Hydroxyapatite nanoparticle causes sensory organ defects by targeting the retromer complex in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles are utilized extensively in the era of nanotechnology to deliver various drugs to the right area. However, the molecular mechanism behind the transportation of these nanoparticles and its effect on the development and maintenance of sensory organs is not known. The current study aims to check the effect of hydroxyapatite nanoparticle (HApNP) on sensory organs of Drosophila. Various concentrations of HApNP (10 mg·L−1, 20 mg·L−1, 40 mg·L−1 and 80 mg·L−1) were mixed with fly food and the developmental defects were monitored. Sensory organs like the eye and the mechanosensory organs were studied in a developmental time window. The larval eye-antennae and wing imaginal discs were checked for apoptotic cell death. In pupae, the damage becomes more prominent and it persists till adult. In the adult fly, the eye with a fused facet, defective cone and rhabdomere appear. Similarly, the wing with wing spots, macrochaetae, and defective alignment of hairs were also observed. All these phenotypic defects suggest the mistargeting of various proteins involved in the development. The current study correlates the phenotypic defects observed in the eye and wing is due to the down-regulation of the genes associated with the retromer complex.