Characterization and Functional Analysis of UDP-Glycosyltransferases Reveal Their Contribution to Insecticides Detoxification in Sogatella furcifera (Horvath)

Sogatella furcifera poses a serious threat to rice production. Resistance to multiple insecticides has been widely reported in this species. To investigate the role of UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) in the detoxification metabolism of S. furcifera, synergism assays and enzyme activity assays were performed. The involvement of UGTs in the detoxification of commonly used insecticides was confirmed. A total of 18 UGT genes belonging to four subfamilies were cloned and identified. Under exposure to clothianidin, imidacloprid, sulfoxaflor, and triflumezopyrim, SfUGT386G6 and SfUGT329D8 were up-regulated by all four insecticides. Knockdown of SfUGT386G6 and SfUGT329D8 by RNA interference significantly increased insecticide sensitivity in S. furcifera. In parallel, transgenic Drosophila overexpressing SfUGT386G6 or SfUGT329D8 showed markedly enhanced tolerance to these insecticides and an increased capacity to metabolize them. In summary, the present study provides the first evidence that UGT genes mediate the detoxification metabolism of multiple insecticides in S. furcifera. These findings provide an important theoretical basis for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying insecticide resistance and for developing field management strategies for S. furcifera.