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Toxics Jan 2023Methyl parathion (MP) has been widely used as an organophosphorus pesticide for food preservation and pest management, resulting in its accumulation in the aquatic...
Methyl parathion (MP) has been widely used as an organophosphorus pesticide for food preservation and pest management, resulting in its accumulation in the aquatic environment. However, the early developmental toxicity of MP to non-target species, especially aquatic vertebrates, has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, zebrafish embryos were treated with 2.5, 5, or 10 mg/L of MP solution until 72 h post-fertilization (hpf). The results showed that MP exposure reduced spontaneous movement, hatching, and survival rates of zebrafish embryos and induced developmental abnormalities such as shortened body length, yolk edema, and spinal curvature. Notably, MP was found to induce cardiac abnormalities, including pericardial edema and decreased heart rate. Exposure to MP resulted in the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, increased catalase (CAT) activity, elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and caused cardiac apoptosis in zebrafish embryos. Moreover, MP affected the transcription of cardiac development-related genes (, , , , , ) and apoptosis-related genes (, , ). Astaxanthin could rescue MP-induced heart development defects by down-regulating oxidative stress. These findings suggest that MP induces cardiac developmental toxicity and provides additional evidence of MP toxicity to aquatic organisms.
PubMed: 36668810
DOI: 10.3390/toxics11010084 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2022In this study, nanostructured gold was successfully prepared on a bare Au electrode using the electrochemical deposition method. Nanostructured gold provided more...
In this study, nanostructured gold was successfully prepared on a bare Au electrode using the electrochemical deposition method. Nanostructured gold provided more exposed active sites to facilitate the ion and electron transfer during the electrocatalytic reaction of organophosphorus pesticide (methyl parathion). The morphological and structural characterization of nanostructured gold was conducted using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), which was further carried out to evaluate the electrocatalytic activity towards methyl parathion sensing. The electrochemical performance of nanostructured gold was investigated by electrochemical measurements (cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV)). The proposed nanostructured gold-modified electrode exhibited prominent electrochemical methyl parathion sensing performance (including two linear concentration ranges from 0.01 to 0.5 ppm (R = 0.993) and from 0.5 to 4 ppm (R = 0.996), limit of detection of 5.9 ppb, excellent selectivity and stability), and excellent capability in determination of pesticide residue in real fruit and vegetable samples (bok choy and strawberry). The study demonstrated that the presented approach to fabricate a nanostructured gold-modified electrode could be practically applied to detect pesticide residue in agricultural products via integrating the electrochemical and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS-MS) analysis.
Topics: Methyl Parathion; Pesticides; Organophosphorus Compounds; Gold; Pesticide Residues; Nanocomposites; Electrodes; Electrochemical Techniques; Limit of Detection; Metal Nanoparticles
PubMed: 36560305
DOI: 10.3390/s22249938 -
Current Opinion in Structural Biology Aug 2021The evolution of novel enzymes has fueled the diversification of life on earth for billions of years. Insights into events that set the stage for the evolution of a new... (Review)
Review
The evolution of novel enzymes has fueled the diversification of life on earth for billions of years. Insights into events that set the stage for the evolution of a new enzyme can be obtained from ancestral reconstruction and laboratory evolution. Ancestral reconstruction can reveal the emergence of a promiscuous activity in a pre-existing protein and the impact of subsequent mutations that enhance a new activity. Laboratory evolution provides a more holistic view by revealing mutations elsewhere in the genome that indirectly enhance the level of a newly important enzymatic activity. This review will highlight recent studies that probe the early stages of the evolution of a new enzyme from these complementary points of view.
Topics: Evolution, Molecular; Mutation; Proteins
PubMed: 33865035
DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.03.001 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Organophosphate compounds are widely used in pesticides to control weeds, crop diseases, and insect pests. Unfortunately, these synthetic compounds are hazardous and...
Organophosphate compounds are widely used in pesticides to control weeds, crop diseases, and insect pests. Unfortunately, these synthetic compounds are hazardous and toxic to all types of living organisms. In the present work, was bioengineered to achieve methyl parathion (MP) degradation via the introduction of six synthetic genes, namely, , , , , , and , to obtain a new transformant, BL-MP. MP and its subsequent decomposition intermediates were completely degraded by this transformant to enter the metabolites of multiple anabolic pathways. The MP-degraded strain created in this study may be a promising candidate for the bioremediation of MP and potential toxic intermediates.
PubMed: 35222319
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.679126 -
Journal of Toxicology 2020Organophosphorus compounds are extensively used worldwide as pesticides which cause great hazards to human health. Nerve agents, a subcategory of the organophosphorus... (Review)
Review
Organophosphorus compounds are extensively used worldwide as pesticides which cause great hazards to human health. Nerve agents, a subcategory of the organophosphorus compounds, have been produced and used during wars, and they have also been used in terrorist activities. These compounds possess physiological threats by interacting and inhibiting acetylcholinesterase enzyme which leads to the cholinergic crisis. After a general introduction, this review elucidates the mechanisms underlying cholinergic and noncholinergic effects of organophosphorus compounds. The conceivable treatment strategies for organophosphate poisoning are different types of bioscavengers which include stoichiometric, catalytic, and pseudocatalytic. The current research on the promising treatments specifically the catalytic bioscavengers including several wild-type organophosphate hydrolases such as paraoxonase and phosphotriesterase, phosphotriesterase-like lactonase, methyl parathion hydrolase, organophosphate acid anhydrolase, diisopropyl fluorophosphatase, human triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase, and senescence marker protein has been widely discussed. Organophosphorus compounds are reported to be the nonphysiological substrate for many mammalian organophosphate hydrolysing enzymes; therefore, the efficiency of these enzymes toward these compounds is inadequate. Hence, studies have been conducted to create mutants with an enhanced rate of hydrolysis and high specificity. Several mutants have been created by applying directed molecular evolution and/or targeted mutagenesis, and catalytic efficiency has been characterized. Generally, organophosphorus compounds are chiral in nature. The development of mutant enzymes for providing superior stereoselective degradation of toxic organophosphorus compounds has also been widely accounted for in this review. Existing enzymes have shown limited efficiency; hence, more effective treatment strategies have also been critically analyzed.
PubMed: 33029136
DOI: 10.1155/2020/3007984 -
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta Jan 2013Phosphotriesters are one class of highly toxic synthetic compounds known as organophosphates. Wide spread usage of organophosphates as insecticides as well as nerve... (Review)
Review
Phosphotriesters are one class of highly toxic synthetic compounds known as organophosphates. Wide spread usage of organophosphates as insecticides as well as nerve agents has lead to numerous efforts to identify enzymes capable of detoxifying them. A wide array of enzymes has been found to have phosphotriesterase activity including phosphotriesterase (PTE), methyl parathion hydrolase (MPH), organophosphorus acid anhydrolase (OPAA), diisopropylfluorophosphatase (DFP), and paraoxonase 1 (PON1). These enzymes differ widely in protein sequence and three-dimensional structure, as well as in catalytic mechanism, but they also share several common features. All of the enzymes identified as phosphotriesterases are metal-dependent hydrolases that contain a hydrophobic active site with three discrete binding pockets to accommodate the substrate ester groups. Activation of the substrate phosphorus center is achieved by a direct interaction between the phosphoryl oxygen and a divalent metal in the active site. The mechanistic details of the hydrolytic reaction differ among the various enzymes with both direct attack of a hydroxide as well as covalent catalysis being found. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Chemistry and mechanism of phosphatases, diesterases and triesterases.
Topics: Animals; Aryldialkylphosphatase; Binding Sites; Catalysis; Catalytic Domain; Cations, Divalent; Humans; Metals; Models, Chemical
PubMed: 22561533
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2012.04.004 -
BioMed Research International 2014The toxicity of organophosphate insecticides for nontarget organism has been the subject of extensive research for sustainable agriculture. Pakistan has banned the use...
The toxicity of organophosphate insecticides for nontarget organism has been the subject of extensive research for sustainable agriculture. Pakistan has banned the use of methyl/ethyl parathions, but they are still illegally used. The present study is an attempt to estimate the residual concentration and to suggest remedial solution of adsorption by different types of soils collected and characterized for physicochemical parameters. Sorption of pesticides in soil or other porous media is an important process regulating pesticide transport and degradation. The percentage removal of methyl parathion and ethyl parathion was determined through UV-Visible spectrophotometer at 276 nm and 277 nm, respectively. The results indicate that agricultural soil as compared to barren soil is more efficient adsorbent for both insecticides, at optimum batch condition of pH 7. The equilibrium between adsorbate and adsorbent was attained in 12 hours. Methyl parathion is removed more efficiently (by seven orders of magnitude) than ethyl parathion. It may be attributed to more available binding sites and less steric hindrance of methyl parathion. Adsorption kinetics indicates that a good correlation exists between distribution coefficient (Kd) and soil organic carbon. A general increase in Kd is noted with increase in induced concentration due to the formation of bound or aged residue.
