Genetic Studies of Membrane Excitability in Drosophila: Lethal Interaction between Two Temperature-Sensitive Paralytic Mutations

Two mutants of Drosophila melanogaster, para ^ts1 (1-53.9) and nap^ts (2-56.2) both display similar temperature-sensitive paralysis associated with blockage in the conduction of nerve action potentials, suggesting that the two gene products have a similar function. This idea is supported by the observation that the double mutant is unconditionally lethal. Genetic analysis of this synergistic interaction has revealed the following: 1) it specifically involves the para and nap loci; (2) all para alleles interact with nap^ts, but the strength of the interaction varies in an allele-dependent fashion; (3) lethality of the double mutant occurs during the first larval instar with para^ts1 but differs with other para alleles; (4) hypodosage of para ⁺ causes lethality in a nap^ts background. These results together with previous electrophysiological, behavioral and pharmacological studies of these mutants suggest that both para and nap affect sodium channels and possibly encode different subunits.     

Insecticide susceptibility of Phlebotomus argentipes in visceral leishmaniasis endemic districts in India and Nepal

Objectives

To investigate the DDT and deltamethrin susceptibility of Phlebotomus argentipes, the vector of Leishmania donovani, responsible for visceral leishmaniasis (VL), in two countries (India and Nepal) with different histories of insecticide exposure.

Methods

Standard WHO testing procedures were applied using 4% DDT and 0.05% deltamethrin impregnated papers. The effect of the physiological status (fed and unfed) of females on the outcome of the bioassays was assessed and the optimal time of exposure for deltamethrin was evaluated on a colony population. Field populations from both countries were tested.

Results

Fed and unfed females responded in a similar way. For exposure time on field samples 60 min was adopted for both DDT and deltamethrin. In Bihar, knockdown and mortality with DDT was respectively 20 and 43%. In Nepal almost all sand flies were killed, except at the border with Bihar (mortality 62%). With 0.05% deltamethrin, between 96 and 100% of the sand flies were killed in both regions.

Conclusions

Based on literature and present data 4% DDT and 0.05% deltamethrin seem to be acceptable discriminating concentrations to separate resistant from susceptible populations. Resistance to DDT was confirmed in Bihar and in a border village of Nepal, but the sand flies were still susceptible in villages more inside Nepal where only synthetic pyrethroids are used for indoor spraying. The low effectiveness of indoor spraying with DDT in Bihar to control VL can be partially explained by this resistance hence other classes of insecticides should be tested. In both countries P. argentipes sand flies were susceptible to deltamethrin.     

Interactions of membrane excitability mutations affecting potassium and sodium currents in the flight and giant fiber escape systems of Drosophila

Summary We have studied the influence of the K⁺-current mutations eag and Sh and the Na⁺-current mutation nap ^ts upon two well-defined neural circuits that underlie flight and an escape response in Drosophila, recording from dorsal longitudinal and tergotrochanteral muscles. Mutations of Sh and eag affected refractory period and following frequency, but not latency, of the jump-and-flight escape response. The nap ^ts mutation altered these 3 physiological parameters of the jump (TTM), but not the flight (DLM), branch, suggesting differences in the vulnerability of different circuit components to the mutation. In contrast to their interaction in some other systems, nap ^ts did not counteract the effects of eag and Sh upon these physiological parameters in eag Sh; nap triple mutants.In eag Sh double mutants, in which multiple K⁺ currents may be diminished, flight muscles showed abnormal rhythmic activity not associated with flight, and some flies also had an abnormal wings-down posture. The low-frequency spikes probably originated in the flight muscle motoneurons, but the coordination between muscle fibers during this non-flight activity was distinct from flight. Nevertheless, in spite of the presence of this non-flight activity in resting eag Sh flies, those animals with normal wing posture were also able to fly, with a normal pattern of muscle activity. This suggests that in these mutants, the DLM motoneuron circuit is able to switch between two patterns of output, non-flight activity and flight. In eag Sh; nap triple mutants, the non-flight activity and abnormal wing posture were absent, indicating that a reduction of Na⁺ current counteracts the hyperexcitable influence of the K⁺-current mutations in this circuit.Abbreviations CGF cervical giant fiber - DLM dorsal longitudinal muscle - eag ether à go-go - FF ₅₀ following frequency with 50% response - nap ^ts no action potential — temperature sensitive para paralytic - PSI peripherally synapsing interneuron - Sh Shaker TTM tergotrochanteral muscle     

