Synergism between permethrin and propoxur against Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito larvae

To see if synergism occurs between carbamate and pyrethroid insecticides, we tested permethrin and propoxur as representatives of these two classes of compounds used for mosquito control. Larvicidal activity of both insecticides was assessed separately and together on a susceptible strain of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) by two methods. When mixed at a constant ratio (permethrin : propoxur 1 : 60 based on LC50) and tested at serial concentrations to plot dose/mortality regression, significant synergy occurred between them (co-toxicity coefficient = 2.2), not just an additive effect. For example, when the mixture gave 50% mortality, the same concentrations of permethrin and propoxur alone would have given merely 2 x 1% mortality. When a sublethal dose (LC0) of permethrin or propoxur was added to the other (range LC10-LC95), synergism occurred up to the LC80 level. Synergistic effects were attributed to the complementary modes of action by these two insecticide classes acting on different components of nerve impulse transmission. Apart from raising new possibilities for Culex control, it seems appropriate to consider using such mixtures or combinations for insecticide-treated mosquito nets in situations with insecticide-resistant Anopheles malaria vectors.     

Three-dimensional structure of the antennal lobe in the Southern house mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus

The Southern house mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus relies on its olfactory system to locate the human hosts for blood meals,by which several deadly diseases are transmitted.Olfactory sensory neurons(OSNs)housed in the sensilla on the olfactory appendages send their axons into the antennal lobes(ALs),the primary olfactory center in the brain,where the OSNs expressing the same olfactory receptors converge upon the same spherical structures known as glomeruli in the AL.The structure of the antennal lobe,that is,the spatial organization of the glomeruli,governs the insect's odor identification and discrimination.Drosophila studies have demonstrated the specific connections between receptors and glomeruli based on the 3D structure of the antennal lobe,deepening our understanding of the relationships between glomerular activities and behaviors,but as yet the structure of the Cx.quinquefasciatus antennal lobe remains unknown.We therefore constructed a 3D model of the Cx.quinquefasciatus antennal lobe using nc82 antibody staining,identifying 62 and 44 glomeruli in the female and male mosquito antennal lobe,respectively,with a significant sexual dimorphism in terms of the antennal lobe volume and glomerulus number.These results demonstrate the structural basis of mosquito odor coding and provide a platform for future studies of the mosquito olfactory signal processing mechanism.     

Global spread and genetic variants of the two CYP9M10 haplotype forms associated with insecticide resistance in Culex quinquefasciatus Say

Insecticide resistance develops as a genetic factor (allele) conferring lower susceptibility to insecticides proliferates within a target insect population under strong positive selection. Intriguingly, a resistance allele pre-existing in a population often bears a series of further adaptive allelic variants through new mutations. This phenomenon occasionally results in replacement of the predominating resistance allele by fitter new derivatives, and consequently, development of greater resistance at the population level. The overexpression of the cytochrome P450 gene CYP9M10 is associated with pyrethroid resistance in the southern house mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus. Previously, we have found two genealogically related overexpressing CYP9M10 haplotypes, which differ in gene copy number (duplicated and non-duplicated). The duplicated haplotype was derived from the non-duplicated overproducer probably recently. In the present study, we investigated allelic series of CYP9M10 involved in three C. quinquefasciatus laboratory colonies recently collected from three different localities. Duplicated and non-duplicated overproducing haplotypes coexisted in African and Asian colonies indicating a global distribution of both haplotype lineages. The duplicated haplotypes both in the Asian and African colonies were associated with higher expression levels and stronger resistance than non-duplicated overproducing haplotypes. There were slight variation in expression level among the non-duplicated overproducing haplotypes. The nucleotide sequences in coding and upstream regions among members of this group also showed a little diversity. Non-duplicated overproducing haplotypes with relatively higher expression were genealogically closer to the duplicated haplotypes than the other non-duplicated overproducing haplotypes, suggesting multiple cis-acting mutations before duplication.     

Differential expression of CYP6A5 and CYP6A5v2 in pyrethroid-resistant house flies, Musca domestica

