Investigating nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression in neonicotinoid resistant Myzus persicae FRC

The peach–potato aphid Myzus persicae is a pest of many commercial crops due to its polyphagous nature of feeding and has a well-documented history of acquiring resistance to insecticides. In 2009 a strain (M. persicae FRC) emerged in southern France with a point mutation (R81T) at the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), the target site for neonicotinoids such as imidacloprid. This point mutation was associated with the loss of the high affinity imidacloprid binding site (pM Kd), with the single remaining binding site (low nM Kd) highly overexpressed compared to laboratory controls (Bass et al., 2011 [1]). Here we report that after 2 years of continuous selection in the glass house environment with neonicotinoids, the total level of IMD-sensitive nAChRs (low nM Kd) in M. persicae FRC is now comparable to laboratory controls (pM and low nM Kd). Interestingly, despite this large reduction in IMD-sensitive nAChRs, this was not associated with any significant alteration in NNIC-lethality. Additionally, sustained absence of neonicotinoid-selection did not alter nAChR protein levels. We suggest that alterations in nAChR protein expression level described in the original characterisation of the field-isolated M. persicae FRC is unlikely to have been a direct consequence of the R81T mutation. Rather, we speculate that nAChR expression in aphids is likely influenced by as yet unknown conditions in the natural field environment that are absent in the laboratory setting.