Survey of target site mutations linked with insecticide resistance in Italian populations of Aphis gossypii.

Background: Aphis gossypii is a worldwide agricultural pest that causes high levels of economic losses by feeding and transmitting virus diseases. It is usually controlled by chemical insecticides, but this could lead to the selection of resistant populations. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified associated with insecticide resistance.

Transposon-mediated insertional mutagenesis unmasks recessive insecticide resistance in the aphid .

The evolution of resistance to insecticides threatens the sustainable control of many of the world's most damaging insect crop pests and disease vectors. To effectively combat resistance, it is important to understand its underlying genetic architecture, including the type and number of genetic variants affecting resistance and their interactions with each other and the environment. While significant progress has been made in characterizing the individual genes or mutations leading to resistance, our understanding of how genetic variants interact to influence its phenotypic expression remains poor.

Slug Monitoring and Impacts on the Ground Beetle Community in the Frame of Sustainable Pest Control in Conventional and Conservation Agroecosystems.

In conservation agriculture, slugs are considered significant pests and their monitoring is a key option in the integrated pest management framework. Together with molluscicide applications, predators such as ground beetles can offer a tool for slug control in the field. Through the evaluation of slug and ground beetle monitoring strategies, this work compared their presence in conventional and conservation agricultural plots.

Analysis of the extent of synteny and conservation in the gene order in aphids: A first glimpse from the Aphis glycines genome.

In the last decade several insect genomes have been sequenced, but for most the chromosomal mapping of the identified scaffolds/annotated genes is not available. The lack of this information makes it difficult to analyse various genetic aspects, including the presence of genome rearrangements and the extent of synteny within and across species. We mapped five multigenic DNA families (major and minor rDNAs, histone gene cluster, esterases and carotenoid desaturases) and seven scaffolds corresponding to 9 Mb of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines, genome and identified loci spanning the four soybean aphid chromosomes.

Biochemical evaluation of interactions between synergistic molecules and phase I enzymes involved in insecticide resistance in B- and Q-type Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).

Background: Metabolic resistance is an important consideration in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, where an esterase-based mechanism has been attributed to pyrethroid resistance and over-expression of the cytochrome P450, CYP6CM1, has been correlated to resistance to imidacloprid and other neonicotinoids.

Results: In vitro interactions between putative synergists and CYP6CM1, B and Q-type esterases were investigated, and structure-activity relationship analyses allowed the identification of chemical structures capable of acting as inhibitors of esterase and oxidase activities. Specifically, methylenedioxyphenyl (MDP) moieties with a polyether chain were preferable for optimum inhibition of B-type esterase, whilst corresponding dihydrobenzofuran structures were potent for the Q-esterase variation.