Two cytochrome P450 alleles, CYP6A5 and CYP6A5v2, were isolated from a pyrethroid-resistant house fly stain, ALHF. The two alleles shared 98% similarity in amino acid sequence. To understand the importance of these two alleles in resistance and examine the expression profile of the two alleles between resistant and susceptible strains, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed and compared with the Northern blot analysis. We found that qRT-PCR was an efficient method to characterize the expression profiles between these two sequence-closely-related P450 genes between resistant and susceptible houses flies. One of them, CYP6A5v2, was constitutively overexpressed in ALHF house flies compared with susceptible house fly strains. Moreover, this gene was predominantly expressed in the abdominal tissues of ALHF, in which the primary detoxification organs of insects are located. However, there was no significant difference in the expression of CYP6A5 between ALHF and susceptible house flies. The genetic linkage analysis was conducted to determine the possible link between the constitutively overexpressed CYP6A5v2 and insecticide resistance. CYP6A5v2 was mapped on autosome 5, which is correlated with the linkage of resistance in ALHF. Taken together, the study suggests the importance of CYP6A5v2 in increasing metabolic detoxification of insecticides in ALHF. The distinct expression of CYP6A5 and CYP6A5v2 in resistant and susceptible house flies implies the functional difference of theses two genes in house flies and suggests that they are two recently diverged P450 genes presented in a single organism.     

Cloning and overexpression of CYP6F1, a cytochrome P450 gene, from deltamethrin-resistant Culex pipiens pallens

CYP6F1 (GenBank/EMBL accession No. AY662654), a novel gene with a complete encoding sequence in the cytochrome P450 family 6, was cloned and sequenced from deltamethrin-resistant 4th instar larvae of Culex pipiens pallens. The cDNA sequence of CYP6F1 has an open reading frame of 1527 bp, which encodes a putative protein of 508 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of CYP6F1 indicated that the encoded P450 has conserved domains of a putative membrane-anchoring signal,putative reductase-binding sites, a typical heme-binding site, an ETLR motif and substrate recognition sites.Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that the CYP6F1 gene was expressed to a greater extent in the deltamethrin-resistant strain than in the susceptible strain of Cx. pipiens pallens. The expression levels of the CYP6F1 gene in the deltamethrin-resistant 1 st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th instar larvae and adult female mosquitoes differed, with highest expression levels in the 4th instar larvae. In addition, the CYP6F1 gene was stably expressed in mosquito C6/36 cells, and the expected 61.2 kDa band was identified by Western blotting. The cells transfected with CYP6F1 had an increased resistance to deltamethrin as compared with control cells.These results indicate that CYP6F1 is expressed at higher levels in the deltamethrin-resistant strain, and may confer some insecticide resistance in Cx. pipiens pallens.     

Permethrin Induction of Multiple Cytochrome P450 Genes in Insecticide Resistant Mosquitoes,Culex quinquefasciatus

The expression of some insect P450 genes can be induced by both exogenous and endogenous compounds and there is evidence to suggest that multiple constitutively overexpressed P450 genes are co-responsible for the development of resistance to permethrin in resistant mosquitoes. This study characterized the permethrin induction profiles of P450 genes known to be constitutively overexpressed in resistant mosquitoes, Culex quinquefasciatus. The gene expression in 7 of the 19 P450 genes CYP325K3v1, CYP4D42v2, CYP9J45, (CYP) CPIJ000926, CYP325G4, CYP4C38, CYP4H40 in the HAmCqG8 strain, increased more than 2-fold after exposure to permethrin at an LC50 concentration (10 ppm) compared to their acetone treated counterpart; no significant differences in the expression of these P450 genes in susceptible S-Lab mosquitoes were observed after permethrin treatment. Eleven of the fourteen P450 genes overexpressed in the MAmCqG6 strain, CYP9M10, CYP6Z12, CYP9J33, CYP9J43, CYP9J34, CYP306A1, CYP6Z15, CYP9J45, CYPPAL1, CYP4C52v1, CYP9J39, were also induced more than doubled after exposure to an LC50 (0.7 ppm) dose of permethrin. No significant induction in P450 gene expression was observed in the susceptible S-Lab mosquitoes after permethrin treatment except for CYP6Z15 and CYP9J39, suggesting that permethrin induction of these two P450 genes are common to both susceptible and resistant mosquitoes while the induction of the others are specific to insecticide resistant mosquitoes. These results demonstrate that multiple P450 genes are co-up-regulated in insecticide resistant mosquitoes through both constitutive overexpression and induction mechanisms, providing additional support for their involvement in the detoxification of insecticides and the development of insecticide resistance.     

Multiplicative interaction between the two major mechanisms of permethrin resistance,kdr and cytochrome P450‐monooxygenase detoxification,in mosquitoes

Epistasis is the nonadditive interaction between different loci which contribute to a phenotype. Epistasis between independent loci conferring insecticide resistance is important to investigate as this phenomenon can shape the rate that resistance evolves and can dictate the level of resistance in the field. The evolution of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes is a growing and world‐wide problem. The two major mechanisms that confer resistance to permethrin in Culex mosquitoes are target site insensitivity (i.e. kdr) and enhanced detoxification by cytochrome P450 monooxygenases. Using three strains of mosquitoes, and crosses between these strains, we assessed the relative contribution of the two independent loci conferring permethrin resistance, individually and when present together. We found that for all genotype combinations tested, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus exhibited multiplicative interactions between kdr and P450 detoxification, whether the resistance alleles were homozygous or heterozygous. These results provide a basis for further analysis of the evolution and maintenance of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes.     

Resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides and expression changes of eighteen cytochrome P450 genes in field populations of Bemisia tabaci from Xinjiang,China

The occurrence of Bemisia tabaci poses an increasingly serious threat to cotton and vegetable crops in Xinjiang, China. Currently, neonicotinoid insecticides are commonly used to control the insect, to which resistance is inevitable due to intensive use. However, the resistance status and mechanism of B. tabaci to neonicotinoid insecticides in Xinjiang are poorly understood. Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases represent a key detoxification mechanism in the neonicotinoid resistance of B. tabaci. In this study, the resistance level to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam was investigated using the leaf dipping method in five field populations of B. tabaci from Turpan (TP, two sampling sites), Shache (SC), Hotan (HT) and Yining (YN) in northern and southern Xinjiang. The expression changes of eighteen cytochrome P450 genes from the select B. tabaci populations were determined by real‐time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR). The bioassay revealed that the five populations tested had developed moderate to high levels of resistance to imidacloprid (12.26–46.07‐fold), while the populations remained sensitive to thiamethoxam except for HT, which had a low level of resistance. The qPCR results showed that the expression levels of five P450 genes, CYP4G68, CYP6CM1, CYP303A1‐like, CYP6DZ7 and CYP6DZ4, were significantly higher in some resistant field populations than in the susceptible strain. Resistance to imidacloprid in field populations of B. tabaci might be associated with the increased expression of these five cytochrome P450 genes. The results are useful for further understanding the mechanism of neonicotinoid resistance and will contribute to the management of insecticide‐resistant B. tabaci in Xinjiang.     

Larval exposure to Francisella tularensis LVS affects fitness of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus

Francisella tularensis is an environmental bacterium capable of infecting a wide spectrum of species from mammals and birds to reptiles. It has been demonstrated that F. tularensis can invade and survive within protozoa, but an association with aquatic insects has not been thoroughly investigated. We examined the interaction of F. tularensis LVS biofilms and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae to determine the effects on larvae and adults. Our results demonstrate that F. tularensis LVS can form and persist as biofilms in natural water and that the mosquito larvae of C. quinquefasciatus readily feed on biofilm and planktonic forms of F. tularensis LVS. Larvae raised in both bacteria-only cultures suffered significant delays in pupation. Adults resulting from larvae continuously exposed to the bacteria had significantly reduced wing lengths in males and fecundity of both sexes. The bacteria may be exerting these effects through localization and persistence within the midgut and Malpighian tubule cells of the larvae. The study of oral acquisition of pathogens by insect larvae can significantly contribute to the study of environmental persistence of pathogens. We show that oral uptake of F. tularensis LVS by C. quinquefasciatus larvae results in not only larval effects but also has effects on adult mosquitoes. These effects are important in understanding both the ecology of tularemia as well as bacterial interactions with aquatic invertebrates.     

Identification and classification of detoxification enzymes from Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Molecular characterization of the insecticide resistance has become a hot research topic ever since the first disease transmitting arthropod (Anopheles gambiae) genome sequence has unveiled in 2002. A recent publication of the Culex quinquefasciatus genome sequence has opened up new opportunities for molecular and comparative genomic analysis of multiple mosquito genomes to characterize the insecticide resistance. Here, we utilized a whole genome sequence of Cx. quinquefasciatus to identify putatively active members of the detoxification supergene families, namely cytochrome P450s (P450s), glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs), and choline/carboxylesterases (CCEs). The Culex genome analysis revealed 166 P450s, 40 GSTs, and 62 CCEs. Further, the comparative genomic analysis shows that these numbers are considerably higher than the other dipteran mosquitoes. These observed speciesspecific expansions of the detoxification super gene family members endorse the popular understanding of the involvement of these gene families in protecting the organism against multitudinous classes of toxic substances during its complex (aquatic and terrestrial) life cycle. Thus, the generated data set may provide an initial point to start with to characterize the insecticide resistance at a molecular level which could then lead the development of an easy to use molecular marker to monitor the incipient insecticide resistance in field environs.     

