Science:科学家揭示避蚊胺作用机制
据3月13日《科学》（Science）杂志在线报道说，从疟疾流行地区到度假露营地，驱虫剂避蚊胺（DEET）是全世界使用最广泛的热带地区防避蚊虫及其它吸血类昆虫的药物。现在，Mathias Ditzen及其同事将研究目标锁定在DEET的分子标靶上，即避蚊胺究竟通过什么机制使得昆虫不愿在人身上饱餐一顿？对这一问题的解答可以对未来研究其它安全有效的驱虫剂产生指导意义。
Ditzen和同事对果蝇和蚊子的神经系统活动及行为的观察记录表明，DEET是通过阻断需要嗅觉蛋白OR83b的气味受体的功能而起作用的。该化合物通过阻断这些受体而掩盖了人类散发的被经过的昆虫闻上去像是“食物”的气味。（来源：EurekAlert!中文版）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
（Science），DOI: 10.1126/science.1153121，Mathias Ditzen，Leslie B. Vosshall
Insect Odorant Receptors Are Molecular Targets of the Insect Repellent DEET
1 Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, Box 63, New York, NY 10065, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Leslie B. Vosshall , E-mail: leslie@mail.rockefeller.edu
DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the world’s most widely used topical insect repellent, with broad effectiveness against most insects. Its mechanism of action and molecular target remain unknown. Here we show that DEET blocks electrophysiological responses of olfactory sensory neurons to attractive odors in Anopheles gambiae and Drosophila melanogaster. DEET inhibits behavioral attraction to food odors in Drosophila, and this inhibition requires the highly conserved olfactory co-receptor OR83b. DEET inhibits odor-evoked currents mediated by the insect odorant receptor complex, comprising a ligand-binding subunit and OR83b. We conclude that DEET masks host odor by inhibiting subsets of heteromeric insect odorant receptors that require the OR83b co-receptor. The identification of candidate molecular targets for the action of DEET may aid in the design of safer and more effective insect repellents.
- 众说风云 (已有0条评论)
