Assessment of Toxicological Effect of Organophosphate, Malathion, on Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 and Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 in 3rd Instar Larvae of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) is a type of protease that degrades and removes the extracellular matrix of the cell. Only matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) are found in Drosophila, playing different roles in the fruit fly. Malathion is a lethal insecticide which mostly affects the neurological system of Drosophila. Hence, the objective of the study was to evaluate the toxicological effect of the organophosphate ‒ Malathion ‒ on MMP-1 and MMP-2 in 3^rd instar larvae of Drosophila melanogaster using appropriate techniques. A total of 80 third instar larvae of Drosophila melanogaster were taken for our experiment (40 larvae for MMP-1 and 40 larvae for MMP-2). For each assessment with 40 larvae, 20 larvae were treated with LC₅₀ dose of Malathion and 20 larvae were taken as control sample. Casein and gelatin zymography were run at room temperature to detect MMP-1 and MMP-2 expression in both control and treated larvae sample. Expressions of both matrix metalloproteinases in treated larvae changed substantially. The level of MMP-1 increased from 35.38% to 64.62%. MMP-2 level also rose from 38.37% to 61.63%. Our result implies that an LC₅₀ dose of Malathion may activate oxidative stress and upregulate MMP-1 and MMP-2 levels in 3^rd instar larvae of Drosophila. The deleterious outcome of Malathion could be seen in other non-target organisms, including pollinators and humans. Hence, the use of such compounds should be checked to minimize the risk of insecticide toxicity.