Nihon Nohyaku Co., Ltd., based in Japan, and Bayer CropScience AG in Germany have jointly developed Flubendiamide, the first example of the phthalic acid diamides, a novel class of insecticides that activate the ryanodine receptor.

Researchers claim that the insecticide:

• is highly effective against many different species of caterpillars
• showed high activity against the Heliothis virescens, which cause damage to cotton, tobacco and other crops
• did not have any measurable effect on mammalian ryanodine receptors

Similarly, DuPont, based in Wilmington, Del., is developing another group of compounds that target the ryanodine receptor, called anthranilic diamides. Additionally, the research team at DuPont says they have cloned ryanodine receptors from several insect species and that these receptors may help provide a better understanding of their role in calcium signaling, which could lead to new insights into human diseases.

These studies were presented yesterday at the 230th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, which operated on the theme "Agrochemical Development from Lab to Field."

A comprehensive review paper on ryanodine receptors and calcium release channels is available here.