Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2021) 87 (13 - e00466-21)

Jianying Qin, Le Guo, Fan Ye, Shi Kang, Dan Sun, Liuhong Zhu, Yang Bai, Zhouqiang Cheng, Linzheng Xu, Chunzheng Ouyang, Lifeng Xiao, Shaoli Wang, Qingjun Wu, Xuguo Zhou, Neil Crickmore, Xiaomao Zhou, Zhaojiang Guo and Youjun Zhang (2021)
MAPK-activated transcription factor PxJun suppresses PxABCB1 expression and confers resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac toxin in Plutella xylostella (L.)
Applied and Environmental Microbiology 87 (13 - e00466-21)
Abstract: Deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying insect resistance to Cry toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is pivotal for the sustainable utilization of Bt biopesticides and transgenic Bt crops. Previously, we identified that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated reduced expression of the PxABCB1 gene is associated with Bt Cry1Ac resistance in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.). However, the underlying transcriptional regulation mechanism remains enigmatic. Here, the PxABCB1 promoter in Cry1Ac-susceptible and Cry1Ac-resistant P. xylostella strains was cloned and analyzed and found to contain a putative Jun binding site (JBS). A dual-luciferase reporter assay and yeast one-hybrid assay demonstrated that the transcription factor PxJun repressed PxABCB1 expression by interacting with this JBS. The expression levels of PxJun were increased in the midguts of all resistant strains compared to the susceptible strain. Silencing of PxJun expression significantly elevated PxABCB1 expression and Cry1Ac susceptibility in the resistant NIL-R strain, and silencing of PxMAP4K4 expression decreased PxJun expression and also increased PxABCB1 expression. These results indicate that MAPK-activated PxJun suppresses PxABCB1 expression to confer Cry1Ac resistance in P. xylostella, deepening our understanding of the transcriptional regulation of midgut Cry receptor genes and the molecular basis of insect resistance to Bt Cry toxins.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Shaoli Wang, Xu-Guo Zhou, Neil Crickmore

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
resistance/tolerance/defence of host

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Plutella xylostella
Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A-toxin (entomopathogen)	Plutella xylostella