Knockdown of the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor 1 Subunit Decreases the Susceptibility to Five Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)

The sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, (Gennadius) (Hemiptera:Aleyrodidae) is a global pest of crops. Neonicotinoids are efficient insecticides used for control of this pest. Insecticidal targets of neonicotinoids are insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Here, we characterized and cloned the full length of the nAChR beta 1 subunit (BT beta 1) in B. tabaci and confirmed the consistency of BT beta 1 in B. tabaci MEAM1 and MED. Expression levels of BT beta 1 in different developmental stages and body parts of adults were investigated and compared in B. tabaci MED. dsRNA was prepared to knock down BT beta 1in adult B. tabaci and significantly decreases the susceptibility to five neonicotinoid insecticides, including imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiacloprid, nitenpyram, and dinotefuran. This study indicated BT beta 1 as a notable site influencing the susceptibility of B. tabaci to neonicotinoids.