Characteristics of Resistance to Chlorpyrifos in Diamondback-moth (Plutella xylostella L.)

To determine the mechanism of the resistance to organophosphorus insecticide, chlorpyrifos, in diamondback-moth (Plutella xylostella L.), activities of esterases, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and AChE insensitivity which were known for causing factor of resistance were measured. Also, the relationship between AChE insensitivity and the resistant ratio was investigated to inquiry the cross-resistance. The resistant ratio of chlorpyrifos-resistant strain (CRS) of diamondback-moth at the 6th generation was developed 160 fold compared to susceptible strain (SS) one. Activity of GST that are extracted from CRS was 1.7-fold higher than that from SS. However, activity of total esterases from CRS was similar to that from SS. In AChE insensitivity test, CRS was 11.8-fold less sensitive than that from SS. CRS was ranged from 17.6 to 33.6-fold less sensitive than SS to other insecticides having same target site with chlorpyrifos such as dichlorvos, dimethylvinphos and carbofuran. Insensitivity of AChE to phenthoate-oxon, however, was 1.7-fold. Resistance of CRS was 82-fold, 47-fold and 42-fold higher than SS to dichlorvos, dimethylvinphos and carbofuran, respectively, but 2.3-fold to phenthoate and then we could identify that the resistance development of insecticide might have a lot of difference among the chemicals with the same target site. The relationship between the AChE insensitivity and the resistant ratio was significantly correlated. This result indicates that AChE insensitivity was associated with insecticide resistance. Overall, these results suggest that insensitivity of AChE was an important factors to chlorpyrifos resistance in diamondback-moth, and the slightly increased activity of GST may also have contributed to that.