Transcriptomic modulation in response to an intoxication with deltamethrin in a population of Triatoma infestans with low resistance to pyrethroids

TRAVERSO LUCILA; JOSE MANUEL LATORRE ESTIVALIS; DA ROCHA FERNANDES GABRIEL; FRONZA GEORGINA; LOBBIA PATRICIA; MOUGABURE CUETO GASTÓN; ONS SHEILA

PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE

Lugar: San Francisco; Año: 2022

1935-2735

BackgroundTriatoma infestans is the main vector of Chagas disease in the Southern Cone. The resistanceto pyrethroid insecticides developed by populations of this species impairs the effectivenessof vector control campaigns in wide regions of Argentina. The study of the globaltranscriptomic response to pyrethroid insecticides is important to deepen the knowledgeabout detoxification in triatomines.Methodology and findingsWe used RNA-Seq to explore the early transcriptomic response after intoxication with deltamethrinin a population of T. infestans which presents low resistance to pyrethroids. Wewere able to assemble a complete transcriptome of this vector and found evidence of differentiallyexpressed genes belonging to diverse families such as chemosensory and odorantbindingproteins, ABC transporters and heat-shock proteins. Moreover, genes related totranscription and translation, energetic metabolism and cuticle rearrangements were alsomodulated. Finally, we characterized the repertoire of previously uncharacterized detoxification-related gene families in T. infestans and Rhodnius prolixus.Conclusions and significanceOur work contributes to the understanding of the detoxification response in vectors of Chagasdisease. Given the absence of an annotated genome from T. infestans, the analysispresented here constitutes a resource for molecular and physiological studies in this species. The results increase the knowledge on detoxification processes in vectors of Chagasdisease, and provide relevant information to explore undescribed potential insecticideresistance mechanisms in populations of these insects.