Histone modifications in insecticide stress

The ability of agricultural insect pests to rapidly evolve resistance to chemical and microbial insecticides undermines the sustainability of pest control. Agricultural insect pests such as the Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata, display a remarkable ability to rapidly evolve resistance to insecticides and other stressors. Although insecticide resistance is considered inevitable, the processes underlying rapid evolution of insecticide resistance remain poorly understood. One possible explanation is that environmental exposure to insecticides may alter epigenetic modifications, which alter heritable patterns of gene expression without underlying DNA sequence. Surprisingly, no studies have tested how the intensity of insecticide exposure alters changes in histone modifications and effects fitness. We found key differences in histone modification among stressed and unstressed pests. The role of histone modifications in stress response will be a crucial starting point for developing more sustainable and targeted pest control.