Resistance to Juvenile Hormone and an Insect Growth Regulator In
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Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 87, pp. 2072-2076, March 1990 Agricultural Sciences Resistance to juvenile hormone and an insect growth regulator in Drosophila is associated with an altered cytosolic juvenile hormone-binding protein (insecticide resistance) LIRIM SHEMSHEDINI* AND THOMAS G. WILSONt Department of Zoology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405 Communicated by Robert L. Metcalf, December 26, 1989 ABSTRACT The Met mutant ofDrosophila melanogaster is suggesting a target-site insensitivity mechanism of resis- highly resistant tojuvenile hormone Im (JH III) or its chemical tance. analog, methoprene, an insect growth regulator. Five major mechanisms ofinsecticide resistance were examined in Met and susceptible Met+ flies. These two strains showed only minor EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES differences when penetration, excretion, tissue sequestration, JHs and Insects. JH III (Sigma) and [3H]JH III (New or metabolism of [3H]JH m was measured. In contrast, when England Nuclear; specific activity, 11.9 Ci/mmol; 1 Ci = 37 we examined JH III binding by a cytosolic binding protein from GBq) were racemic mixes. [3H]Methoprene (R isomer, 83.9 a JH target tissue, Met strains had a 10-fold lower binding Ci/mmol) was a generous gift of G. Prestwich (Stony Brook, affmity than did Met+ strains. Studies using deficiency-bearing NY). Each was stored in a stock solution in hexane at -20'C. chromosomes provide strong evidence that the Met locus con- Purity was monitored periodically by thin-layer chromatog- trols the binding protein characteristics and may encode the raphy. Breakdown was almost negligible over a 1-year period protein. These studies indicate that resistance in Met flies under these conditions. Concentrations were determined by results from reduced binding affinity of a cytosolic binding radioactivity or UV spectroscopy. protein for JH III. Flies were raised at 25 ± 1PC on a cornmeal/agar/yeast/ molasses diet supplemented with Tegosept or propionic acid to Juvenile hormone (JH) is a sesquiterpenoid involved in a retard mold growth. Adults were collected from uncrowded variety of critical functions in insects, including develop- cultures following eclosion. Third-instar larvae were selected several hours before pupariation from the walls of culture ment, reproduction, and morphological differentiation (1, 2). bottles. A number of chemical analogs have been synthesized, and Three alleles ofMet were examined in this study (Table 1). many ofthem have potent JH activity as well as the ability to Each was recovered from separate screens for methoprene- mortally disrupt development of some insect species (3). One resistant mutants following ethyl methanesulfonate mutagen- of these analogs, methoprene, is a registered insecticide of esis of susceptible strains. Met and Met2 were recovered the insect growth regulator class that is especially effective following mutagenesis ofthe Oregon-RC wild-type strain and against dipteran insects (3). Met3 of the yellow vermilion strain. Each has been main- Initially, it was thought that insects would have difficulty tained for several years as homozygotes; none has shown evolving resistance to a compound resembling one of their significant change in resistance to methoprene during this own hormones (4). However, resistance to methoprene was time. Two susceptible Met' strains were examined. First soon demonstrated in several species (5, 6). Recently, we Multiple Seven (FM7) is a laboratory balancer strain having have detected methoprene resistance in Drosophila melano- a useful semidominant eye mutation (described in ref. 10). gaster in strains having chromosomes derived from natural FM7 flies are sensitive to methoprene, and this strain has populations (7) or in susceptible laboratory strains following been used as a Met' strain in our previous studies (8, 11). For mutagenesis (8). The latter study identified and genetically additional comparison, the wild-type Ho-R strain was also characterized a semidominant mutation, Met (Methoprene- examined; these flies have been shown to be sensitive to tolerant), that confers high (100-fold) resistance to metho- methoprene (7). prene or JH III either topically applied or incorporated into Tenebrio molitor were maintained at room temperature on the diet (8). Met has been mapped by recombination and in locally purchased chicken feed. Hemolymph was withdrawn deficiency heterozygotes, and the mutation has been cyto- with a microcapillary tube from 1- to 2-day pupae. genetically localized to the 10C2-10D4 region of the X Penetration and Excretion. A quantity of 4 pmol of [3H]JH chromosome (8). An understanding of the mechanism of III (New England Nuclear) was topically applied in one dose resistance of Met flies might shed light not only on the in acetone solution to third-instar larvae as described (12). genetics ofpesticide resistance but also on JH endocrinology. This dose was chosen as a physiological dose because the Biochemical mechanisms of insecticide resistance have amount of hormone that