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A new scientific publication

Invasive populations in Senegal show evidence of adaptive evolution on CYP450 genes that may explain their adaptation to maize

In this new publication led by Kiwoong Nam (Yainna et al. 2024 BMC Genomics), invasive Spodoptera frugiperda caterpillars, collected in Senegal in 2021, were resequenced. Analysis of this resequencing identified regions under selection compared with pre-invasive populations originating in the USA. These under-selected regions contain genes from the CYP450 family, enabling insect herbivores to detoxify toxic compounds from ingested plants. The better survival of invasive caterpillars on maize could be due to this CYP450 selection.

ImagePublicationKiwoongFevrier2025
Figure 1: Structure des populations de chenilles invasives au Sénégal par rapport à des populations natives des Amériques. © INRAE / Kiwoong Nam