Premium
Increased Toluene Exposure and Toxicity Effects Results in Low Fly Fecundity and Offspring Development in Female Drosophila melanogaster
Author(s) -
Ullah Emaad,
Arredondo Dalia,
Moreno Angela,
Campanas Mary,
Lopez Francisco,
Kay Gabrielle,
Nguyen Andrew,
Rosell Rosemarie
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2020.34.s1.06473
Subject(s) - fecundity , offspring , toluene , drosophila melanogaster , biology , population , toxicology , larva , zoology , chemistry , botany , pregnancy , biochemistry , medicine , genetics , organic chemistry , environmental health , gene
Toluene is a volatile hydrocarbon found in industrial settings and in household products. It is classified as noncancerous but air‐toxic, and chronic exposure to toluene can have negative effects on human neurological function, organ function, fetal development, and can cause hormonal changes. Our purpose is to further investigate the effects of toluene on a population of the model organism, Drosophila melanogaster . Since humans and D. melanogaster show many similarities in body systems structure and function, we found that exposure to toluene will affect the reproductive system and fecundity in female fruit flies. We hypothesize that by now exposing males and tracking through new methods of observation that toluene exposure will also affect their nervous and reproductive systems. To observe these effects, a continuous flow system that delivers known concentrations of gaseous toluene to populations of D. melanogaster was developed. We have interpolated the lethal concentration of gaseous toluene that kills 50% of the population (LE 50 ) to be between 1000 and 1200 ppm. Female adults exposed at concentrations just above and below the LE 50 were mated with unexposed male fruit flies and the resulting offspring were counted at egg, larval, and pupal stages. These data showed that as toluene concentration increased there appears to be a decrease in fly fecundity and offspring survivability, indicating that the effects of toluene are dose dependent and have detrimental effects on fly development. Future studies include determining the correlation between toluene exposure to fly offspring morphology and larval development. As well as exposing male fruit flies to toluene and measuring the reproductive development from this exposed progeny. Additionally, differential transcriptional analyses will be conducted, to determine if phenotypic changes are seen during development have a genetic basis.