Reduced [3H]-tetrodotoxin binding in the napts paralytic mutant of Drosophila

Summary The temperature-sensitive paralytic mutant of Drosophila, nap ^ts, has been shown to have defects in axonal physiology which suggest that it codes for a component of the voltage-sensitive sodium channel. Ligand binding studies using tritiated tetrodotoxin, a sodium channel antagonist, show a decrease in the apparent number of sodium channels in nap ^ts, providing additional support for this hypothesis.     

棉铃虫对菊酯类杀虫剂抗药性的神经电生理研究

本文用神经电生理方法研究了氰戊菊酯、氯菊酯对棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera(Hubner)相对敏感(HD-S)种群和抗性(HJ-R)种群的神经毒理作用。10^-5mol/L的氰戊菊酯、10^-5mol/L的氯菊酯诱发腹神经索自发发放频率的增加和随后的神经传导阻断,10-^-5mol/l的氯菊酯抑制HD-S种群的神经兴奋,直接阻断神经传导。以兴奋时间、神经传导阻断时间、对药剂作用反应时间的个体分布频率3个参数比较两种群对杀虫剂的反应,均发现HJ-R种群比相对HD-S种群表现了2～3倍的神经不敏感机制,并且发现这种神经不敏感机制对毒理I型和Ⅱ型拟除虫菊酯同样有作用。     

Point mutations in the Drosophila sodium channel gene para associated with resistance to DDT and pyrethroid insecticides

The gene para in Drosophila melanogaster encodes an α subunit of voltage-activated sodium channels, the presumed site of action of DDT and pyrethroid insecticides. We used an existing collection of Drosophila para mutants to examine the molecular basis of target-site resistance to pyrethroids and DDT. Six out of thirteen mutants tested were associated with a largely dominant, 10- to 30-fold increase in DDT resistance. The amino acid lesions associated with these alleles defined four sites in the sodium channel polypeptide where a mutational change can cause resistance: within the intracellular loop between S4 and S5 in homology domains I and III, within the pore region of homology domain III, and within S6 in homology domain III. Some of these sites are analogous with those defined by knockdown resistance (kdr) and super-kdr resistance-associated mutations in houseflies and other insects, but are located in different homologous units of the channel polypeptide. We find a striking synergism in resistance levels with particular heterozygous combinations of para alleles that appears to mimic the super-kdr double mutant housefly phenotype. Our results indicate that the alleles analyzed from natural populations represent only a subset of mutations that can confer resistance. The implications for the binding site of pyrethroids and mechanisms of target-site insensitivity are discussed. Received: 9 May 1997 / Accepted: 21 July 1997     

Saxitoxin binding to neural membranes from pyrethroid susceptible and resistant tobacco budworm moths Heliothis virescens

1. [³H]Saxitoxin, a sodium channel probe, was found to bind reversibly with high affinity to a single class of noninteracting sites in membrane preparations from whole head homogenates of tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), moths from a pyrethroid susceptible strain and from a pyrethroid resistant strain with nerve insensitivity and metabolic resistance mechanisms.2. No significant interstrain differences were detected in saturation (K_D, B_max) and kinetic (k₊₁, k₋₁) experiments.3. Also, five pyrethroids, two formamidines, and DDT had no significant effect on [³H]saxitoxin binding when tested at concentrations of 1 × 10⁻⁴ and 1 × 10⁻⁸ M.4. It appeared that a decreased density in sodium channels in resistant strain moths as compared with that in susceptible strain moths was not a factor in pyrethroid-induced resistance in this particular strain of tobacco budworm.     

