Circadian control of permethrin-resistance in the mosquito Aedes aegypti

Daily fluctuation of permethrin-resistance was found in adult mosquito Aedes aegypti, the major vector of dengue viruses in Taiwan. We hypothesized there is a relationship between resistance and the circadian clock. To test our hypothesis we correlated changes in the knock-down time (KT₅₀) response to permethrin with the expression of the pyrethroid-resistant gene CYP9M9 and the clock gene period (per) during a 12:12 h photoperiodic cycle. Rhythmic expression of per peaked at early scotophase of the light-dark cycle and at early subjective night in constant darkness. The values of KT₅₀ and the expression of CYP9M9 also exhibited circadian rhythms in both susceptible and permethrin-resistant mosquito strains, from which we inferred a link to the circadian clock. The KT₅₀ was significantly longer in the light than in the dark phase, and the level of CYP9M9 mRNA was maximal in early scotophase, dropped to a minimum in the midnight and then slowly increased through the photophase. Existence of a clock control over mosquito sensitivity to permethrin was further indicated by reduced expression of CYP9M9 and reduced mosquito resistance to permethrin after temporal silencing of the per gene. These data provide the first evidence on the circadian control of insect resistance to permethrin.