Regional reversion of insecticide resistance in Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is associated with the use of Bt cotton in northern China

A continuous programme for monitoring resistance of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) to commonly used insecticides was undertaken for assessing the impact of Bt cotton planting on the evolution of the pest resistance from 1994 to 2002 in China. The bioassay results showed that the resistance levels per year in field populations of H armigera to lambda-cyhalothrin, phoxim and endosulfan decreased, respectively, to 9-15-fold, 11-14-fold and 6-8-fold in 2001-2002 from 197-262-fold, 52-74-fold and 18-38-fold before the cultivation of Bt cotton in 1997. This significant increase in susceptibility to insecticides is expected to result in a reduction in insecticide application for H armigera control in Bt cotton. It is concluded that Bt cotton is playing an important role in the long-term management of H armigera by increasing the potential for natural and chemical control of the pest.     

Effect of pretreatment with piperonyl butoxide on pyrethroid efficacy against insecticide-resistant Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Bemisia tabaci (Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae)

Pyrethroid resistance in B-type Bemisia tabaci Gennadius and Australian Helicoverpa armigera Hübner field populations is primarily conferred by esterase isoenzymes which metabolise and sequester pyrethroid insecticides. It has been shown previously that pyrethroid resistance-associated esterases in H. armigera are inhibited by the insecticide synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO) over a 22-h period. It is demonstrated here that similar inhibition can be obtained against B-type B. tabaci. Small-scale field trials showed excellent levels of pyrethroid control when insects were pretreated with PBO and then dosed with pyrethroid during the time of maximum esterase inhibition. These results demonstrate that PBO can restore pyrethroid efficacy in the field against both B-type B. tabaci and resistant H. armigera.     

Selection and heritability of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis subsp kurstaki and transgenic cotton in Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Compared with an unselected susceptible population, a cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), population selected for 22 generations with transgenic cotton leaves (modified Cry1A) in the laboratory developed 11.0-fold resistance to Cry1Ac (one single-protein product MVPII). Resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner subsp kurstaki (Btk) was selected for 22 generations with a 5.2-fold increase in LC50. The estimated realized heritabilities (h2) of resistance for transgenic-cotton- and Btk-selected populations were 0.1008 and 0.2341, respectively. This reflects the higher phenotypic variation in response to Cry1Ac in the transgenic-cotton-selected population. This variation may have been caused by differences in protein toxin levels expressed in different growth stages of the transgenic cotton. Because of the different slopes of the probit regression lines between Cry1Ac and Btk, the estimated realized h2 cannot be used visually to compare resistance development to Cry1Ac and Btk in H armigera. Thus, the response quotient (Q) of resistance was also estimated. The Q values of resistance for transgenic-cotton- and Btk-selected populations were 0.0763 and 0.0836, respectively. This showed that the rate of resistance development would be similar in both selection populations. This result indicates that the selection of resistance using transgenic cotton is different from that selected using the single toxin. Resistance risk to transgenic cotton and Btk in field populations was assessed assuming different pressures of selection by using the estimated h2. Assuming the h2 of resistance in a field population was half of the estimated h2, and the population received prolonged and uniform exposure to transgenic cotton or Btk causing >70% mortality in each generation, we predicted that resistance would increase 10-fold after <23 generations for Cry1Ac in transgenic cotton-selected-populations and after <21 generations for Btk in Btk-selected populations. Cross-resistance would be expected after <48 generations for Btk in transgenic-cotton-selected populations and after <21 generations for Cry1Ac in Btk-selected population. The results show that the potential to evolve resistance is similar in both transgenic-cotton- and Btk-selected populations, but that cross-resistance development to Btk is slower in transgenic-cotton-selected populations than cross-resistance development to Cry1Ac in Btk-selected populations.     

Insensitive acetylcholinesterase causes resistance to organophosphates in Australian Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Organophosphates are valuable insecticides used to control Helicoverpa armigera on cotton in Australia. Those most commonly used for Helicoverpa spp. control are pro-fenofos, parathion-methyl and chlorpyrifos. However, there is an emerging organophosphate-resistance threat in Australian H. armigera, which is compounded by cross-resistance between profenofos and parathion-methyl. An insensitive acetylcholinesterase has been identified as the common resistance mechanism. No resistance to chlorpyrifos has been detected and acetylcholinesterase remains fully sensitive to the chlorpyrifos oxon. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry     

Seasonal Dynamics of Metabolic Mechanisms Mediating Pyrethroid Resistance in Helicoverpa armigera in Central India

Very high cypermethrin and fenvalerate resistance frequencies were recorded in Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) populations in central India during the 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96 cropping seasons. Synergism assays and biochemical analyses of detoxification enzyme levels indicated that mono-oxygenases and esterases were important metabolic mechanisms mediating pyrethroid resistance. Piperonyl butoxide- (PBO) and profenofos-suppressible pyrethroid resistance were correlated with enhanced levels of cytochrome P450 and general esterases respectively. Enzyme assay data indicated that high cytochrome P450 levels generally coincided with low esterase activity and vice versa. Similarly, synergist bioassays showed that PBO-insensitive resistance was frequently associated with profenofos-sensitive resistance and vice versa. Oxidase- and esterase-mediated mechanisms evidently alternated in a reciprocal manner, with perceptible shifts in relative importance occurring during mid-October in all three seasons and in late January in 1995. Apart from metabolic mechanisms, a synergist-insensitive resistance mechanism (believed to be nerve insensitivity), accounted for an average of 51, 30 and 28% of cypermethrin resistance during the 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons respectively. © 1997 SCI.     