烟粉虱对拟除虫菊酯杀虫剂的抗性机理

通过增效剂生物测定、生化分析以及钠离子通道基因ⅡS4-6 cDNA片段的RT-PCR扩增,探讨了烟粉虱Bemisia tabaci（Gennadius）对拟除虫菊酯杀虫剂的抗性机理。结果表明：对于采自田间的6个烟粉虱抗性品系,磷酸三苯酯（TPP）和胡椒基丁醚（PBO）对氯氰菊酯、溴氰菊酯、氯氟氰菊酯和甲氰菊酯均有显著的增效作用,而DEM对4种拟除虫菊酯杀虫剂均无明显的增效作用。烟粉虱抗性品系的α-NA羧酸酯酶和β-NA羧酸酯酶活性分别是敏感品系的2.16～2.65倍和1.22～1.41倍,抗性品系的谷胱甘肽S转移酶活性与敏感品系没有差异,表明羧酸酯酶和多功能氧化酶在烟粉虱对拟除虫菊酯类杀虫剂的抗性中具有重要的作用,而谷胱甘肽S转移酶与抗性无关。通过RT-PCR克隆了6个烟粉虱田间抗性品系的钠离子通道结构域ⅡS4-6 cDNA片段的序列（420 bp）,发现与敏感品系相比,有2个位点发生突变,分别为L925I突变和I917V突变,L925I突变在所有6个烟粉虱田间抗性种群中均有发生,该位点突变已被证实与拟除虫菊酯类杀虫剂密切相关,表明神经不敏感性可能是烟粉虱对拟除虫菊酯产生抗性的另一个重要因子。     

Drosophila neural pathways

Summary TheDrosophila giant axon pathways cervical connective — thoracic indirect flight muscles were studied by a combined electrophysiological and genetic analysis. A functional coupling of the left and right giant axon pathways was revealed by intracellular recordings of electrical responses of the thoracic indirect flight muscles, when evoked by electrical stimulation of cervical connective (Fig. 2). This functional coupling was demonstrated in wild-type flies and in flies of the single gene, temperature-sensitive paralytic mutation,para ^ts . The functional coupling was evident also in selected bilateral gynandromorph flies, mosaics for thepara ^ts mutation (Fig. 1), even at restricted elevated ambient temperature (Tables 1–3). Analysis of neurally evoked electrogenic muscle responses of wild-type flies, following injection of picrotoxin, verifies the notion that both the dorsoventral and the dorsolongitudinal flight muscles share a common activating pathway (Fig. 3). Picrotoxin application to gynandromorph flies demonstrated the existence of neuronal elements additional to the giant axon pathways, that evoke the indirect flight muscles in response to cervical stimulation (Figs. 4, 5). An unexpected finding was the poor correlation between the mosaic external phenotype of the gynandromorph flies ofpara ^ts mutation and the genotype of neural pathways activating their thoracic flight muscles, as evidenced by the intracellular recordings.Abbreviations GA giant axon - DVM dorsoventral muscle - DLM dorsolongitudinal muscle - PSI peripherally synapsing interneuron - ts temperature sensitive     

Distribution and spread of pyrethroid and DDT resistance among the Anopheles gambiae complex in Tanzania

The development of insecticide resistance is a threat to the control of malaria in Africa. We report the findings of a national survey carried out in Tanzania in 2011 to monitor the susceptibility of malaria vectors to pyrethroid, organophosphate, carbamate and DDT insecticides, and compare these findings with those identified in 2004 and 2010. Standard World Health Organization (WHO) methods were used to detect knock‐down and mortality rates in wild female Anopheles gambiae s.l. (Diptera: Culicidae) collected from 14 sentinel districts. Diagnostic doses of the pyrethroids deltamethrin, lambdacyhalothrin and permethrin, the carbamate propoxur, the organophosphate fenitrothion and the organochlorine DDT were used. Anopheles gambiae s.l. was resistant to permethrin in Muleba, where a mortality rate of 11% [95% confidence interval (CI) 6–19%] was recorded, Muheza (mortality rate of 75%, 95% CI 66–83%), Moshi and Arumeru (mortality rates of 74% in both). Similarly, resistance was reported to lambdacyhalothrin in Muleba, Muheza, Moshi and Arumeru (mortality rates of 31–82%), and to deltamethrin in Muleba, Moshi and Muheza (mortality rates of 28–75%). Resistance to DDT was reported in Muleba. No resistance to the carbamate propoxur or the organophosphate fenitrothion was observed. Anopheles gambiae s.l. is becoming resistant to pyrethoids and DDT in several parts of Tanzania. This has coincided with the scaling up of vector control measures. Resistance may impair the effectiveness of these interventions and therefore demands close monitoring and the adoption of a resistance management strategy.     

