Gut symbiont enhances insecticide resistance in a significant pest, the oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). Issue 1 (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cheng, Daifeng; Guo, Zijun; Riegler, Markus; Xi, Zhiyong; Liang, Guangwen; Xu, Yijuan
• Is Part Of: Microbiome. Volume 5:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 12
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: Symbiotic bacteria -- Insecticide resistance -- Trichlorphon -- Bactrocera dorsalis -- Oriental fruit fly; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Microorganisms -- Periodicals; Medical microbiology -- Periodicals; Soil microbiology -- Periodicals; Microbiological Phenomena -- Periodicals; Environmental Microbiology -- Periodicals; Medical microbiology; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Soil microbiology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 579.17
• DOI: 10.1186/s40168-017-0236-z
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2049-2618

Abstract

Abstract Background Symbiotic bacteria affect insect physiology and ecology. They may also mediate insecticide resistance within their hosts and thereby impact pest and vector control practices. Here, we document a novel mechanism of insecticide resistance in which a gut symbiont of the tephritid pest fruit flyBactrocera dorsalis enhances resistance to the organophosphate insecticide trichlorphon. Results We demonstrated that the gut symbiontCitrobacter sp. (CF-BD) plays a key role in the degradation of trichlorphon. Based on a comparative genomics analysis with otherCitrobacter species, phosphatase hydrolase genes were identified in CF-BD. These CF-BD genes had higher expression when trichlorphon was present.Bactrocera dorsalis inoculated with isolated CF-BD obtained higher trichlorphon resistance, while antibiotic-treated flies were less resistant confirming the key role of CF-BD in insecticide resistance. Conclusions Our findings suggest that symbiont-mediated insecticide resistance can readily develop inB. dorsalis and may represent a more widely relevant insecticide resistance mechanism than previously recognized.