An amino acid substitution attributable to insecticide-insensitivity of acetylcholinesterase in a Japanese encephalitis vector mosquito, Culex tritaeniorhynchus.

A cDNA sequence encoding a Drosophila Ace-paralogous acetylcholinesterase (AChE) precursor of 701 amino acid residues was identified as the second AChE gene (Ace2) transcript from Culex tritaeniorhynchus. The Ace2 gene is tightly linked to organophosphorus insecticide (OP)-insensitivity of AChE on chromosome 2. The cDNA sequences were compared between an insecticide-susceptible strain and the resistant strain, TYM, that exhibits a 870-fold decrease in fenitroxon-sensitivity of AChE.