Analytical approaches to investigate protein-pesticide adducts.
Organophosphorus pesticides primarily elicit toxicity via their common covalent adduction of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), but pesticide binding to additional sensitive secondary targets may also compromise health. We have utilised tritiated-diisopropylfluorophosphate ((3)H-DFP) binding to quantify the levels of active immune and brain tissue serine hydrolases, and visualise them using autoradiography after protein separation by one-dimensional and two-dimensional techniques. Preincubation of protein extracts with pesticide in vitro or dosing of rats with pesticide in vivo was followed by (3)H-DFP radiolabelling. Pesticide targets were identified by a reduction in (3)H-DFP radiolabelling relative to controls, and characterised by their tissue presence, molecular weight, and isoelectric point. Conventional column chromatography was employed to enrich pesticide targets to enable their further characterisation, and/or identification by mass spectrometry. The major in vivo pesticide targets characterised were 66 kDa, serum albumin, and 60 kDa, likely carboxylesterase 1, both of which displayed differential pesticide binding character under conditions producing approximately 30% tissue AChE inhibition. The characterisation and identification of sensitive pesticide secondary targets will enable an evaluation of their potential contribution to the ill health that may arise from chronic low-dose pesticide exposures. Additionally, secondary targets may provide useful biomonitors and/or bioscavengers of pesticide exposures.
Carter
Wayne G
WG
School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG7 2UH, UK. Wayne.Carter@Nottingham.ac.uk
Tarhoni
Mabruka H
MH
Ray
David E
DE
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D007531:Isoflurophate / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010575:Pesticides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D051381:Rats; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D014316:Tritium / Q000737:chemistry
D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D010575:Pesticides; D014316:Tritium; D007531:Isoflurophate; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases