Cholinesterase Autoanalysis: a Rapid Method for Biochemical Studies on Susceptible and Resistant Insects

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Abstract
An automated enzyme assay, which combines ease and speed of operation with high accuracy and reproducibility, was used to investigate activities and inhibition properties of acetylcholinesterases from susceptible and resistant strains of Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval and Musca domestica L. The resistant races of both species were found to contain modified target enzymes characterized by increases in Km and Vmax, and by a decrease in sensitivity against organophosphorus and, to a lesser extent, carbamate insecticides. The different biochemical properties of acetylcholine sterases from susceptible and resistant individuals provide an opportunity for monitoring insect populations before, under, or after selection pressure for frequencies of genes associated with an insensitive target enzyme.