昆虫基因启动子及细胞色素P450基因启动子研究进展

细胞色素P450是一类重要的解毒酶系。昆虫在各种内源或外源性有毒物质的胁迫下,通过调控体内细胞色素P450的过表达,对有毒化合物进行解毒代谢,从而适应不利环境。在昆虫体内,P450基因表达的调控主要发生在转录水平上,启动子作为基因的一部分,能够与RNA聚合酶结合形成转录起始复合体,进而控制基因表达的起始时间和表达程度。基于此,就昆虫启动子的分析及功能验证的主要方法、昆虫启动子的结构特征及昆虫细胞色素P450基因启动予的一些研究进展进行概述,以期为昆虫细胞色素P450基因启动子的深入研究提供借鉴。     

细胞色素P450介导的昆虫抗药性的分子机制

细胞色素P450(简称P450) 对杀虫剂的代谢作用直接影响到昆虫对杀虫剂的耐受性和杀虫剂对昆虫的选择性,由P450介导的杀虫剂代谢解毒作用的增强是昆虫产生抗药性的常见而重要的机制。P450介导的杀虫剂代谢抗性具有普遍性、交互抗性与进化可塑性的特点,涉及P450基因重复与基因扩增、基因转录上调以及结构基因的变异等多样化的分子机制,并且多重机制的共同作用可以导致高水平抗药性。这些研究发现说明,无论是昆虫抗药性机制的研究,还是抗药性监测与治理都要有动态的、因地制宜的理念。     

Cis-acting mutation and duplication: History of molecular evolution in a P450 haplotype responsible for insecticide resistance in Culex quinquefasciatus

A cytochrome P450 gene, Cyp9m10, is more than 200-fold overexpressed in a pyrethroid resistant strain of Culex quinquefasciatus, JPal-per. The haplotype of this strain contains two copies of Cyp9m10 resulted from recent tandem duplication. In this study, we discovered and isolated a Cyp9m10 haplotype closely related to this duplicated Cyp9m10 haplotype from JHB, a strain used for the recent genome project for this mosquito species. The isolated haplotype (JHB-NIID-B haplotype) shared the same insertion of a transposable element upstream of the coding region with JPal-per strain but not duplicated. The JHB-NIID-B haplotype was considered to have diverged from the JPal-per lineage just before the duplication event. Cyp9m10 was moderately overexpressed in larvae with the JHB-NIID-B haplotype. The overexpressions in JHB-NIID-B and JPal-per haplotypes were developmentally regulated in similar pattern indicating both haplotypes share a common cis-acting mutation responsible for the overexpressions. The isolated moderately overexpressed haplotype conferred resistance, however, its efficacy was relatively small. We hypothesized that the first cis-acting mutation modified the consequence of the subsequent duplication in JPal-per lineage to confer stronger phenotypic effect than that if it occurred before the first cis-acting mutation.     

一个致倦库蚊杀虫剂敏感品系的筛选

化学防治是控制蚊虫传播疾病的主要方法, 抗性监测表明我国蚊虫已对有机磷、 有机氯、 氨基甲酸酯和拟除虫菊酯类杀虫剂产生了不同程度的抗性。蚊虫抗药性的分子机制主要包括靶标抗性和三大解毒酶家族带来的代谢抗性。筛选对杀虫剂敏感的品系是抗性监测和抗性机理研究必不可少的材料。本研究通过从一个致倦库蚊Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus野生种群筛选无乙酰胆碱酯酶G119S突变且具有低活性羧酸酯酶、 P450单加氧酶和谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶的单雌系, 建立了一个对杀虫剂敏感的致倦库蚊品系。该品系的羧酸酯酶活性是敏感品系S-lab的2.5倍, P450单加氧酶和谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶的活性与S-lab相当。生物测定表明, 与S-lab相比, 该品系对有机磷杀虫剂有低于2倍的抗性, 对氨基甲酸酯和拟除虫菊酯类杀虫剂没有抗性, 可以作为相对敏感品系用于抗性监测。     

Assessing natural infection with Zika virus in the southern house mosquito,Culex quinquefasciatus,during 2016 in Puerto Rico

The epidemic of Zika in the Western hemisphere has led to intense investigations of all species important in the transmission of Zika virus (ZikV), including putative mosquito vectors. Although evidence points to Stegomyia (= Aedes) (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes as the primary vectors in nature among humans, there remains the possibility that other common mosquito species may be implicated in the rapid spread of the virus. Herein, field‐caught Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) collected during June 2016 in different neighbourhoods in San Juan, Puerto Rico were examined for the presence of natural infection with ZikV. Stegomyia aegypti (= Aedes aegypti) from the same locations were also analysed. None of the Cx. quinquefasciatus tested showed natural infection for ZikV, whereas S. aegypti tested positive at seven sites. The present results suggest that Cx. quinquefasciatus was not involved in the transmission of ZikV in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2016.