Spread of a Single Superclone Drives Insecticide Resistance in Acyrthosiphon kondoi Across an Invasive Range

作者：Joshua A. Thia, Benjamin J. Hunt, Shuchao Wang, Bartlomiej J. Troczka, Evatt Chirgwin, Courtney Brown, Rumi Sakamoto, Monica Stelmach, Kelly M. Richardson, Leonhard Satrio Arinanto, Ashritha P S Dorai, Chinmayee Joglekar, Qiong Yang, Marielle Babineau, Chris Bass, Paul A. Umina, Ary A. Hoffmann · 发表于：Molecular Biology and Evolution · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1093/molbev/msaf246 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Insect-Plant Interactions and Control、Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences、Insect Resistance and Genetics

Populations under similar selection pressures may adapt via parallel evolution or dispersal of advantageous alleles. Here, we investigated insecticide resistance in the invasive blue-green aphid, Acyrthosiphon kondoi, which reproduces clonally in Australia and has rapidly developed resistance across geographic locations. Using genomic, transcriptomic, and experimental approaches, we explored the evolutionary origins and molecular mechanisms of resistance. We developed the first nuclear genome assembly for A. kondoi (443.8 Mb, 28,405 annotated genes, BUSCO score 97.5%) and a partial mitochondrial assembly (11,598 bp). All resistant strains shared a common ancestor, supporting the spread of a resistant "superclone" lineage that is distinct from susceptible strains. Resistance was associated with over-expression of an esterase gene that was homologous to E4/FE4 esterases that are linked to resistance in other aphid pests. Functional experiments in Drosophila melanogaster confirmed a causal role of this E4-like esterase in resistance to organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids. These findings highlight how clonal dispersal and insecticide overuse can transform local adaptation into a widespread pest management issue. Our results suggest a parallel macroevolutionary response to insecticide selection in A. kondoi and other aphid species at the gene family level, but with a distinct regulatory mechanism in A. kondoi. Given the rapid spread of the resistant superclone, alternati...