Pest Management Science (2016) 72, 544-550

Joffrey Goulois, Audrey Chapuzet, Véronique Lambert, Nolan Chatron, Luba Tchertanov, Lionel Legros, Etienne Benoît and Virginie Lattard (2016)
Evidence of a target resistance to antivitamin K rodenticides in the roof rat Rattus rattus: identification and characterisation of a novel Y25F mutation in the Vkorc1 gene
Pest Management Science 72 (3), 544-550
Abstract:
BACKGROUND
In spite of intensive use of bromadiolone, rodent control was inefficient on a farm infested by rats in Zaragoza, Spain. While metabolic resistance was previously described in this rodent species, the observation of a target resistance to antivitamin K rodenticides had been poorly documented in Rattus rattus.
RESULTS
From rats trapped on the farm, cytochrome b and Vkorc1 genes were amplified by PCR and sequenced in order to identify species and detect potential Vkorc1 mutations. VKORC1-deduced amino acid sequences were thus expressed in Pichia pastoris, and inhibition constants towards various rodenticides were determined. The ten rats trapped on the farm were all identified as R. rattus. They were found to be homozygous for the g.74A>T nucleotide replacement in exon 1 of the Vkorc1 gene, leading to p.Y25F mutation. This mutation led to increased apparent inhibition constants towards various rodenticides, probably caused by a partial loss of helical structure of TM4.
CONCLUSION
The p.Y25F mutation detected in the Vkorc1 gene in R. rattus trapped on the Spanish farm is associated with the resistance phenotype to bromadiolone that has been observed. It is the first evidence of target resistance to antivitamin K anticoagulants in R. rattus.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Virginie Lattard

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
pesticide resistance of pest

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Rattus rattus		Spain (continental)