Dynamics of pyrethroid resistance in a field population of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) in China

Dynamics of pyrethroid resistance in a field population of cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) was demonstrated by continuous monitoring with twin discriminating dosages, and the influencing factors were also experimentally analysed. Resistance in a field population in China increased rapidly in the 3rd and 4th generations when population density became higher and insecticides were applied repeatedly, then decreased suddenly during over-wintering and slowly in the 1st and 2nd generations when insecticide spraying was suspended. Resistance increase could be countered by dilution as a result of immigration of susceptible moths from corn fields, which were found to be a natural refuge for this pest in China. The reduction of resistance during over-wintering and the 1st and 2nd generations was affected by the lower fitness of resistant cotton bollworms to low temperature and disadvantages in reproduction. The possibilities of managing the resistance in field populations on the basis of these observations are discussed. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

棉铃虫载脂蛋白受体基因克隆及转录分析

载脂蛋白受体(lipophorin receptor, LpR)在昆虫体内脂质转运中发挥重要作用。为了明确棉铃虫载脂蛋白受体基因在其卵巢发育及饥饿胁迫中的功能, 本研究克隆了棉铃虫 HaLpR 基因的cDNA序列(GenBank登录号KU355886.1), 全长3 117 bp, 开放阅读框为2 643 bp, 编码880个氨基酸; 其氨基酸序列包含典型的低密度脂蛋白受体结构域, 与其他鳞翅目昆虫的LpR相似度>80%。荧光定量PCR检测结果显示, HaLpR 在雌蛾的卵巢和脂肪体组织中相对转录水平最高; 在雌蛾卵子发生期均有转录, 在雌蛾羽化后3 d表达量达到最高峰; 饥饿处理会抑制 HaLpR 在雌蛾卵巢和脂肪体中的转录。研究结果有助于解析HaLpR参与棉铃虫卵巢发育过程中的脂质转运以及应对饥饿胁迫的作用。     

转Bt基因棉种植前后3个棉铃虫种群对4种杀虫剂的抗性变化

分别于1990年、1992年、2001年和2005年从山东泰安、山东夏津和湖北天门采集3个棉铃虫H elicoverpa arm igera种群,采用点滴法测定了4种杀虫剂对其的毒力,以监测各种群的抗药性变化趋势。结果表明:19901992年3个种群棉铃虫对氰戊菊酯的抗性增长迅速(13.256.1倍);19922001年抗性增长速度有所减缓(3.111.0倍);20012005年抗性水平降低。3个种群棉铃虫对灭多威和辛硫磷的抗性变化趋势与氰戊菊酯的基本相似,但抗性水平较低;对硫丹则均一直处于敏感水平。引起抗药性变化的原因主要与各类药剂的使用频率和转B t基因抗虫棉的大面积推广有关。     

棉铃虫V-ATPase亚基B是Cry1Ac的功能受体

目前对转苏云金芽胞杆菌Bacillus thuringiensis（Bt）的研究发现,液泡型ATP酶（Vacuolar-type proton ATPase,V-ATPase）可能是Bt的一类新型受体。我们前期通过构建棉铃虫的中肠酵母文库筛选Cry1Ac的结合蛋白发现棉铃虫V-ATPase亚基B（V-ATPase B）可以与Cry1Ac结合。为明确V-ATPase B在Cry1Ac毒力和昆虫对Cry1Ac抗性机制中的作用,本研究首先采用实时荧光定量PCR技术分析了该基因在抗感Cry1Ac棉铃虫幼虫中及其受到Cry1Ac诱导时的基因表达情况;通过Ligand blot进一步地证实了其与Cry1Ac的结合特性;并通过在Sf9细胞中表达V-ATPase B的试验验证了其功能。结果表明V-ATPase B在抗性品系及受到Cry1Ac诱导时均下调表达,Ligand blot证实了V-ATPase B与Cry1Ac特异性结合;并且在昆虫细胞内过表达该基因,会增强Cry1Ac的细胞毒力。研究结果表明棉铃虫V-ATPase B是Cry1Ac的功能受体,并有可能通过降低基因表达来参与棉铃虫对Cry1Ac的抗性形成。