Knockdown resistance to DDT and Pyrethroids in the house fly (Diptera : muscidae): From genetic trait to molecular mechanism

Knockdown resistance to DDT and pyrethrins was the Ist insecticide resistan ce trait involving reduced target site sensitivity to be identified and iso lated genetically. Almost 5 decades later, knockdown resistance continues t o threaten the continued effectiveness of pyrethroid insecticides in the co ntrol of numerous agricultural pests and vectors of human disease. In this review we summarize progress in the characterization of knockdown resistanc e in the house ny, Musca domestica L., culminating in the identification of the specific sodium channel gene mutations that cause the reduced neuronal sensitivity to DDT and pyrethroids in knockdown-resistant insects.