STRUCTURE - ACTIVITY STUDIES OF THE MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE PHEROMONE EXO-BREVICOMIN

摘要

A biological structure-activity study has been carried out with various analogues of exo-brevicomin. The insect used in the bioassay was Dendroctonus ponderosae, mountain pine beetle, infesting lodgepole pine in the Crowsnest Pass area in south-western Alberta. The purpose of the study was to probe the structural details of the molecule necessary for biological activity. Specifically, the features investigated were: 1. which face of the molecule constitutes the active site? 2. are both oxygen atoms necessary for biological activity? 3. are the positions of the alkyl substituents critical? 4. is it possible to substitute methyl for ethyl without loss in activity?