D3037: The cytochrome P450 gene CYP4g1 driven by high temperatures confers abamectin tolerance on Liriomyza trifolii through promoting cuticular hydrocarbons biosynthesis

The invasive insect pest, Liriomyza trifolii can spread and cause outbreak rapidly under high temperature conditions due to its strong thermotolerance and widespread insecticide resistance. We previously found that elevated temperature can enhance L. trifolii’s tolerance to insecticides by increasing the expression of detoxification enzymes. In this study, we constructed a transcriptome dataset to assess the effects of thermal on abamectin tolerance in L. trifolii. We found LtCYP4g1, a gene from CYP4 family encoding cytochrome P450 (CYP450) exhibited the highest expression in response to abamectin when exposed to 40oC. Using RNA interference and bacterial survival assays in Escherichia coli, we examined the effects of different thermal pre-treatment on the expression of LtCYP4g1. We observed positive relationships between pre-exposure to elevated temperatures and increased abamectin tolerance in L. trifolii. These findings validate the role of LtCYP4g1 in L. trifolii’s response to thermal and insecticide stress, which involves stimulating the synthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) and increasing epicuticle lipid content and thickness. Our results suggest that temperature-mediated variation can influence the evolution of insecticide resistance in L. trifolii. These findings provide new insights into the role of CYP450s in insecticide detoxification and highlight the impact of global warming on the evolution of insect resistance.