Abstract
Calculations of the charge of the pyrrolic nitrogen atom in the trail pheromone ofAtta texana, methyl 4-methylpyrrole-2-carboxylate, as well as 17 analogs, showed that the most active compounds all had the same charge of −0.51 electrons on the nitrogen atom. It is suggested that the close value for this charge may be important in recognition by the receptor.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Clementi, E., andRaimondi, D.L. 1963. Atomic screening constants from SCF functions.J. Chem. Phys. 38:2686–2689.
Hoffmann, R. 1963. An extended Hückel theory. I. Hydrocarbons.J. Chem. Phys. 39:1397–1412.
Hoffmann, R. 1964a. Extended Hückel theory. III. Compounds of boron and nitrogen.J. Chem. Phys. 40:2474–2480.
Hoffmann, R. 1964b. Extended Hückel theory. IV. Carbonium ions.J. Chem. Phys. 40:2480–2488.
Hoffmann, R. 1964c. Extended Hückel theory. II. Orbitals in the azines.J. Chem. Phys. 40:2745.
Mulliken, R.S. 1955. Electronic population analysis on LCAO-MO molecular wave functions. I.J. Chem. Phys. 23:1833–1840.
Mulliken, R.S. 1955. Electronic population analysis on LCAO-MO molecular wave functions. II. Overlap populations, bond orders, and covalent bond energies.J. Chem. Phys. 23:1841–1846.
Payne, T.L. 1974. Pheromone perception, pp. 35–61, M.C. Birch (ed.).Pheromones. North-Holland Publishing, Amsterdam.
Sonnet, P.E., andMoser, J.C. 1972. Synthetic analogs of the trail pheromone of the leaf-cutting ant,Atta texana (Buckley).J. Agric. Food Chem. 20:1191–1194.
Sonnet, P.E., andMoser, J.C. 1973. Trail pheromones: Responses of the Texas leafcutting ant,Ana texana to selected halo- and cyanopyrrole-2-aldehydes, ketones, and esters.Environ. Entomol. 2:851–854.
Tumlinson, J.H., Silverstein, R.M., Moser, J.C., Brownlee, R.G., andRuth, J.M. 1971. Identification of the trail pheromone of the leaf-cutting ant,Atta texana. Nature 234:348–349.
Wolfsberg, M., andHelmholz, L. 1952. The spectra and electronic structure of the tetrahedral ions MnO −4 , CrO =4 , and CIO =4 .J. Chem. Phys. 20:837–843.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported in part by the University of Iowa Computer Center.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Caputo, J.F., Caputo, R.E. & Brand, J.M. Significance of the pyrrolic nitrogen atom in receptor recognition ofAtta texana (Buckley) (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) trail pheromone and parapheromones. J Chem Ecol 5, 273–278 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00988241
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00988241