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GABA and Glutamate Receptors as Biochemical Sites for Insecticide Action

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Biochemical Sites of Insecticide Action and Resistance

Abstract

The γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor/chloride ionophore complex has been the focus of intense interest by industrial and academic scientists as a site of insecticide action (Bloomquist 1993). This receptor was initially exploited as a site of action for commercial insecticides over 40 years ago by the polychlorocycloalkane compounds (e.g., cyclodienes, toxaphene, and lindane), although the suggestion that they might be disrupting GABA receptor function was not advanced until 1982 (Ghiasuddin and Matsumura 1982). This hypothesis was roughly contemporaneous with the discovery of the avermectins, which were originally hypothesized to affect GABA-gated chloride channels, but now are thought to mainly affect the glutamate-gated chloride channel of invertebrate muscle (Rohrer and Arena 1995).

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  1. Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 24061, Blackburg, VA, USA

    Jeffrey R. Bloomquist

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  1. Department of Entomology Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, 50250, Isarael

    Isaac Ishaaya

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Bloomquist, J.R. (2001). GABA and Glutamate Receptors as Biochemical Sites for Insecticide Action. In: Ishaaya, I. (eds) Biochemical Sites of Insecticide Action and Resistance. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59549-3_2

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