Reduced calcium sensitivity of the sodium channel and the Na+/Ca2+ exchange system in the Kdr-type, DDT and pyrethroid resistant German cockroach, Blattella germanica

To understand the biochemical cause of nerve insensitivity to DDT and pyrethroids two cation regulating systems, the Na+/Ca2+ exchange and the Na+ channel in the membrane preparation from the central nervous system of susceptible and resistant strains of the German cockroach were examined. Both systems from resistant insects have lower affinities to Ca2+ than those from their susceptible counterparts. The resistant strains show a prominent cross-resistance to all agents affecting calcium regulation (particularly A23187) and Na+ channel operations in vivo, indicating that the basic cause of the reduced nerve insensitivity in resistant insects is related to the reduction in calcium sensitivity in these systems.     

Electrophysiological analysis of the temperature-sensitive paralyticDrosophila mutant,para ts

Summary Paralysis of flight in the temperature-sensitiveDrosophila mutantpara ^ts was found to be dependent on the rate of heating (Fig. 2). The gradual nature of the onset of paralysis during the temperature elevation was revealed by recording the electrical responses of the thoracic flight muscle fibers, evoked by cervical stimulation (Figs. 3,4). A neural focus of the mutation was indicated by intracellular current injections into identified flight muscle fibers during paralysis (Fig. 5) and by electrical activity recorded from gynandromorph flies, mosaic forpara ^ts (Table 1). Recording from picrotoxin-treated flies excluded a previous explanation of paralysis by a temperature-induced augmentation of GABAergic inhibition (Fig. 6). Under the same treatment, evidence was presented for a heterogeneous increase of excitation threshold for spike generation in certain neurons.Abbreviations DLM dorsolongitudinal muscle - DVM dorsoventral muscle - ts temperature sensitive - GABA Gamma aminobutyric acid We wish to thank Dr. E. Lifschytz for providing the facilities for culturing flies in his laboratory. This research was supported by Grant No. 625 from the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation to D.D.     

Insecticide susceptibility of Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes in Ibadan,Southwest Nigeria

The emergence of insecticide resistance in Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes has great implications for malaria control in Nigeria. This study aimed to determine the dynamics of insecticide susceptibility levels and the frequency of knock‐down resistance (kdr) mutations (L1014F) in wild Anopheles coluzzii Coetzee & Wilkerson sp. n. and Anopheles gambiae Giles from the Ojoo and Bodija areas of Ibadan, in southwest Nigeria. Insecticide susceptibility to pyrethroids, organophosphates, carbamates and organochlorines was assessed using World Health Organization (WHO) bioassays. A subset of the mosquitoes exposed to pyrethroids and DDT was used for species and molecular form identification; kdr genotyping was determined using the TaqMan real‐time polymerase chain reaction assay. The mosquitoes were resistant to pyrethroids and DDT but completely susceptible to organophosphates and carbamates. Bodija samples (n = 186) consisted of An. gambiae (91.4%) and An. coluzzii (8.1%) and included one An. coluzzii/An. gambiae hybrid specimen. All mosquitoes screened in Ojoo (n = 26) were An. gambiae. The 1014F kdr mutation was detected at frequencies of 24.5 and 5.8% in Bodija and Ojoo, respectively. No correlation was observed between kdr genotypes and resistance phenotypes. The results indicate that metabolic resistance probably plays an important role in the development of resistance and highlight the need to implement insecticide resistance management strategies.     

