title: Identification of a gene associated with Bt resistance in Heliothis virescens.
abstract: Transgenic crops producing insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are widely used for pest control. Bt-resistant insect strains have been studied, but the molecular basis of resistance has remained elusive. Here, we show that disruption of a cadherin-superfamily gene by retrotransposon-mediated insertion was linked to high levels of resistance to the Bt toxin Cry1Ac in the cotton pest Heliothis virescens. Monitoring the early phases of Bt resistance evolution in the field has been viewed as crucial but extremely difficult, especially when resistance is recessive. Our findings enable efficient DNA-based screening for resistant heterozygotes by directly detecting the recessive allele.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Gahan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Heckel
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D001483:Base Sequence; D015820:Cadherins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D017344:Genes, Insect; D005808:Genes, Recessive; D003368:Gossypium / Q000235:genetics; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D006579:Heterozygote; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007305:Insecticide Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009036:Moths / Q000235:genetics*; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D020161:Physical Chromosome Mapping; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018626:Retroelements; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences
chemical_list: D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D015820:Cadherins; D004731:Endotoxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; C433228:HevCaLP protein, Heliothis virescens; D019476:Insect Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018626:Retroelements; C030956:insecticidal crystal protein, Bacillus Thuringiensis