Biotransformation and spectral interaction of xenobiotics with subcellular fractions from Drosophila melanogaster.

Several rapid bioassays are in use to detect, by means of mutagenicity, the formation of reactive metabolites from foreign compounds during their metabolism in the organism. Of these bioassays, the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster was investigated with respect to its capacity to biotransform xenobiotics. By spectral analysis it was shown that in microsomal preparations of Drosophila the cytochromes P-450 and b5 are present. Microsomes appeared to possess aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and epoxide hydratase activities, while post-microsomal supernatants were able to conjugate appropriate compounds with glutathione and phosphate. As yet, glucosyl- and sulfotransferase activities can not be detected. The activities are compared to similar activities in rat liver.