Toxic and biochemical effects of divalent metal ions in Drosophila: correlation to effects in mice and to chemical softness parameters.
The mechanism of toxicity of 11 divalent cations was evaluated by determining the effects of dietary administration to Drosophila melanogaster and measurement of the frequency of lethality at 4 days, alterations in the developmental patterns of proteins, and changes in specific transfer RNAs. The relative effectiveness of divalent cations to kill Drosophila is significantly correlated to the relative values of the coordinate bond energy of the metal ions. The resistance of Drosophila to cadmium toxicity appears to be genetically determined since different inbred strains vary markedly. Also, the resistance is maximal in the young adult. Two different genetic strains seem to respond to different cations (Cd2+, Hg2+, Cu2+, Co2+, Ba2+, and Sr2+) in a similar manner. Basic mechanisms of toxicity may be studied in Drosophila as well as mice since the chemical properties of the metals reflect their toxic effects on the former as closely as the latter.
D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity; D002413:Cations, Divalent; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000187:drug effects*; D005796:Genes / Q000187:drug effects; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000235:genetics; D008670:Metals / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity
D002413:Cations, Divalent; D008670:Metals; D011506:Proteins; D002104:Cadmium; D012343:RNA, Transfer; D008668:Metallothionein