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| Author(s): |
Renato Assis de Carvalho
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Campinas, SP. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia |
| Defense date: | 2010-08-15 |
| Examining board members: |
Ana Maria Lima de Azeredo Espin;
Paulo Arruda;
Gustavo Adolfo Sabatini;
Antonio Thadeu Medeiros de Barros;
Teresinha Tizu Sato Schumaker
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| Advisor: | Ana Maria Lima de Azeredo Espin |
| Abstract | |
The New World Screwworm (NWS) fly Cochliomyia hominivorax is one of most important myiasis-causing flies in the Neotropics. It is responsible for severe losses to the livestock industry through both mortality and loss of productivity of infested animals. In Brazil, it has been controlled by the application of chemical insecticides, mainly the organophosphate (OP) compounds. However, the intensive use of these compounds over many years may select resistant individuals which have the potential to compromise the efficacy of current control strategies. Major mechanisms of insecticide resistance in insects involve either mutation in the target site of the insecticide, or an alteration in the rate of insecticide detoxification. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the molecular basis of resistance to organophosphate insecticides in NWS throughout characterization of the carboxylesterase and acetylcholinesterase genes and expression evaluation of detoxification enzymes. The predicted amino sequence of the E3 gene showed highly conserved domains within carboxyl/cholinesterases involved in the catalytic mechanism of active site. Two mutations previously described in other dipteran species were found, G137D, associated mainly with diethyl-OP hydrolysis, and W251S, associated with dimethyl-OP and pyrethroid hydrolysis. The frequency of these mutations was analyzed in different Uruguayan regions in 2003 and 2009, indicating a correlation between each mutation and the insecticide class used for NWS control. The entire coding sequence of acetylcholinesterase was sequenced allowing surveying of mutations previously known for conferring insecticide resistance (I298V, G401A, F466Y). Only 2/135 individuals from NWS natural populations showed one of these mutations (F466Y). In contrast, G137D mutation in carboxylesterase E3. that also confers resistance to OP insecticides, was found in a high frequency in the same populations, suggesting this is one of the most important resistance mechanisms and that metabolic resistance has been preferentially selected rather altered target site in this species. Differentially expressed genes in resistant NWS individuals were analyzed throughout candidate gene expression evaluation. For this, NWS transcriptome was sampled by deep sequencing of polyadenilated transcripts using 454 sequencing technology, which generated a total of 548,940 sequences resulting in 37,432 unigenes (36,650 contigs and 782 singlets). Following functional annotation, gene expression of candidate genes belonging to detoxification enzyme families (carboxylesterases, monooxygenases P450 and GSTs) were evaluated in NWS resistant individuals surviving bioassays (1X90) with the active ingredient dichlorvos (dimethyl-OP) and from a control group (without treatment). No genes over expressed were found in the resistant group, and the ortholog to CYP6G1 was down-regulated in this group, requiring further studies to determine the association between reduced expression of a P450 gene and OP resistance. In both groups the target site was not altered. In contrast, E3 gene showed W251S mutation in all resistant individuals (44), while 13 individuals showed such mutation in the control group (40). This result corroborates the association between this mutation and the dimethyl-OP resistance in this species. Therefore, identification of mutations in carboxylesterase gene in NWS natural populations can be an important tool in monitoring insecticide resistance. The selection of appropriate chemicals for NWS control may contribute to implement more effective control strategies. (AU) | |