Data from: A linkage map and QTL analysis for pyrethroid resistance in the bed bug Cimex lectularius

The rapid evolution of insecticide resistance remains one of the biggest challenges in the control of medically and economically important pests. Insects have evolved a diverse range of mechanisms to reduce the efficacy of the commonly used classes of insecticides and finding the genetic basis of resistance is a major aid to management. In a previously unstudied population, we performed an F2 resistance mapping cross for the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, for which insecticide resistance is increasingly widespread. Using 334 SNP markers obtained through RAD-sequencing, we constructed the first linkage map for the species, consisting of 14 putative linkage groups (LG), with a length of 407 cM and an average marker spacing of 1.3 cM. The linkage map was used to reassemble the recently published reference genome, facilitating refinement and validation of the current genome assembly. We detected a major QTL on LG12 associated with insecticide resistance, occurring in close proximity (1.2 Mb) to a carboxylesterase encoding candidate gene for pyrethroid resistance. This provides another example of this candidate gene playing a major role in determining survival in a bed bug population following pesticide resistance evolution. The recent availability of the bed bug genome, complete with a full list of potential candidate genes related to insecticide resistance, in addition to the linkage map generated here, provides an excellent resource for future research on the development and spread of insecticide resistance in this resurging pest species.

杀虫剂抗性的快速演化始终是防控兼具医学与经济重要性害虫的核心挑战之一。昆虫已演化出多样的机制以削弱常用杀虫剂类别的药效，明确抗性的遗传基础则可为害虫治理提供关键支撑。在一个此前未被研究的种群中，我们针对杀虫剂抗性正日益广泛传播的温带臭虫（*Cimex lectularius*）开展了F₂抗性定位杂交实验。借助通过限制性位点相关DNA测序（RAD-sequencing）获得的334个单核苷酸多态性标记（SNP markers），我们构建了该物种的首张连锁图谱，包含14个推定连锁群（LG），总长度达407厘摩，平均标记间距为1.3厘摩。我们利用该连锁图谱对近期发表的参考基因组进行重新组装，助力优化与验证当前的基因组组装结果。我们在LG12上检测到一个与杀虫剂抗性相关的主效数量性状基因座（QTL），该位点与一个编码羧酸酯酶的拟除虫菊酯抗性候选基因相距仅1.2 Mb。这进一步佐证了该候选基因在臭虫种群演化出杀虫剂抗性后，对个体生存能力起到关键决定作用的案例。近期臭虫参考基因组的公布（已完整涵盖与杀虫剂抗性相关的全部潜在候选基因清单），加之本研究构建的连锁图谱，将为未来针对这种重新猖獗的害虫种群的杀虫剂抗性发展与传播研究提供优质研究资源。