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Abstract:
Genomics is the comparative study of the structure and function of entire genomes. Although the complete sequencing of the genome of any insect pest is far in the future, a genomic approach can be useful in the study of mechanisms of insecticide resistance. We describe this strategy for Heliothis and Helicoverpa, two of the most destructive genera of pest moths (Lepidoptera) worldwide. Genome–wide linkage mapping provides the location of major and minor resistance genes. Positional cloning identifies novel resistance genes, even when the mechanisms are poorly understood, as with resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis toxins. Anchor loci provide the reference points for comparing the genomes and the genetic architecture of resistance mechanisms among related species. Collectively, these tools enable the description of the evolutionary response of related, but independent, genomes to the common selective pressure of insecticides in the environment. They also provide information that is useful for targeted management of specific resistance genes, and may even speed the search for families of novel insecticidal targets in Lepidoptera.
