Carbamate resistance in mosquitos. The metabolism of propoxur by susceptible and resistant larvae of Culex pipiens fatigans.

Toxicity tests on Culex pipiens fatigans with propoxur (o-isopropoxyphenyl methylcarbamate) and carbofuran (2,2-dimethyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuranyl-7-methylcarbamate) indicated that both compounds are fast-acting insecticides. Transfer of treated larvae to fresh water results in their partial recovery from knockdown.Propoxur is metabolized by resistant and susceptible larvae by their homogenate-reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH(2)) enzyme system and by the microsome-plus-soluble fraction of mouse-liver extracts to at least 10 organosoluble metabolites with the isopropoxy group intact. The major metabolites, which are primarily hydroxylation products or the result of degradation of these products, have tentatively been identified as: acetone plus o-hydroxyphenyl methylcarbamate, 2-isopropoxy-5-hydroxyphenyl methylcarbamate, 2-isopropoxyphenyl carbamate, and 2-isopropoxyphenyl N-hydroxymethylcarbamate. Upon incubation of water-soluble products from treated larvae with beta-glucosidase, beta-glucuronidase, aryl sulfatase and acid phosphatase, the conjugates are hydrolysed, liberating mainly hydroxylated carbamates.The results indicate that slower absorption as well as faster detoxification by hydroxylation mechanisms, together with conjugation with polar molecules and elimination, are major factors in resistance of mosquito larvae to substituted-aryl methylcarbamate insecticides.