Catalase is induced by ecdysterone and ethanol in Drosophila cells.

Clones sensitive or resistant to ecdysterone and cultured in vitro were isolated from established cell line of Drosophila melanogaster. Ecdysterone (20-hydroxyecdysone), a hormonal steroid of critical importance in insect physiology, induces catalase activity in the sensitive clones. This catalase induction does not occur in clones known to be resistant to the the hormone. The important role of catalase as a scavenger for H2O2 in the aerobic cells (Drosophila cells in culture are consuming oxygen) led to the demonstration of catalatic properties of this induced enzyme. The peroxidatic property of catalase, useful in alcohol metabolism, was the reason for showing that ethanol can also induce catalase in Drosophila cells.