Scientists reveal the hierarchical regulation mode of diamondback moth to Bt resistance

Scientists reveal the hierarchical regulation mode of diamondback moth to Bt resistance

Scientists reveal the hierarchical regulation model of diamondback moth to Bt resistance Scientists reveal the hierarchical regulation model of diamondback moth to Bt resistance

MAPK signaling pathway regulates the signaling network of diamondback moth to Bt insecticidal protein.
Image courtesy of Vegetable Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

MAPK signaling pathway regulates the signal network of diamondback moths to Bt insecticidal protein.
Photo courtesy of Vegetable Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Recently, the vegetable pest control team of the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences mapped the Bt Cry1Ac insecticidal protein high resistance to Plutella xylostella in the MAPK signaling pathway trans-regulates the differential expression of multiple midgut receptor genes and non-receptor homologous genes.
Signal network
.

This study revealed for the first time that the MAPK signaling pathway is involved in the molecular regulatory network of pest resistance.

PLoS Pathogens

Plutella xylostella is a major pest of cruciferous vegetable crops worldwide, causing economic losses of up to 4-50 billion U.
S.
dollars in the world every year
.

Bacillus thuringiensis (abbreviated as Bt) is a gram-positive bacteria that can produce a variety of insecticidal proteins to efficiently and specifically kill different pests, and is safe and harmless to the human and animal environment

At present, Bt bioinsecticides and transgenic Bt insect-resistant crops developed based on Bt insecticidal protein have made great contributions to the reduction of chemical pesticides worldwide, green pest control and agricultural product quality and safety, and achieved unprecedented results.
Huge economic, social and environmental benefits
.

However, the rapid evolution of insect resistance to Bt is a serious threat to the development, promotion and sustainable application of Bt bioinsecticides and transgenic Bt insect-resistant crops

In the early stage, the team revealed for the first time internationally that the increase in ecdysone (20E) and juvenile hormone (JH) levels and their crosstalk can activate a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal in the BtR-1 resistance locus Pathway key gene MAP4K4, and trans-regulates the differential expression of multiple midgut genes, so that Plutella xylostella has high resistance to the perfect evolution of Bt insecticidal protein while maintaining normal growth and development.
Relevant studies were published in 2015 and 2020, respectively.
in PLoS Genetics and Nature Communications on
.

PLoS Genetics Nature Communications

The study first identified the MAPK signal pathway kinase gene of Plutella xylostella in the whole genome, and then identified the MAPK signal pathway kinase whose phosphorylation level increased in the Bt insecticidal protein Cry1Ac resistant population through the phosphorylation proteome identification
.

Further functional experiments showed that MAP4K4, the key upstream kinase of the MAPK signaling pathway, can regulate the differential expression of downstream midgut receptors and non-receptor homologous genes through the MAP3K-MAP2K-MAPK multi-level cascade signaling network, so that Plutella xylostella can Bt Cry1Ac insecticidal protein produces high resistance

This study finally revealed the signal line map of the MAPK signal pathway in regulating the resistance of the diamondback moth Bt Cry1Ac insecticidal protein, laying the foundation for the comprehensive elucidation of the hierarchical regulation mode of the MAPK signal pathway on Bt insecticidal protein resistance
.

Researcher Guo Zhaojiang of the vegetable pest control team and postdoctoral fellow Kang Shi (currently a distinguished professor of Hebei University of Science and Technology) are the co-first authors of this paper.
Researchers Zhang Youjun and Researcher Guo Zhaojiang are the co-corresponding authors of the paper
.

The research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Excellent Youth Project, and the Science and Technology Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Related paper information: https://doi.

https://doi.
org/10.
1371/journal.
ppat.
1009917