High Temperatures Enhance Tolerance to Abamectin and Thiamethoxam in Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Abstract Cytochrome P450 functions in detoxification by participating in the activation and degradation of exogenous compounds and the metabolism and transformation of endogenous compounds. The insect Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) transmits multiple plant viruses and feeds on the phloem of ornamentals, vegetables, and cotton. In this report, five new CYP450 genes from B. tabaci MED were cloned, including two CYP4 family genes (BtCYP4c1 and BtCYP4g15), two CYP6 family genes (BtCYP6dz3vQ and BtCYP6ep1) and one Halloween family gene (BtCYP302a1). Gene expression patterns and CYP450 enzyme activity in B. tabaci were evaluated in response to insecticides and thermal stress. Several genes encoding CYP450 were induced in B. tabaci during exposure to insecticides after high temperature stress, and these results were consistent with enzyme activity and RNAi results. Our results indicate that some CYP450 genes in B. tabaci are induced during high temperature stress, and these genes participate in the regulation of physiological and metabolic processes. Our results help clarify the role of temperature on insecticide tolerance in B. tabaci and provide a foundation for improving insecticide efficiency, which will decrease insecticide use and reduce the exposure of nontarget organisms to toxic compounds.