Transcriptional Regulation of Nuclear Receptor <i>Nl</i> NR2E in Response to Multiple Insecticides in <i>Nilaparvata lugens</i>

Insecticide resistance has led to the failure of chemical pest control and threatens global food security, with transcriptional regulation of detoxification genes by xenobiotic-response transcription factors (TFs) playing a key role. However, the regulation mechanism remains unclear in most crop insect pests. This study characterized the role of the nuclear receptor <i>Nl</i>NR2E in response to insecticides in the brown planthopper <i>Nilaparvata lugens</i>, a destructive rice pest. Using DAP-seq, we identified detoxification gene promoters targeted by <i>Nl</i>NR2E. <i>NlABCG23</i>, encoding an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, showed significantly reduced expression after the RNA interference (RNAi) knockdown of <i>NlNR2E</i>. Dual-luciferase reporter, yeast one-hybrid, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays confirmed that <i>Nl</i>NR2E directly binds to <i>NlABCG23</i> promoter, thus activating <i>NlABCG23</i> expression. RNAi knockdown of <i>NlABCG23</i> significantly reduced resistance to imidacloprid, dinotefuran, pymetrozine, and chlorpyrifos in <i>N. lugens</i>. These findings illustrated how xenobiotic-induced TF regulates the ABC transporter, conferring resistance to multiple insecticides in planthoppers.