penetrated the cuticle could be been found generally to fall into five categories (9). Each of readily measured by its radioactivity. Treated larvae were these was investigated in Met and methoprene-susceptible held in glass scintillation vials for 1 hr at 250C. They were then Met+ flies. Only minor differences between resistant and rinsed in acetone to remove unpenetrated hormone. Pene- susceptible flies could be detected for four of these mecha- nisms. However, a cytosolic JH-binding protein with a 10- Abbreviations: JH, juvenile hormone; Met, methoprene-tolerant. fold lower affinity for JH III was detected in Met flies, *Present address: Laboratoire de Genetique Moleculaire des Eu- caryotes du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unite de I'Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale Institut The publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page charge de Chimie Biologique, Faculte de Medicine, 11 rue Humann, 67085 payment. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" Strasbourg Cedex, France. in accordance with 18 U.S.C. §1734 solely to indicate this fact. tTo whom reprint requests should be addressed. 2072 Downloaded by guest on September 25, 2021 Agricultural Sciences: Shemshedini and Wilson Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87 (1990) 2073 Table 1. Met and Met' strains used in this study approximately two times larger than those determined with Resistance to LIGAND; however, the same differences in magnitude be- Genotype methoprene Ref. tween FM7 and Met strains were found. Binding parameters determined from LIGAND were selected over those from the Met Strong 8 Scatchard analysis because LIGAND provides a more objec- Met2 Moderate 8 tive and more exact analysis of binding data (17). y v Met3 Strong Unpublished FM7 Susceptible 8 Ho-R Susceptible 7 RESULTS In the initial studies two alleles, Met and Met2, were com- trated hormone was determined by homogenizing the rinsed pared with methoprene-susceptible FM7 flies. JH III, one of larvae in 1 ml of ethyl ether/ethyl acetate (2:1) and assaying two naturally occurring juvenile hormones in D. melano- an aliquot of the homogenate for radioactivity in Aquassure gaster(19-21), is commercially available in radiolabeled form (New England Nuclear). Excretion of the hormone was and was used in these studies; Met flies are as resistant to estimated by measuring the radioactivity remaining in the topical application of this hormone as to methoprene (8). incubation vials. First, we examined reduced penetration of JH III through Sequestration. [3H]JH III (4 pmol) was topically applied in the cuticle of Met flies as a basis for the resistance. When acetone solution to third-instar larvae, and after 1 hr at 250C [3H]JH III was topically applied to FM7, Met, or Met2 larvae, unpenetrated hormone was removed as described above. little difference in the rate of penetration after 1 hr could be Larvae were then dissected into six tissue fractions described discerned among the three strains (Fig. 1 Upper). Therefore, in Table 2. Each fraction was solubilized in 0.5 ml ofProtosol it does not appear that penetration of hormone is sufficiently (New England Nuclear) and then assayed for radioactivity. different among the strains to account for the high resistance Metabolism. Metabolism was measured as described (12) seen. with minor modifications. For hemolymph metabolism, 0.4 Enhanced excretion (22) and sequestration (23) of insecti- ALl of hemolymph collected from 10-12 third-instar Drosoph- cides seem to be responsible for the resistance of some ila larvae or from one Tenebrio pupa was incubated with 80 insects. To check for these two mechanisms, larvae were fmol of [3H]JH III for 1 hr at 250C. In vivo metabolism by topically treated with [3H]JH III. After 1 hr excretion and third-instar larvae was measured using the application and tissue sequestration of the penetrated hormone were mea- homogenization procedure described above for the penetra- sured. No strong difference was seen among FM7, Met, or tion experiments and then extracting the radiolabel from the Met2 in either excretion (Fig. 1 Lower) or sequestration homogenate with diethyl ether. JH III metabolites were (Table 2). identified by running the hemolymph and homogenate ex- A widespread mechanism of insecticide resistance is en- tracts on silica gel thin-layer chromatography sheets (Baker) hanced metabolism of the compound by insect tissues (9). together with purified metabolites in two solvent systems: Since enhanced methoprene metabolism was found in meth- benzene/ethyl acetate (4:1) and benzene/propanol (9:1). The oprene-resistant strains of houseflies (24) and mosquitoes plates were cut into 1-cm strips and assayed for radioactivity directly in Aquassure. 401 Fat Body Cytosol Preparation and Binding Assay. Larval fat body cells from 0 to 4-hr-old adults, frozen at -80TC, were 30 dissected by making a small tear in the abdomen and shaking the cells loose into TTgm buffer (13) on ice. The cells were washed four times in TTgm buffer and then placed in LS 20 buffer (14) containing 5 AM 3-octylthio-1,1,1-trifluoro- 2-propanone as an esterase inhibitor (15) and stored at -80°C until used.