Functional assessment of CYP3A4 and CYP2C19 genetic polymorphisms on the metabolism of clothianidin invitro

Abstract

Clothianidin, classified as a second-generation neonicotinoid, has achieved extensive application due to its high efficacy against insect pests. This broad-spectrum usage has resulted in its frequent detection in environmental surveys. CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 are crucial for converting clothianidin to desmethyl-clothianidin (dm-clothianidin). The expression of these CYP450s can be significantly influenced by genetic polymorphisms. The objective of our research was to examine the catalytic effects of 27 CYP3A4 variants and 31 CYP2C19 variants on the metabolism of clothianidin within recombinant insect microsomes. These variants were assessed through a well-established incubation procedure. In addition, the concentration of its metabolite dm-clothianidin was quantified by employing an ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Lastly, the kinetic parameters of these CYP3A4 and CYP2C19 variants were calculated by applying Michaelis-Menten kinetic analysis to fit the data. The observed changes in enzyme activity were related to the metabolic transformation of clothianidin to dm-clothianidin. In the CYP2C19 metabolic pathway, one variant (CYP2C19.23) showed no notable change in intrinsic clearance (CLint), four variants (CYP2C19.29, .30, .31 and L16F) demonstrated a marked increase in CLint (110.86–183.46 %), and the remaining 25 variants exhibited a considerable decrease in CLint (26.38–89.79 %), with a maximum decrease of 73.62 % (CYP2C19.6). In the CYP3A4 metabolic pathway, 26 variants demonstrated significantly reduced CLint (10.54–52.52 %), with a maximum decrease of 89.46 % (CYP3A4.20). Our results suggested that most variants of CYP3A4 and CYP2C19 significantly altered the enzymatic activities associated with clothianidin metabolism to various degrees. This study provides new insights into assessing the metabolic behavior of pesticides and delivers crucial data that can guide clinical detoxification strategies.