Next-generation genomic insecticide discovery against insecticide resistance of lepidopteran pests

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H05023
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Plant protection science
• Research Institution: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
• Principal Investigator: Takumi Kayukawa 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 生物機能利用研究部門, 上級研究員 (70580463)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 幼若ホルモン / ゲノム創農薬 / 昆虫成長制御剤 / アンタゴニスト / チョウ目

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Insecticide resistance has recently become a serious problem in the agricultural field. Development of insecticides with new mechanisms of action is essential to overcome this limitation. Juvenile hormone (JH) is an insect-specific hormone that plays key roles in maintaining the larval stage of insects. Hence, JH may be a suitable target for developing novel insect growth regulators (IGRs) with selectivity to target pests and safety to the ambient environment; however, only a few JH antagonists have been reported, and no practical JH antagonistic insecticide has been developed. Here, we established a screening system for exploration of JH antagonists, and succeeded in identifying novel JH antagonists.

Free Research Field

昆虫生理・生化学・分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で発見したリード化合物の化学構造をもとに，より活性の高い誘導体を合成展開することができれば，世界初の実用的なJHアンタゴニストとして使用することができ，安定的な農業生産の持続に貢献することができる．また，本成果は，特定の分子をターゲットにして，新たな殺虫剤をテーラーメイドできることを実証した先駆的な研究であり，今後，昆虫特異的な分子をターゲットとした分子標的型創農薬研究が促進されるものと期待できる．