Molecular cloning, characterization and functional analysis of GluCl from the oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata Walker

Glutamate-gated chloride channels (GluCls) mediate inhibitory synaptic transmission in invertebrate nervous systems, and only one GluCl gene has been found in insects. Therefore, insect GluCls are one of the major targets of insecticides including avermectins. In the present study, a 1347 bp full-length cDNA encoding a 449-amino acid protein (named MsGluCl, GenBank ID: MK336885) was cloned from the oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata, and characterized two alternative splicing variants of MsGluCl. The protein shares 76.9–98.6% identity with other insect GluCl isoforms. Spatial and temporal expression analysis revealed that MsGluCl was highly expressed in the 3rd instar and adult head. Dietary ingestion of dsMsGluCl significantly reduced the mRNA level of MsGluCl and decreased abamectin mortality. Thus, our results reveal that MsGluCl could be the molecular target of abamectin and provide the basis for further understanding the resistance mechanism to abamectin in arthropods. [Display omitted] •Full-length cDNA from MsGluCl was cloned and characterized.•Two alternative splicing variants of MsGluCl were characterized.•MsGluCl exhibited high level of identities to insect GluCl.•Knockdown of MsGluCl by RNAi decreased abamectin toxicity in M. separata.