An overview of the main pathways of metabolic resistance in insects

Insecticides have played and still fulfil a very important role in sustainable production of food, animal feed and also as protection against disease vectors. They act to suppress insect populations and, as a consequence of their use, insecticide resistance has evolved. An overview of insecticide resistance mechanisms in insects is given, focusing on the metabolic systems involved in xenobiotic metabolism in the class Insecta. Several enzyme families (e.g., esterases, mixed function oxidases, glutathione S-transferases) are involved in insecticide detoxification, sequestration and excretion and have differing relative importance within the various taxonomic groups. A brief discussion of their impact on control strategies is given.