Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 18
Porphyric Insecticides
A well-cultivated mind is made up of all the minds of
preceding ages; it represents only the one single mind
educated by all previous ones. (Adapted from Fontenelle)
18.1 Prologue
The discovery of porphyric insecticides (Gut et al. 1993 , 1994a , b ;Rebeizetal. 1988a ,
1990a , 1995 ;Rebeiz 1993 ) was a direct fallout of the discovery and development of
photodynamic herbicides (see Chap. 17 ). Since plant and animal cells share the same
tetrapyrrole biosynthetic pathway from ALA to protoporphyrin IX (Proto), it was
conjectured that it should be possible to adapt the tetrapyrrole-dependent photody-
namic herbicide (TDPH) phenomenon to the photodynamic control of insects.
18.2 Porphyric Insecticides
The concept and phenomenology of porphyric insecticides were described in 1988
(Rebeiz et al. 1988a ). Since then significant progress has been achieved in
expanding the scope of this insecticidal system, in understanding its mode of action
and in the development of specific insecticidal applications. The description of
these developments constitutes the subject of this chapter.
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