The miRNA-275 Targeting RpABCG23L is Involved in Pyrethroid Resistance in the Bird Cherry-Oat Aphid, a Serious Agricultural Pest

Abstract

Rhopalosiphum padi is a global agricultural pest which had developed resistance to different insecticides. The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter plays an important role in insecticide resistance. However, ABC transporters’ role and regulatory mechanism in mediating R. padi ’s response to pyrethroids are unclear. In this study, we found that RpABCG23L was significantly overexpressed in the pyrethroid-resistant strains of R. padi. Knockdown of RpABCG23L significantly increased the susceptibility of R. padi to lambda-cyhalothrin and bifenthrin. Luciferase reporter gene analysis showed that miR-275 binds to the RpABCG23L coding region and down-regulates its expression. Injection of miR-275 mimics significantly reduced RpABCG23L expression and increased R. padi susceptibility to lambda-cyhalothrin and bifenthrin, while miR-275 inhibitor injection enhanced RpABCG23L expression and increased tolerance to both insecticides. The results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the mechanism of miRNA-mediated pyrethroid resistance, and open up a new way for the development of miRNA-based biopesticides.