title: Superoxide dismutase in the anal gills of the mosquito larvae of Aedes aegypti: its inhibition by alpha-terthienyl.
abstract: The anal gills of the mosquito larvae of Aedes aegypti were shown to possess superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) activity, which increased with the maturation of the larvae from instar 1 to instar 4. This enzyme was highly inhibited upon treatment of the larvae with alpha-terthienyl (2,2':5,2"-terthiophene) and subsequent exposure to long-wave ultraviolet light. Inhibition also occurred with treatment of the crude enzyme extract in a similar fashion. Exposure of the enzyme to the ultraviolet light alone or the treatment of the enzyme with alpha-terthienyl in darkness could not manifest this inhibition. This finding adds a new dimension to the complex mechanism(s) proposed for the photodynamic toxicity of alpha-terthienyl.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nivsarkar
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laloraya
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Laloraya
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D004064:Digestive System / Q000201:enzymology; D007700:Kinetics; D007814:Larva; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D013876:Thiophenes; C019101:alpha-terthienyl; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase