Tetrahedron

Chemical defense and self-defense: Biochemical transformations of contact insecticides produced by soldier termites

SG Spanton, GD Prestwich

Index: Spanton,S.G.; Prestwich,G.D. Tetrahedron, 1982 , vol. 38, p. 1921

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Citation Number: 24

Abstract

Soldiers of the advanced genera of rhinotermitids (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) produce lipophilic contact insecticides formally derived from fatty acids. Each of these defense substances possesses a reactive electrophilic center (vinyl ketone, nitroalkene, or β- ketoaldehyde) responsible for toxicity. We describe the synthesis of radioactively-labelled defense secretions of two of these species and their use in studying the substrate- ...