Novel Insecticides: Structure Activity Relationships of a Formamidine Octopamine Receptor Agonist with mosquitocidal activity

Abstract

Vector-borne diseases, especially those such as malaria and dengue fever have an enormous impact on the United States Military and human morbidity and mortality worldwide. Vector management has a proven track record in the control of insect-transmitted disease in human populations; unfortunately, the keystone of this control, insecticide treatment, is no longer effective in some areas due to development of resistance. The octopaminergic system is involved in a variety of essential insect physiological processes and is essentially absent in vertebrates, making this pathway an attractive target for insecticide development. Drs. Mary Ann McDowell and Zainulabeuddin Syed from the University of Notre Dame s Eck Institute for Global Health propose to improve on a formamidine octopamine receptor agonist that kills insecticide resistant mosquitoes to optimize insecticidal and/or repellent activity by 1) performing a structure activity relationship study to enhance stability, increase lipophilicity, and reduce mammalian toxicity; and 2) assess the physiological response of mosquitoes olfaction and behavior to formamidine analogs. This discovery platform is constructed to identify mosquito adulticides, larvicides and potential repellents. Upon further development, this novel chemistry could be added to the arsenal to combat vector transmitted diseases.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Oct 23, 2018
Source ID
W911QY1610007

Entities

People

  • Mary Mcdowell

Organizations

  • Army Contracting Command
  • United States Department of Defense
  • University of Notre Dame

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
  • Research Science/Academic Research
  • Vector-Borne Disease and Entomology