Rao, C., Yuan, C., He, W., Guo, H., Liu, K., Fan, J., Su, J. (2025). Flavin-Containing Monooxygenases Mediate Resistance to Nereistoxin Insecticides in Lepidopteran Pests: Insights into Conserved Tertiary Amine Oxidation Mechanisms.  J. Agric. Food Chem. 73(13): 7704--7715.

FBrf0262037

Research paper

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.