Molecular detection of novel Glutamate-gated chloride channel mutations in field collected human head lice (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) from Iran.

Abstract

Objective: Recently, insecticides such as ivermectin, which targets glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluCl) channels in the nervous system of invertebrates, have gained attention for the treatment of head lice. However, resistance to this insecticide threatens the effectiveness of head louse control programs.

Results: Molecular bioinformatics sequence analysis revealed that the most common mutations were R37K and E50K with a frequency of 85.71%, followed by D93N (64.28%), M101R (35.71%), and R100Q (28.57%). These mutations are reported here for the first time. The identification of these novel mutations in head louse populations raises concerns about the potential emergence of ivermectin resistance. Further research is needed to explore the functional implications of these mutations and their impact on the effectiveness of insecticide treatments.