Genetics of cytochrome P450 in two insecticide-resistant strains of the housefly, Musca domestica L

Biochemical Mechanisms of Resistance to Insecticides

The principal biochemical mechanisms of resistance to insecticides involve either modified, less sensitive cholinesterase, esterase action, glutathione S-transferase action or cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenation. Both quantitative and qualitative differences in cytochrome P-450 isozymes are under genetic control and both are related to resistance. Recent characterization studies involving ligand binding and multiplicity of isozymes in Musca domestica (the housefly) are discussed in relation to resistance. The recent demonstration that multiple isozymes of glutathione S-transferase exist in susceptible and resistant insects is of interest, and some re-examination of their role in the mechanism of resistance is required. Esterases are a heterogeneous group of enzymes whose role in resistance has often been suggested but seldom rigorously defined. Purification studies in the green rice leafhopper, Nephotettix cincticeps, have involved an enzyme with carboxylesterase, phosphotriesterase and pyrethroid esterase activities. A similar enzyme, but without pyrethroid esterase activity, is also found in the housefly. In resistance such enzymes may serve either to catalyse hydrolysis or as binding proteins. It has been suggested, from time to time, that regulator genes, enzyme induction and gene magnification all play a part in controlling biochemical mechanisms of resistance, although clearly defined evidence has not always been brought forward. These hypotheses are re-examined.

Constitutive overexpression of the cytochrome P450 gene CYP6A1 in a house fly strain with metabolic resistance to insecticides

Messenger RNA levels of the cytochrome P450 gene CYP6A1 were measured in the insecticide resistant Diazinon-R 'Rutgers' strain and in the susceptible strain sbo of the house fly with a cloned cDNA probe. The constitutive expression of the CYP6A1 gene was at least 10 times higher in the Rutgers strain than in the sbo strain. In both strains, CYP6A1 was inducible by phenobarbital treatment of the flies. Analysis of genomic DNA from the two strains indicated that there was no amplification of the CYP6A1 gene in the Rutgers strain. A developmental analysis revealed that CYP6A1 is expressed larvae and adults, and very low levels of CYP6A1 mRNA were detected in eggs and pupae. The constitutive overexpression of CYP6A1 in the Rutgers strain was observed in both larvae and adults. Crosses between the Rutgers strain and the multiply marked sbo strain revealed that the high constitutive expression of CYP6A1 in the Rutgers strain is controlled by one or more loci located on chromosome II.

Cytochrome P-450 monooxygenases in insects

1. The insect monooxygenase system is involved in the oxidative metabolism of both endogenous and exogenous substrates. 2. Monooxygenases appear to be important in insect growth and development, in adaptation to multiple food plants in phytophagous insects and in pesticide resistance. 3. The genetics, purification and properties of cytochrome P-450 isozymes of the house fly (Musca domestica) are discussed in relation to their role in resistance to xenobiotics. 4. Induction of insect cytochrome P-450 isozymes is discussed in comparison to induction in mammals and with reference to polyphagy.

Characterization of house fly microsomal mixed function oxidases: inhibition by juvenile hormone i and piperonyl butoxide

The microsomal mixed function oxidase system of the house fly (Musca domestica [L.]) was characterized with respect to N-demethylation of p-chloromethylaniline, O-demethylation of methoxyresorufin, epoxidation of aldrin and the formation of a metabolite-cytochrome P-450 complex during oxidation of piperonyl butoxide (PB). The inhibition of these reactions by juvenile hormone I (E, E cis methyl 10,11-epoxy-7-ethyl-3, 11-dimethyl-2, 6-tridecadienoate, JH-I) was competitive for the N-demethylase, epoxidase and the formation of the PB metabolite-complex. Non-competitive inhibition was observed for the O-demethylase. The inhibition of these reactions by JH-I provides evidence that the mixed function oxidase system participates in the degradation of juvenile hormone, and that the juvenile hormone-like properties of PB and other methylenedioxyphenyl compounds are derived from their inhibition of this degradation. The PB metabolite-cytochrome P-450 complex has 2 absorbance maxima in the reduced form (427 and 455 nm), and a single absorbance maximum in the oxidized form (438 nm). pH affected the extinction of the 427 and 455 nm absorbance bands. The pH equilibrium point was 8.3 for the reduced PB metabolite complex, and 9.5 for ethylisocyanide. In addition, the PB metabolite complex could be generated in vivo.

Multiplicity of cytochrome P-450 in microsomal membranes from the housefly, Musca domestica

The heterogeneity of cytochrome P-450 in abdominal microsomes from the CSMA, SBO, Fc, Rutgers and Baygon strains of the housefly was examined by three different methods. Examination of 'apparent absolute absorption spectra' indicated at least two types of cytochrome in all strains, one with an absorption maximum at about 394 nm, being present in greater quantity in the insecticide-resistant strains, while the other, with an absorption maximum at about 412 nm, predominates in the insecticide-susceptible strains. Controlled tryptic digestion of microsomes followed by spectral examination at various time intervals indicated a heterogeneous population of cytochromes P-450 in CSMA, Fc and Rutgers strains. Subfractionation of microsomes from houseflies of the CSMA and Fc strains by a two-step discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation method provided evidence for cytochromes P-450 of different spectral characteristics. The concentration of cytochrome P-450, as well as its spectral characteristics varied between fractions and strains.

Induction of multiple cytochrome P-450 species in housefly microsomes--SDS-gel electrophoresis studies

1. Microsomal fractions isolated from various housefly strains have been characterized with respect to multiple forms of cytochrome P-450 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. 2. Susceptible NAIDM houseflies were pretreated with known inducers of cytochrome P-450, and their microsomal electrophoretic profiles were compared to control NAIDM microsomes, using as standards partially purified cytochrome P-450s from noninduced NAIDM houseflies. 3. Tentatively, at least five different species of cytochrome P-450 may exist in the NAIDM housefly strain. 4. A comparison of the microsomal electrophoretic profile of different housefly strains also indicates the presence of at least two additional cytochrome P-450 species. 5. Induction with alpha-pinene and phenobarbital was expressed by a shift of the maximum absorbance at 452 nm in the CO-difference spectrum to lower wavelengths in the NAIDM strain; whereas, beta-naphthoflavone, although increasing the amount of cytochrome P-450, did not change the wavelength of maximum absorbance. 6. Cytochromes of the P-452 type appear to predominate in the susceptible NAIDM strain, while cytochromes of the P-450 and P-448 types predominate in resistant strains.

Insect cytochrome P-450

Two approaches may be used to study the function of cytochrome P-450 in insects: (a) an evaluation of the spectral and catalytic properties of the hemoprotein while associated with microsomal membranes; (b) the solubilization, resolution and purification of the microsomal mixed-function oxidase system. The first approach has provided some understanding of the biochemical factors involved in the metabolism of a variety of compounds, including pesticides, drugs, hormones and many other xenobiotics. However, solubilization of the monooxygenase system allows the study of each of its components individually, providing a better insight on the sequence of events leading to the hydroxylation of a substrate, the type of intermediates formed, and the rate-limiting step(s). This report discusses studies carried out with the monooxygenase system associated with microsomal membranes, as well as procedures to solubilize and partially purify its components from housefly microsomes. The latter involves solubilization with either Triton X-100 or sodium cholate, followed by either ammonium sulfate fractionation, Sephadex G-200, DEAE-Sephadex A-50 column chromatography or by omega-amino-n-octyl-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. These procedures have shown that two cytochrome P-450 species (P-450 and P-450I) are present in microsomes isolated from a resistant housefly strain. Induction with either naphthalene or phenobarbital appears to increase cytochrome P-450I preferentially.