeted larval midgut cells is not fully understood. Herein, we challenged transgenic Bt-susceptible Drosophila melanogaster larvae with moderate doses of activated Cry1Ac toxin and assessed the midgut tissues after one, three, and five hours using transmission electron microscopy and transcriptome sequencing. Larvae treated with Cry1Ac showed dramatic changes to their midgut morphology, including shortened microvilli, enlarged vacuoles, thickened peritrophic membranes, and swelling of the basal labyrinth, suggesting water influx. Transcriptome analysis showed that innate immune responses were repressed, genes involved with cell death pathways were largely unchanged, and mitochondria-related genes were strongly upregulated following toxin exposure. Defective mitochondria produced after toxin exposure were likely to contribute to significant levels of oxidative stress, which represent a common physiological response to a range of toxic chemicals. Significant reductions in both mitochondrial aconitase activity and ATP levels in the midgut tissue supported a rapid increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) following exposure to Cry1Ac. Overall, these findings support the role of water influx, midgut cell swelling, and ROS activity in response to moderate concentrations of Cry1Ac.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Biko K Muita
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Simon W Baxter
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Transcriptional Analysis of Cotton Bollworm Strains with Different Genetic Mechanisms of Resistance and Their Response to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac Toxin. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14060366. [PMID: 35737027 PMCID: PMC9228822 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14060366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Transgenic crops producing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal proteins are grown widely for pest control, but the evolution of resistance in target pests could reduce their efficacy. Mutations in genes encoding cadherin, ABC transporter or tetraspanin were linked with resistance to Cry1Ac in several lepidopteran insects, including the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), a worldwide agricultural pest. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms by which these mutations confer insect resistance to Cry1Ac remain largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed the midgut transcriptomes of a susceptible SCD strain and three SCD-derived Cry1Ac-resistant strains of H. armigera (SCD-r1, with a naturally occurring deletion mutation of cadherin; SCD-KI, with a knock-in T92C point mutation in tetraspanin; and C2/3-KO, with both ABCC2 and ABCC3 knocked out). Evaluation of midgut transcript profiles of the four strains without Cry1Ac exposure identified many constitutively differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the resistant SCD-r1 (n = 1355), SCD-KI (n = 1254) and C2/3-KO (n = 2055) strains. Analysis of DEGs in the midguts of each strain after Cry1Ac exposure revealed similar patterns of response to Cry1Ac in the SCD and SCD-r1 strains, but unique responses in the SCD-KI and C2/3-KO strains. Expression of midgut epithelium healing and defense-related genes was strongly induced by Cry1Ac intoxication in the SCD and SCD-r1 strains, while immune-related pattern recognition receptor and effector genes were highly expressed in the SCD-KI strain after Cry1Ac exposure. This study advances our knowledge of the transcriptomic basis for insect resistance to Bt toxins and provides a valuable resource for further molecular characterization of insect response to Cry1Ac toxin in H. armigera and other pest species.
Collapse
|
5
|
Walsh TK, Heckel DG, Wu Y, Downes S, Gordon KHJ, Oakeshott JG. Determinants of Insecticide Resistance Evolution: Comparative Analysis Among Heliothines. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 67:387-406. [PMID: 34995087 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-080421-071655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
It is increasingly clear that pest species vary widely in their propensities to develop insecticide resistance. This review uses a comparative approach to analyze the key pest management practices and ecological and biochemical or genetic characteristics of the target that contribute to this variation. We focus on six heliothine species, three of which, Helicoverpa armigera, Heliothis virescens, and Helicoverpa zea, have developed resistances to many pesticide classes. The three others, Helicoverpa punctigera, Helicoverpa assulta, and Helicoverpa gelotopoeon, also significant pests, have developed resistance to very few pesticide classes. We find that host range and movement between alternate hosts are key ecological traits that influence effective selection intensities for resistance. Operational issues are also critical; area-wide, cross-pesticide management practices that account for these ecological factors are key to reducing selection intensity. Without such management, treatment using broad-spectrum chemicals serves to multiply the effects of host plant preference, preadaptive detoxification ability, and high genetic diversity to create a pesticide treadmill for the three high-propensity species.Without rigorous ongoing management, such a treadmill could still develop for newer, more selective chemistries and insecticidal transgenic crops.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T K Walsh
- CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia;
- Applied BioSciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - D G Heckel
- Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Yidong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity and College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - S Downes
- CSIRO McMaster Laboratories, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| | - K H J Gordon
- CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia;
| | - J G Oakeshott
- CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia;
- Applied BioSciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Windus LCE, Jones AM, Downes S, Walsh T, Knight K, Kinkema M. HearNPV susceptibility in Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa punctigera strains resistant to Bt toxins Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab, and Vip3Aa. J Invertebr Pathol 2021; 183:107598. [PMID: 33957131 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2021.107598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Genetically engineered crops expressing insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have improved the management of targeted lepidopteran pests and reduced the use of insecticide sprays. These benefits explain an increasing adoption of Bt crops worldwide, intensifying the selection pressure on target species and the risk of resistance. Nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs) are effective bioinsecticides against numerous important lepidopteran pests. If Bt-resistant insects are shown to be susceptible to NPVs then these bioinsecticides could be a valuable component of Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM) strategies for Bt crops. We assessed the effectiveness of a Helicoverpa nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV) against several different Bt-resistant strains. Utilising a droplet feeding bioassay we confirmed susceptibility to HearNPV in Helicoverpa punctigera and Helicoverpa armigera larvae resistant to the Bt toxins Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab, and Vip3A. Dual resistant H. punctigera, (Cry1Ac/Cry2Ab, and Cry2Ab/Vip3A) and dual resistant H. armigera (Cry2Ab/Vip3A) were also susceptible to HearNPV. Regardless of their specific resistance profile, Bt-resistant larvae displayed statistically similar lethal concentration (LC50) and lethal time (LT50) responses to HearNPV when compared to Bt-sensitive control insects. These results indicate that Bt-resistant H. armigera and H. punctigera are not cross-resistant to HearNPV. Consequently, the use of HearNPV against these pests may be a valuable tool to an IRM strategy for controlling Bt-resistant populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Adele M Jones
- AgBiTech, 8 Rocla Court, Glenvale, QLD 4350, Australia
| | - Sharon Downes
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Australian Cotton Research Institute, 21888 Kamilaroi Highway, Narrabri, NSW 2390, Australia
| | - Tom Walsh
- CSIRO Land and Water, Black Mountain Laboratories, Clunies Ross Street, Black Mountain, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Kristen Knight
- Bayer Crop Science, McDougall Street, Glenvale, QLD 4350, Australia
| | - Mark Kinkema
- AgBiTech, 14401 Sovereign Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76155, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Jurat-Fuentes JL, Heckel DG, Ferré J. Mechanisms of Resistance to Insecticidal Proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 66:121-140. [PMID: 33417820 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-052620-073348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are used in sprayable formulations or produced in transgenic crops as the most successful alternatives to synthetic pesticides. The most relevant threat to sustainability of Bt insecticidal proteins (toxins) is the evolution of resistance in target pests. To date, high-level resistance to Bt sprays has been limited to one species in the field and another in commercial greenhouses. In contrast, there are currently seven lepidopteran and one coleopteran species that have evolved practical resistance to transgenic plants producing insecticidal Bt proteins. In this article, we present a review of the current knowledge on mechanisms of resistance to Bt toxins, with emphasis on key resistance genes and field-evolved resistance, to support improvement of Bt technology and its sustainability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA;
| | - David G Heckel
- Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena 07745, Germany;
| | - Juan Ferré
- ERI of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot 46100, Spain;
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Tabashnik BE, Carrière Y. Global Patterns of Resistance to Bt Crops Highlighting Pink Bollworm in the United States, China, and India. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 112:2513-2523. [PMID: 31254345 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toz173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Crops genetically engineered to produce insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have advanced pest control, but their benefits have been reduced by evolution of resistance in pests. The global monitoring data reviewed here reveal 19 cases of practical resistance to Bt crops, which is field-evolved resistance that reduces Bt crop efficacy and has practical consequences for pest control. Each case represents the responses of one pest species in one country to one Bt toxin. The results with pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) and Bt cotton differ strikingly among the world's three leading cotton-producing nations. In the southwestern United States, farmers delayed resistance by planting non-Bt cotton refuges from 1996 to 2005, then cooperated in a program that used Bt cotton, mass releases of sterile moths, and other tactics to eradicate this pest from the region. In China, farmers reversed low levels of pink bollworm resistance to Bt cotton by planting second-generation hybrid seeds from crosses between Bt and non-Bt cotton. This approach yields a refuge of 25% non-Bt cotton plants randomly interspersed within fields of Bt cotton. Farmers adopted this tactic voluntarily and unknowingly, not to manage resistance, but apparently because of its perceived short-term agronomic and economic benefits. In India, where non-Bt cotton refuges have been scarce and pink bollworm resistance to pyramided Bt cotton producing Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab toxins is widespread, integrated pest management emphasizing shortening of the cotton season, destruction of crop residues, and other tactics is now essential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yves Carrière
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Dominant point mutation in a tetraspanin gene associated with field-evolved resistance of cotton bollworm to transgenic Bt cotton. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:11760-11765. [PMID: 30381456 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1812138115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Extensive planting of crops genetically engineered to produce insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has suppressed some major pests, reduced insecticide sprays, enhanced pest control by natural enemies, and increased grower profits. However, rapid evolution of resistance in pests is reducing these benefits. Better understanding of the genetic basis of resistance to Bt crops is urgently needed to monitor, delay, and counter pest resistance. We discovered that a point mutation in a previously unknown tetraspanin gene in the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), a devastating global pest, confers dominant resistance to Cry1Ac, the sole Bt protein produced by transgenic cotton planted in China. We found the mutation using a genome-wide association study, followed by fine-scale genetic mapping and DNA sequence comparisons between resistant and susceptible strains. CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of the tetraspanin gene restored susceptibility to a resistant strain, whereas inserting the mutation conferred 125-fold resistance in a susceptible strain. DNA screening of moths captured from 23 field sites in six provinces of northern China revealed a 100-fold increase in the frequency of this mutation, from 0.001 in 2006 to 0.10 in 2016. The correspondence between the observed trajectory of the mutation and the trajectory predicted from simulation modeling shows that the dominance of the mutation accelerated adaptation. Proactive identification and tracking of the tetraspanin mutation demonstrate the potential for genomic analysis, gene editing, and molecular monitoring to improve management of resistance.
Collapse
|