Insecticide resistance and detoxifying enzyme activity in the principal bancroftian filariasis vector, Culex quinquefasciatus, in northeastern India

The insecticide resistance status of Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae) to DDT and deltamethrin across army cantonments and neighbouring villages in northeastern India was investigated. In India, DDT is still the insecticide of choice for public health programmes. In military stations, pyrethroids, especially deltamethrins, are used for insecticide‐treated nets (ITNs). Recent information on the levels of resistance to DDT and deltamethrin in mosquito populations of northeastern India is scare. Continued monitoring of insecticide resistance status, identification of the underlying mechanisms of resistance in local mosquito populations and the establishment of a baseline data bank of this information are of prime importance. Insecticide susceptibility assays were performed on wild‐caught adult female Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes to the discriminating doses recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to DDT (4%) and deltamethrin (0.05%). Across all study sites, mortality as a result of DDT varied from 11.9 to 50.0%, as compared with 91.2% in the susceptible laboratory strain (S‐Lab), indicating that Cx. quinquefasciatus is resistant to DDT. The species was found to be 100% susceptible to deltamethrin in all study sites except Benganajuli and Rikamari. Knock‐down times (KDT) in response to deltamethrin varied significantly between study sites (P < 0.01) from 8.3 to 17.8 min for KDT₅₀ and 37.4 to 69.5 min for KDT₉₀. All populations exceeded the threshold level of alpha‐esterase, beta‐esterase and glutathion S‐transferase (GST) established for the S‐Lab susceptible strain, and all populations had 100% elevated esterase and GST activity, except Missamari and Solmara. Beta‐esterase activity in Field Unit II (96.9%) was less than in any of the other populations. Benganajuli had the highest activity level for all the enzymes tested. There was a significant correlation between all enzyme activity levels and insecticide resistance phenotype by populations (P < 0.05). The results presented here provide the first report and baseline information of the insecticide resistance status of Cx. quinquefasciatus in northeastern India, and associated information about biochemical mechanisms that are essential for monitoring the development of insecticide resistance in the area.     

DDT EFFECT ON 32P INCORPORATION FROM γ-LABELLED ATP INTO PROTEINS FROM LOBSTER NERVE

The insecticide DDT (1,1,1 trichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl) ethane) was found to affect the amount of ³²P from [γ-³²P] ATP incorporated into proteins derived from lobster peripheral nerves in a variety of ways depending upon the relative concentrations of ATP, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺. When a high concentration of ATP (2.5 ± 10^?5m ) was used DDT (10^?5m ) inhibited the incorporation and reversed the increased incorporation caused by ouabain. At low concentration of ATP (8.6 ± 10 ^?8m ), DDT inhibited the incorporation when the buffer contained Mg²⁺ and Na⁺ or K⁺ alone, but when the buffer contained Mg²⁺ and both Na⁺ and K⁺ together, DDT consistently caused an increased amount of ³²P to be incorporated. The ability of DDT to cause increases in incorporation of ³²P into the lobster nerve proteins was found to parallel many of the properties that this compound shows when allowed to poison crustacean nerves. For example: the effect was negatively temperature dependent, Ca²⁺ lowered the incorporation in the presence of DDT, and DDT consistently caused greater amounts of ³²P to be incorporated than its less potent analog DDE (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene). The proteins that were affected by DDT were microsomal in nature and could be centrifuged from supernatant by recentrifuging at 149,000 g. The possibility that this system may be the actual target through which DDT causes its characteristic interferences of the ionic conductance changes associated with the action potential are discussed.     

Linkage relationships of several insecticide resistance factors in the house fly (Musca domestica L.)

