Prolonged Exposure to Tetracycline Hydrochloride Delays the Developmental Cycle and Alters the Expression of Lipid Transporter vps 13 in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Antibiotics are frequently found in the environment in high amounts due to their widespread use in medicine, fishing, and animal husbandry. Among different antibiotics, tetracycline (TC) has emerged as a major environmental contaminant. The toxicity of TC exposure to humans and animals is a growing concern, as the indiscriminate use of antibiotics promotes bacterial resistance. To investigate the toxicological effects of TC, we employed Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. Our study revealed that long-term exposure to TC delayed development and reduced fecundity by lowering 20-hydroxyecdysone levels. Furthermore, TC increased body weight, lipid droplet accumulation, and altered the expression of the lipid transporter gene vps13. Our in silico analysis demonstrated that TC binds to the Vps13 protein with a binding energy of −6.4, which is stronger than lipid binding (−4.2). Collectively, our study demonstrates that prolonged TC exposure promotes lipid droplet accumulation by downregulating vps13 expression in Drosophila melanogaster.