Detection of esterase activity in susceptible and organophosphate resistant strains of the cattle tickBoophilus microplus(Acari: Ixodidae)

Abstract

Two organophosphate (OP) resistant strains of the cattle tickBoophilus microplus(Canestrini) from Mexico and Costa Rica were used to analyse the presence of esterase activity associated with resistance. The concentrations of six major proteins in both resistant strains were increased compared to the susceptible Morelos strain, both when stained with Coomassie Brilliant Blue after SDS-PAGE, and when analysed for esterase activity by the hydrolysis of naphthyl acetate esters. Esterases were named A or B in relation to the substrate preference for alpha or beta naphthyl acetate and numbered according to their position on the SDS—PAGE. The molecular weights of these proteins were: 125, 115, 108, 77, 43 and 67 Kd for Est-Bl, Est-B2, Est-B3, Est-B4, Est-B5 and Est-A respectively. Est-B3 showed cholinesterase (ChE) activity. This study strengthens the hypothesis that the mechanism associated with OP resistance found in many other insects includes an increase of esterase activity, probably as a result of gene amplification. The genes encoding these enzymes could be potentially used as molecular markers to detect resistance in the cattle tickB. microplususing a DNA probe.