title: How heterogeneous is the involvement of ABC transporters against insecticides?
abstract: Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular defense against xenobiotic compounds is a main research issue in medical and veterinary entomology, as insecticide/acaricide resistance is a major threat in the control of arthropods. ABC transporters are recognized as a component of the detoxifying mechanism in arthropods. We investigated the possible involvement of ABC transporters in defense to the organophosphate insecticide temephos in the malarial vector Anopheles stephensi. We performed bioassays on larvae of An. stephensi, using insecticide alone and in combination with ABC-transporter inhibitors, to assess synergism between these compounds. Next, we investigated the expression profiles of six ABC transporter genes in larvae exposed to temephos. Surprisingly, neither bioassays nor gene expression analyses provided any evidence for a major role of ABC transporters in defense against temephos in An. stephensi. We thus decided to review existing literature to generate a record of other studies that failed to reveal a role for ABC transporters against particular insecticides/acaricides. A review of the scientific literature led to the recovery of 569 papers about ABC transporters; among these, 50 involved arthropods, and 10 reported negative results. Our study on An. stephensi and accompanying literature review highlight the heterogeneity that exists in ABC transporter involvement in defense/resistance mechanisms in arthropods.
authors: Department of Environmental Biology, University "La Sapienza" of Rome, Italy. Electronic address: daniele.porretta@uniroma1.it.
authors: Daniele
authors: D
authors: Porretta
authors: Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health, University of Milan, Italy. Electronic address: sara.epis@unimi.it.
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Epis
authors: Department of Environmental Biology, University "La Sapienza" of Rome, Italy. Electronic address: valentina.mastrantonio@uniroma1.it.
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Mastrantonio
authors: Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health, University of Milan, Italy. Electronic address: marco.ferrari@unimi.it.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Ferrari
authors: Agriculture Environment Centre "G. Nicoli", Crevalcore, Italy. Electronic address: rbellini@caa.it.
authors: Romeo
authors: R
authors: Bellini
authors: School of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Italy. Electronic address: guido.favia@unicam.it.
authors: Guido
authors: G
authors: Favia
authors: Department of Environmental Biology, University "La Sapienza" of Rome, Italy. Electronic address: sandra.urbanelli@uniroma1.it.
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Urbanelli
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000378:metabolism*; D056810:Acaricides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000187:drug effects*; D001181:Arthropods / Q000187:drug effects*; D001681:Biological Assay; D007305:Insecticide Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects*; D008288:Malaria / Q000517:prevention & control; D000002:Temefos / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D056810:Acaricides; D000002:Temefos
keywords: Anopheles stephensi; Detoxyfing enzymes; Insecticide resistance; P-Glycoprotein; Temephos; Vector control