Summary Strains of the house fly resistant to parathion, malathion, Isolan, and DDT were crossed with a susceptible strain which carried the recessive marker, stubby-wing (stw). F₁ populations were composed of normal-winged insecticide-resistant flies. When the F_1's were backcrossed to the stw parent, the resultant normal-winged progeny were resistant and the stw progeny were susceptible. Thus the major factors for resistance in the strains studied were all located on the same chromosome.Similar cross-over ratios were observed with parathion and malathion-resistant strains and populations of resistant stw flies were established. Low ali-esterase, characteristic of the parent resistant strains, was also present in the resistant stw strains.No crossing-over occurred between stw and DDT-resistance. Resistance to DDT, present in the malathion-resistant strain, was not introduced with malathion-resistance into the stw strain. Therefore, the factors for DDT and malathion resistance, although linked, are genetically distinct.

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Zusammenfassung Stubenfliegenstämme, die Resistenzfaktoren gegen Parathion, Malathion, Isolan^R (1-isopropyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolyl dimethylcarbamate) und DDT tragen, wurden mit einem anfälligen Stamm gekreuzt, der das rezessive Markierungsgen, stummelflügelig (stw), aufweist. Die F₁-Populationen jeder Kreuzung bestanden aus normalflügeligen, insektizidresistenten Fliegen. Wenn die F₁-Fliegen mit den stw-Eltern rückgekreuzt wurden, waren die normalflügeligen Nachkommen resistent gegen alle Insektizide und die stw-Nachkommen anfällig. Also sind die Hauptresistenzfaktoren der untersuchten Stämme alle in dem gleichen Chromosom lokalisiert.Für die Faktoren, welche die Resistenz gene Parathion und Malathion kontrollieren, wurden ähnliche crossing over-Verhältnisse beobachtet, und es wurden Populationen von stw-Fliegen aufgebaut, die resistent gegen diese Insektizide sind. Niedrige Ali-Esterase-Aktivität, die für die parathion- und malathionresistenten Ausgangsstämme charakteristisch ist, war auch in den resistenten stw-Stämmen vorhanden, so daß das Gen für niedrige Ali-Esterase-Aktivität identisch oder eng mit den Resistenzgenen verbunden ist.Eine unzulängliche Trennung zwischen anfälligen und isolanresistenten Fliegen schloß die Möglichkeit der crossing over-Messung des Faktors für Isolanresistenz aus. Zwischen stw und DDT-Resistenz wurde kein crossing over beobachtet. Hohe Kreuzungsresistenz gegen DDT, die in einem malathionresistenten Stamm vorhanden ist, wurde mit dem Faktor für Malathionresistenz nicht in den stw-Stamm eingeführt. Die Faktoren für die Resistenz gegen DDT und Malathion sind demnach genetisch unterschiedlich.

     

DDT, pyrethrins, pyrethroids and insect sodium channels

The long term use of many insecticides is continually threatened by the ability of insects to evolve resistance mechanisms that render the chemicals ineffective. Such resistance poses a serious threat to insect pest control both in the UK and worldwide. Resistance may result from either an increase in the ability of the insect to detoxify the insecticide or by changes in the target protein with which the insecticide interacts. DDT, the pyrethrins and the synthetic pyrethroids (the latter currently accounting for around 17% of the world insecticide market), act on the voltage-gated sodium channel proteins found in insect nerve cell membranes. The correct functioning of these channels is essential for normal transmission of nerve impulses and this process is disrupted by binding of the insecticides, leading to paralysis and eventual death. Some insect pest populations have evolved modifications of the sodium channel protein which prevent the binding of the insecticide and result in the insect developing resistance. Here we review some of the work (done at Rothamsted Research and elsewhere) that has led to the identification of specific residues on the sodium channel that may constitute the DDT and pyrethroid binding sites.     

