D3254: Reproductive toxicity: Toluene causes decreased fecundity and offspring survivability in Drosophila melanogaster

Toluene is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, which can be found in many household
items such as: nail polish, glue, stain removers, and paint thinners. Although it is not
carcinogenic, toluene is toxic and it has been shown to damage the female reproductive system,
lead to pregnancy loss, as well as have a severe impact on the myelin insulating layer of the
human central nervous system. Since we know that Drosophilia melanogaster shares about 60
percent of genes that can also be traced in homo sapiens, it makes them the perfect candidate
to demonstrate what the long term effects of toluene can do to the fecundity and offspring
development of organisms exposed to the substituted aromatic ring. We have established in
previous findings that the female D. melanogaster LE 50 is around 1000-1200 ppm. We have
exposed both female and male flies directly to the female LE 50 toluene concentration, mated the
exposed flies to flies of the other sex, and observed increased adult mortality, reduced

fecundity, and reduced offspring survivability regardless of which sex was exposed to toluene.
Future experiments will entail looking into what specific genetic changes are causing the
decrease in fecundity levels and the appearance of anatomical developmental differences of the
F2 offspring.