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Malathion toxicity and carboxylesterase activity in Drosophila melanogaster

Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, ISSN: 0048-3575, Vol: 29, Issue: 2, Page: 97-111
1987
  • 19
    Citations
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  • 10
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Metric Options:   Counts1 Year3 Year

Metrics Details

  • Citations
    19
    • Citation Indexes
      19
  • Captures
    10

Article Description

Adults from nine strains of Drosophila melanogaster were exposed to a residual film of malathion. The LC 50 values indicated that there was a fourfold difference in susceptibility to malathion among the strains. 3-Nonylthio-1,1,1-trifluoropropan-2-one (NTFP), a carboxylesterase inhibitor, synergized the toxicity of the insecticide when four fly strains were exposed to a mixture of the inhibitor and malathion. Whole-body homogenates of adults were analyzed by wide-range isoelectric focusing (IEF). Carboxylesterase activities on the gels were stained using common substrates such as α- and β-naphthyl acetate and p -nitrophenyl acetate. Less conventional substrates, ethyl and isobutyl carbonates of α-naphthol and p -nitrophenol, were synthesized and used for staining gels and kinetics in solution. Two major bands of activity (p I 4.4 and 4.0) were detected with naphthyl substrates. A major peak of malathion hydrolytic activity (p I 6.3) was detected by running spectrophotometric assays for carboxylesterase activity on malathion using IEF gel slices and a rapid, semiautomated assay method. The peak region of activity on malathion did not coincide with bands obtained when naphthyl substrates were used to stain the gels. NTFP inhibited malathion hydrolysis in a solution from the IEF peak of activity and also inhibited esterase activity on α-naphthyl acetate on the gels. Recovered carboxylesterase activities on malathion and O -ethyl carbonate of p -nitrophenol were higher in the cytosolic than in the microsomal or mitochondrial cell fractions.

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