Characterization and functional analysis of a carboxylesterase gene associated with chlorpyrifos resistance in Nilaparvata lugens (Stål)

Abstract The widespread and extensive application of insecticides have promoted the development of resistance in the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stal), one of the most important rice pests in Asia. To better understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of metabolic resistance to insecticides, a chlorpyrifos-resistant (CR) strain of N. lugens was selected and its possible resistance mechanism was investigated. Synergistic tests using carboxylesterases (CarEs) inhibitor triphenyl phosphate (TPP) decreased the resistance of N. lugens to chlorpyrifos, and CarE activities could be induced by low concentrations of chlorpyrifos. Subsequently, a gene putatively encoding CarE, namely NlCarE , predominant in the midgut and ovary was isolated and characterized. The expression levels of NlCarE were detected and compared between the CR and a susceptible (SS) strain of N. lugens . Consistent with the increased CarE activity, this gene was overexpressed in the CR strain compared to the SS strain. The transcript levels of NlCarE were up-regulated by chlorpyrifos exposure, showing dose- and time-dependent expression patterns. Furthermore, RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown of NlCarE followed by insecticide application significantly increased the susceptibility of N. lugens to chlorpyrifos. These results demonstrate that NlCarE plays an important role in chlorpyrifos detoxification and its overexpression may be involved in chlorpyrifos resistance in N. lugens .