Reverse genetic study reveals the molecular targets of chordotonal organ TRPV channel modulators

Yu-Xuan Peng; Zhao-Yu Liu; Pin-Xuan Lin; Shao-Cong Su; Cong-Fen Gao; Shun-Fan Wu

doi:10.1016/j.pestbp.2023.105584

Reverse genetic study reveals the molecular targets of chordotonal organ TRPV channel modulators

Pestic Biochem Physiol. 2023 Nov:196:105584. doi: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2023.105584. Epub 2023 Aug 24.

Authors

Yu-Xuan Peng¹, Zhao-Yu Liu¹, Pin-Xuan Lin¹, Shao-Cong Su¹, Cong-Fen Gao², Shun-Fan Wu³

Affiliations

¹ College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Sanya Institute of Nanjing Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China.
² College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Sanya Institute of Nanjing Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China. Electronic address: gaocongfen@njau.edu.cn.
³ College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Sanya Institute of Nanjing Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China. Electronic address: wusf@njau.edu.cn.

PMID: 37945222
DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2023.105584

Abstract

Insecticides have been widely used for the control of insect pests that have a significant impact on agriculture and human health. A better understanding of insecticide targets is needed for effective insecticide design and resistance management. Pymetrozine, afidopyropen and flonicamid are reported to target on proteins that located on insect chordotonal organs, resulting in the disruption of insect coordination and the inhibition of feeding. In this study, we systematically examined the susceptibility of six Drosophila melanogaster mutants (five transient receptor potential channels and one mechanoreceptor) to three commercially used insecticides, in order to identify the receptor subunits critical to the insect's response to insecticides. Our results showed that iav¹, nan^36aand wtrw¹ mutants exhibited significantly reduced susceptibility to pymetrozine and afidopyropen, but not to flonicamid. The number of eggs produced by the three mutant females were significantly less than that of the w¹¹¹⁸ strain. Meanwhile, the longevity of all male mutants and females of nan^36a and wtrw¹ mutants was significantly shorter than that of the w¹¹¹⁸ strain as the control. However, we observed no gravitaxis defects in wtrw¹ mutants and the anti-gravitaxis of wtrw¹ mutants was abolished by pymetrozine. Behavioral assays using thermogenetic tools further confirmed the bioassay results and supported the idea that Nan as a TRPV subfamily member located in Drosophila chordotonal neurons, acting as a target of pymetrozine, which interferes with Drosophila and causes motor deficits with gravitaxis defects. Taken together, this study elucidates the interactions of pymetrozine and afidopyropen with TRPV channels, Nan and Iav, and TRPA channel, Wtrw. Our research provides another evidence that pymetrozine and afidopyropen might target on nan, iav and wtrw channels and provides insights into the development of sustainable pest management strategies.

Keywords: Fitness cost; Insecticide resistance; Mechanosensory receptor; Pymetrozine; TRP channel.

MeSH terms

Animals
Drosophila / genetics
Drosophila melanogaster* / genetics
Female
Humans
Insecticides* / pharmacology
Reverse Genetics

Substances

afidopyropen
Insecticides