Topics: Adsorption; Agriculture; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Kinetics; Methyl Parathion; Models, Chemical; Parathion; Soil; Temperature; Time Factors
PubMed: 24689059
DOI: 10.1155/2014/831989 -
Biotechnology Reports (Amsterdam,... Sep 2020Due to high contamination of organophosphate (OP) insecticides in agricultural products and the environment, efficient and convenient devices for their monitoring are...
Due to high contamination of organophosphate (OP) insecticides in agricultural products and the environment, efficient and convenient devices for their monitoring are necessary. Here, a simple, inexpensive, efficient, and easy-to-use absorbance-based biosensor was fabricated utilizing recombinant methyl parathion hydrolase fused with glutathione--transferase (MPH-GST), covalently immobilized onto a chitosan film-coated polystyrene microplate, for the detection of methyl parathion (MP) as a representative of OPs. Having been connected to the transducer system designed to work through an Arduino microcontroller, the biosensor could detect MP as efficiently as the conventional methods, with the detection limit of 0.1 μM, the lowest value ever reported for this method. It was stable at 25 °C for 30 days, could function 100 rounds repetitively, and yielded high recovery with real samples. Hence, this simply designed MPH-GST biosensor could be an easy and inexpensive alternative for efficient OP screening at site to help control its contamination.
PubMed: 32642456
DOI: 10.1016/j.btre.2020.e00495 -
RSC Advances Jun 2022To achieve rapid and convenient on-site pretreatment and determination of parathion-methyl, a density-adjusted liquid-phase microextraction with smartphone digital image...
Density-adjusted liquid-phase microextraction with smartphone digital image colorimetry to determine parathion-methyl in water, fruit juice, vinegar, and fermented liquor.
To achieve rapid and convenient on-site pretreatment and determination of parathion-methyl, a density-adjusted liquid-phase microextraction with smartphone digital image colorimetry was established to detect parathion-methyl in food samples. In this study, the environmentally friendly biomass-derived solvent guaiacol was used as the extractant. Salt and water, as density regulators, realized the two movements (floating-sinking) of the extractant and full contact between the extractant and the sample solution to establish an environmentally friendly, fast, and efficient pretreatment method. Under strong alkaline conditions, parathion-methyl generated a yellow product; then, a smartphone was used to obtain the image of the yellow product for intensity analysis. Parathion-methyl has a good linear relationship in the range of 0.01-1 mg L, and the limits of detection and quantification are 0.003 and 0.01 mg L, respectively. This method has been successfully applied to the determination of parathion-methyl in spiked water, fruit juice, vinegar, and fermented liquor with a recovery of 91.6-106.5% and a relative standard deviation of 0.6-6.0%. The established density-adjusted liquid phase microextraction with smartphone digital image colorimetry is rapid, convenient, and environmentally friendly for the determination of parathion-methyl in food samples.
PubMed: 35800312
DOI: 10.1039/d2ra02760g -
Sensors and Actuators. B, Chemical Jun 2019In the current work we report a simple and scalable technique for synthesis of ordered nanoporous Si-ZrO composite derived from the diatom . The composite was well...
In the current work we report a simple and scalable technique for synthesis of ordered nanoporous Si-ZrO composite derived from the diatom . The composite was well characterized using SEM, TEM-EDX, FTIR, TGA, BET and DLS. The diatom-ZrO was found to have a specific surface area of 140 m/g, Si:Zr ratio of 1:4 and a particle size of 80 ± 2 nm. This composite was evaluated as an enzyme free electrochemical sensor towards the detection of methyl parathion (MP) and showed excellent sensing ability at extremely low detection limits of 54.3 pM and a linear concentration range of 3.4 nM to 64 μM. The diatom-ZrO composite was also found to be highly selective towards MP as shown by its response even in the presence of high concentrations of other interfering molecules and ions.
PubMed: 31772421
DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2019.03.036