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Updated: May 20, 2025
Monitoring the Reductive and Oxidative Half-Reactions of a Flavin-Dependent Monooxygenase using Stopped-Flow Spectrophotometry
Published on: March 18, 2012
Flavin-Containing Monooxygenases Mediate Resistance to Nereistoxin Insecticides in Lepidopteran Pests: Insights into
Cong Rao1, Chao Yuan1, Wangjin He1
1State Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Forestry Biosecurity, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
Abstract:
This study elucidates the molecular mechanism by which flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) mediates metabolic resistance to nereistoxin insecticides in lepidopteran pests. A field population of Spodoptera exigua exhibited 50-fold resistance with upregulated SeFMO expression. Using FMO-specific inhibitors, recombinant protein expression, and mass spectrometry, we confirmed that FMO catalyzes N-oxidation of nereistoxin insecticide at the tertiary amine nitrogen. Molecular docking revealed that insect FMO's catalytic mechanism resembles that of human FMO. Transgenic Drosophila models demonstrated that the FMO-mediated N-oxidation enhances insecticide resistance, indicating evolutionary conservation. This highlights FMO's role in insecticide detoxification and its conserved function across species, providing new insights into pest resistance mechanisms.
