Efficacy of anticoagulant drugs as rodenticides and genetic variation on Vkorc1 of Mus musculus from Buenos Aires Province (Argentina).

Abstract

The relationship between anticoagulant rodenticides and the gene for vitamin K epoxide reductase has been extensively studied. The significance of mutations in Vkorc1 on the degree of response to anticoagulants is controversial. The implication of the VKORC1 function in pest control drives the attention to a wide range of factors that may be influencing the resistance to rodenticides, an issue that will be discussed in this article. Anticoagulants are used as rodenticides as well as to improve human health. The interactions between Vkorc1 and Cyp4f18 (cytochrome P450) are complex. It is likely that the coagulation response may be due to a diverse expression of the Vkorc1 gene and its interaction with the expression of Cyp4f18, and to the polymorphisms present in both genes. We analyzed the presence of polymorphisms (especially the presence of mutations that produce substitutions of Tyr139Cys and Leu128Ser) in Vkorc1 of the genome of Mus musculus belonging to local wild populations living in farms. The animals studied were from areas in which rodenticide anticoagulants (ej. bromadiolone) are commonly used as pest control. None of the studied mice showed any signs of anticoagulant resistance-related mutations in the Vkorc1 gene. This study will enable a proper selection of the rodenticide method for pest control in local areas. Key words: Vitamin K epoxide reductase, rodenticides, rodents.