Superoxide dismutase in the anal gills of the mosquito larvae of Aedes aegypti: its inhibition by alpha-terthienyl.

The anal gills of the mosquito larvae of Aedes aegypti were shown to possess superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) activity, which increased with the maturation of the larvae from instar 1 to instar 4. This enzyme was highly inhibited upon treatment of the larvae with alpha-terthienyl (2,2':5,2"-terthiophene) and subsequent exposure to long-wave ultraviolet light. Inhibition also occurred with treatment of the crude enzyme extract in a similar fashion. Exposure of the enzyme to the ultraviolet light alone or the treatment of the enzyme with alpha-terthienyl in darkness could not manifest this inhibition. This finding adds a new dimension to the complex mechanism(s) proposed for the photodynamic toxicity of alpha-terthienyl.