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  3. The role of intercellular junction proteins in the penetration resistance of Drosophila larvae to avermectin

The role of intercellular junction proteins in the penetration resistance of Drosophila larvae to avermectin

  • Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol. 2023 Jan 27;109557. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2023.109557.
Li-Ping Chen 1,  Han-Qing Jiang 1,  Liang Luo 1,  Jun Qiu 1,  Xue-Jie Xing 1,  Rui-Yan Hou 1,  Yi-Jun Wu 2
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Laboratory of Molecular Toxicology, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China.
  • 2 Laboratory of Molecular Toxicology, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 36717043 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2023.109557
Abstract

Insecticide resistance has become an increasingly serious challenge for agriculture in the world. To reveal the mechanisms of insecticide resistance, majority of studies have been carried out on the insensitivity of insecticide targets and the metabolism of insecticides. However, the mechanism of the insecticide penetration resistance in insects remains unclear. This study aimed to reveal the mechanism underlying the penetration resistance of Drosophila larvae to insecticide avermectin (AVM). Levels of intercellular junction proteins (IJPs) in the larvae were determined by Western blotting analysis and immunofluorescence assay. The result showed that the expression of IJPs septate junction and adherens junction proteins increased in the AVM-resistant insects compared with those in the AVM-susceptible ones, and the upregulation of the IJPs was mediated by the activation of protein kinase C (PKC) pathway. That AVM induced the activation of PKC was found not only in the Drosophila larvae but also in Drosophila S2 cells. These findings revealed that AVM could activate PKC pathway in Drosophila larvae, which mediated the upregulation of the IJPs and then led to the resistance to AVM, suggesting that the chemicals that can disrupt PKC activation may potentially be used to circumvent the resistance to AVM in insects.

Keywords

Insect; Insecticide resistance; Junction protein; Pathway; Protein kinase C; Tight junction.

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