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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Richard WilkinsORCiD
This is the authors' accepted manuscript of a review that has been published in its final definitive form by John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2017.
For re-use rights please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
© 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. Pesticide resistance is an example of evolution in action with mechanisms of resistance arising from mutations or increased expression of intrinsic genes. Intracellular proteases have a key role in maintaining healthy cells and in responding to stressors such as pesticides. Insecticide-resistant insects have constitutively elevated intracellular protease activity compared to corresponding susceptible strains. This increase was shown for some cases originally through biochemical enzyme studies and subsequently putatively by transcriptomics and proteomics methods. Upregulation and expression of proteases have been characterised in resistant strains of some insect species, including mosquitoes. This increase in proteolysis results in more degradation products (amino acids) of intracellular proteins. These may be utilised in the resistant strain to better protect the cell from stress. There are changes in insect intracellular proteases shortly after insecticide exposure, suggesting a role in stress response. The use of protease and proteasome inhibitors or peptide mimetics as synergists with improved application techniques and through protease gene knockdown using RNA interference (possibly expressed in crop plants) may be potential pest management strategies, in situations where elevated intracellular proteases are relevant.
Author(s): Wilkins RM
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: Pest Management Science
Year: 2017
Volume: 73
Issue: 12
Pages: 2403-2412
Print publication date: 01/11/2017
Online publication date: 19/06/2017
Acceptance date: 13/06/2017
ISSN (print): 1526-498X
ISSN (electronic): 1526-4998
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.4646
DOI: 10.1002/ps.4646
