Genotoxicity Evaluation of Acephate and Profenofos by the PCR-RFLP Assay

In this study we have evaluated the genotoxic potential of pesticides acephate and profenofos by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay with the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus taken as experimental model.

Second instar larvae were treated with LC20 of each pesticide for 24 h and induced mutations in the sequence of mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene were studied from restriction patterns generated with PacI and PsiI restriction endonucleases.

Variations in the number and size of digested fragments were recorded from treated individuals compared with controls showing that the restriction enzymes created a cut at different locations. In addition, sequences of the 16S gene from control and treated individuals were also used to confirm the RFLP patterns. From the sequence alignment data, it was found that mutations caused the destruction and generation of restriction sites in the gene sequence of treated individuals.

This study indicates that both the pesticides had significant potential to induce mutations in the 16S gene of Culex quinquefasciatus.