Insecticide Resistance: The Genetic Basis and Underlying Mechanisms in Pests

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Pest and Disease Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 1141

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: insecticide resistance evolution; Cytochrome P450; gene regulation; rice plant hoppers; pest management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: insecticide resistance; Cytochrome P450; insect; whitefly; gene regulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Insecticide resistance poses a formidable challenge to pest management in agriculture and public health. The genetic basis and underlying mechanisms of insecticide resistance have been the focus of extensive research. This phenomenon is primarily attributed to genetic mutations that confer resistance to insecticides, leading to reduced efficacy of pest control measures. Mechanisms such as enhanced detoxification, target site insensitivity, and behavioral adaptations contribute to the development of resistance. Understanding the genetic factors and molecular mechanisms involved in insecticide resistance is crucial for developing sustainable pest management strategies. This Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the genetic basis and underlying mechanisms of insecticide resistance in pests. It aims to encompass a wide range of topics, including but not limited to, the identification of resistance-conferring genetic mutations, elucidation of detoxification pathways, exploration of target site insensitivity, and understanding behavioral adaptations in resistant pest populations. Additionally, contributions encompassing novel insights into resistance evolution will be highlighted. Furthermore, this Special Issue aims to explore innovative strategies and technologies for mitigating insecticide resistance and fostering sustainable pest management practices.

We invite original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that offer significant contributions to understanding the genetic basis and underlying mechanisms of insecticide resistance in pests. Submissions focusing on the molecular characterization of resistance-conferring genes, elucidation of metabolic pathways involved in detoxification, mechanistic studies of target site modifications, and innovative approaches for managing resistance are encouraged. Furthermore, contributions addressing the ecological and evolutionary dimensions of insecticide resistance are highly valued.

Dr. Youhui Gong
Dr. Xin Yang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • genetic mutations
  • resistance evolution
  • molecular mechanisms
  • target insensitivity
  • metabolic resistance
  • phenotype
  • overexpression
  • duplication

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 3173 KiB  
Article
Functional Analysis of Two Carboxylesterase Genes Involved in Beta-Cypermethrin and Phoxim Resistance in Plutella xylostella (L.)
by Ran Li, Liang Liang, Yujia Zhao, Junyi Zhang, Zhiyuan Hao, Haibo Zhao and Pei Liang
Agronomy 2024, 14(12), 2781; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14122781 - 23 Nov 2024
Viewed by 765
Abstract
Enhanced expression of carboxylesterase (CarE) genes is an important mechanism of insecticide resistance in pests. However, their roles in multi-insecticide resistance have rarely been reported. Herein, two CarE genes (PxαE6 and PxαE9) were identified; their relative expression levels in three multi-insecticide-resistant [...] Read more.
Enhanced expression of carboxylesterase (CarE) genes is an important mechanism of insecticide resistance in pests. However, their roles in multi-insecticide resistance have rarely been reported. Herein, two CarE genes (PxαE6 and PxαE9) were identified; their relative expression levels in three multi-insecticide-resistant populations of P. xylostella (HN, GD-2017 and GD-2019) were 2.69- to 15.32-fold higher than those in the sensitive population, and they were considerably overexpressed at the larval stage and in the midgut of the 4th instar. PxαE6 and PxαE9 knockdown increased the susceptibility of GD-2019 larvae to phoxim or/and beta-cypermethrin. The recombinant PxαE6 and PxαE9 expressed in Escherichia coli exhibited high hydrolysis activity towards α-NA. GC–MS and LC–MS/MS assays revealed that PxαE9 could metabolize beta-cypermethrin and phoxim with efficiency determinations of 51.6% and 21.1%, respectively, while PxαE6 could metabolize phoxim with an efficiency of 12.0%. Homology modelling, molecular docking and molecular-dynamics simulation analyses demonstrated that beta-cypermethrin or/and phoxim could fit well into the active pocket and stably bind to PxαE6 or PxαE9. These results show that PxαE6 and PxαE9 overexpression were involved in resistance to beta-cypermethrin or/and phoxim in multi-insecticide-resistant P. xylostella populations, a finding which sheds light on the molecular mechanisms of multi-insecticide resistance in insect pests. Full article
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