Point mutations in the Drosophila sodium channel gene para associated with resistance to DDT and pyrethroid insecticides

The gene para in Drosophila melanogaster encodes an α subunit of voltage-activated sodium channels, the presumed site of action of DDT and pyrethroid insecticides. We used an existing collection of Drosophila para mutants to examine the molecular basis of target-site resistance to pyrethroids and DDT. Six out of thirteen mutants tested were associated with a largely dominant, 10- to 30-fold increase in DDT resistance. The amino acid lesions associated with these alleles defined four sites in the sodium channel polypeptide where a mutational change can cause resistance: within the intracellular loop between S4 and S5 in homology domains I and III, within the pore region of homology domain III, and within S6 in homology domain III. Some of these sites are analogous with those defined by knockdown resistance (kdr) and super-kdr resistance-associated mutations in houseflies and other insects, but are located in different homologous units of the channel polypeptide. We find a striking synergism in resistance levels with particular heterozygous combinations of para alleles that appears to mimic the super-kdr double mutant housefly phenotype. Our results indicate that the alleles analyzed from natural populations represent only a subset of mutations that can confer resistance. The implications for the binding site of pyrethroids and mechanisms of target-site insensitivity are discussed.     

Allelic Variation of Cytochrome P450s Drives Resistance to Bednet Insecticides in a Major Malaria Vector

Scale up of Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) has massively contributed to reduce malaria mortality across Africa. However, resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in malaria vectors threatens its continued effectiveness. Deciphering the detailed molecular basis of such resistance and designing diagnostic tools is critical to implement suitable resistance management strategies. Here, we demonstrated that allelic variation in two cytochrome P450 genes is the most important driver of pyrethroid resistance in the major African malaria vector Anopheles funestus and detected key mutations controlling this resistance. An Africa-wide polymorphism analysis of the duplicated genes CYP6P9a and CYP6P9b revealed that both genes are directionally selected with alleles segregating according to resistance phenotypes. Modelling and docking simulations predicted that resistant alleles were better metabolizers of pyrethroids than susceptible alleles. Metabolism assays performed with recombinant enzymes of various alleles confirmed that alleles from resistant mosquitoes had significantly higher activities toward pyrethroids. Additionally, transgenic expression in Drosophila showed that flies expressing resistant alleles of both genes were significantly more resistant to pyrethroids compared with those expressing the susceptible alleles, indicating that allelic variation is the key resistance mechanism. Furthermore, site-directed mutagenesis and functional analyses demonstrated that three amino acid changes (Val¹⁰⁹Ile, Asp³³⁵Glu and Asn³⁸⁴Ser) from the resistant allele of CYP6P9b were key pyrethroid resistance mutations inducing high metabolic efficiency. The detection of these first DNA markers of metabolic resistance to pyrethroids allows the design of DNA-based diagnostic tools to detect and track resistance associated with bednets scale up, which will improve the design of evidence-based resistance management strategies.     

Metabolism of DDT and Kelthane in cell suspension cultures of parsley (Petroselinum hortense,Hoffm.) and soybean (Glycine max L.)

Cell suspension cultures of parsley and soybean were incubated for 44 to 48 h with¹⁴C-labeled DDT or Kelthane; autoclaved cultures were used as controls. Most of the radioactivity became associated with the cells, and metabolites were isolated by a sequential extraction procedure. The metabolites amounted to 0.6 to 2.2% of the applied pesticide. Relatively non-polar metabolites were identified as DDE in the case of DDT, and remained unidentified in the case of Kelthane. Polar metabolites were also isolated and are as yet unidentified. They were chromatographically different from the known and less polar metabolites of DDT and Kelthane reported from animal and insect studies. [DDT-1,1,1-Trichloro-2,2-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-ethane; Kelthane=(1,1-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloro-ethanol; DDE=1,1-Dichloro-2,2-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-ethylene.]Abbreviations DDT 1,1,1-Trichloro-2,2-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-ethane - Kelthane (1,1-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloro-ethanol - DDE 1,1-Dichloro-2,2-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-ethylene - DDA 2,2-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-acetic acid - DDOH 2,2-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-ethanol - DDD 1,1-Dichloro-2,2-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-ethane - DBP 4,4-Dichloro-benzophenone - DDMU 1-Chloro-2,2-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-ethylene - DDM Bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-methane - FW-152 1,1-Bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloro-ethanol - SDS sodium dodecylsulphate