Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026

Experimental Protocol for Detecting Mitochondrial Function in Hepatocytes Exposed to Organochlorine Pesticides
Published on: September 16, 2020
Multidimensional profiling platforms reveal metabolic dysregulation caused by organophosphorus pesticides
Daniel Medina-Cleghorn1, Ann Heslin, Patrick J Morris
1Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley , 127 Morgan Hall, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
Abstract:
We are environmentally exposed to countless synthetic chemicals on a daily basis, with an increasing number of these chemical exposures linked to adverse health effects. However, our understanding of the (patho)physiological effects of these chemicals remains poorly understood, due in part to a general lack of effort to systematically and comprehensively identify the direct interactions of environmental chemicals with biological macromolecules in mammalian systems in vivo. Here, we have used functional chemoproteomic and metabolomic platforms to broadly identify direct enzyme targets that are inhibited by widely used organophosphorus (OP) pesticides in vivo in mice and to determine metabolic alterations that are caused by these chemicals. We find that these pesticides directly inhibit over 20 serine hydrolases in vivo leading to widespread disruptions in lipid metabolism. Through identifying direct biological targets of OP pesticides, we show heretofore unrecognized modes of toxicity that may be associated with these agents and underscore the utility of using multidimensional profiling approaches to obtain a more complete understanding of toxicities associated with environmental chemicals.
Related Concept Videos
Microbial Bioremediation of Pesticides
Types of Toxins
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Anticholinesterase Agents: Poisoning and Treatment
Irreversible agents form a strong bond with the cholinesterase enzyme, making it inactive. The breakdown of the phosphorylated enzyme is...
Toxic Reactions: Overview
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...

