Malathion exposure alters the level of major soluble proteins in the larvae of Aedes aegypti

Abstract

Mosquito born diseases like dengue fever, Chikungunya, malaria, yellow fever, Zika, etc are posing an enormous risk to human population world wide. Various strategies are being employed to control the mosquito including the use of synthetic insecticides. Continuous application of synthetic insecticides results in development of resistance by mosquitoes and environmental health hazards. When the fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti were treated with the LC10 concentration of malathion, there was an increase in the protein concentration after 24 hours. On SDS-PAGE there was an increase in the intensity of major protein bands (74 kDa, 78 kDa, and 34 kDa) compared to the control. The major protein the last instar larvae are storage protein like hexamerins and range in molecular weight from 66-85 kDa. The study of alteration in storage protein on exposure to malathion will be helpful in understanding their role in the toxicity and resistance to the insecticide.