The voltage‐sensitive sodium channel (VSSC) is essential for the generation and propagation of action potentials. VSSC kinetics can be modified by producing different splice variants. The functionality of VSSC depends on features such as the voltage sensors, the selectivity filter and the inactivation loop. Mutations in Vssc conferring resistance to pyrethroid insecticides are known as knockdown resistance (kdr). We analysed the conservation of VSSC in both a broad scope and a narrow scope by three approaches: (1) we compared conservation of sequences and of differential exon use across orders of the Insecta; (2) we determined which kdr mutations were possible with a single nucleotide mutation in nine populations of Aedes aegypti; and (3) we examined the individual VSSC variation that exists within a population of Drosophila melanogaster. There is an increasing amount of transcript diversity possible from Diplura towards Diptera. The residues of the voltage sensors, selectivity filter and inactivation loop are highly conserved. The majority of exon sequences were >88.6% similar. Strain‐specific differences in codon constraints exist for kdr mutations in nine strains of A. aegypti. Three Vssc mutations were found in one population of D. melanogaster. This study shows that, overall, Vssc is highly conserved across Insecta and within a population of an insect, but that important differences do exist.

中文翻译：

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昆虫内的电压敏感钠通道蛋白的保守性。

电压敏感钠通道（VSSC）对于产生和传播动作电位至关重要。VSSC动力学可以通过产生不同的剪接变体进行修饰。VSSC的功能取决于电压传感器，选择性滤波器和失活回路等功能。赋予对拟除虫菊酯杀虫剂抗性的Vssc突变被称为敲低抗性（kdr）。我们通过三种方法分析了VSSC在宽范围和窄范围内的保守性：（1）我们比较了昆虫纲各序列的序列和不同外显子使用的保守性；（2）我们确定了在9个种群中单个核苷酸突变可能导致的kdr突变埃及伊蚊; （3）我们检查了果蝇果蝇种群中存在的个别VSSC变异。从Diplura到Diptera可能有越来越多的转录本多样性。电压传感器，选择性滤波器和失活回路的残留物高度保守。大多数外显子序列> 88.6％相似。九种埃及埃及伊蚊的kdr突变存在密码子约束的特定菌株差异。在一只D. melanogaster种群中发现了3个Vssc突变。这项研究表明，总体而言，Vssc 在昆虫纲和昆虫种群中是高度保守的，但是确实存在重要差异。