Biomaterial Database

Metabolism of L-canavanine and L-canaline in the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens [Noctuidae]. 1991

M A Berge, and G A Rosenthal

Graduate Center for Toxicology, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506-0054.

The metabolism of L-canavanine and L-canaline were investigated in larvae of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens [Noctuidae]. H. virescens larvae were treated with L-[1,2,3,4-14C]canavanine or L-[U-14C]canaline with sufficient cold carrier to provide 5 mg g-1 canavanine or a molar equivalent of canaline (3.81 mg g-1). The preponderant catabolite in both canavanine- and canaline-treated larvae was [14C]homoserine. Other minor metabolites derived from canavanine included [14C]aspartate/asparagine, [14C]glutamate/glutamine, [14C]2-aminobutyrate, [14C]ornithine, [14C]proline, and [14C]isoleucine. Canaline yielded [14C]glutamate/glutamine, [14C]aspartate/asparagine, and [14C]-2-aminobutyrate. Our current studies support the belief that this destructive insect tolerates L-canavanine and L-canaline because of its ability to reductively cleave these potentially insecticidal natural products to L-homoserine and guanidine or ammonia, respectively.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007313	Insecta	Members of the phylum ARTHROPODA composed or organisms characterized by division into three parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. They are the dominant group of animals on earth with several hundred thousand different kinds. Three orders, HEMIPTERA; DIPTERA; and SIPHONAPTERA; are of medical interest in that they cause disease in humans and animals. (From Borror et al., An Introduction to the Study of Insects, 4th ed, p1).	Insects,Insect
D007814	Larva	Wormlike or grublike stage, following the egg in the life cycle of insects, worms, and other metamorphosing animals.	Maggots,Tadpoles,Larvae,Maggot,Tadpole
D008658	Inactivation, Metabolic	Reduction of pharmacologic activity or toxicity of a drug or other foreign substance by a living system, usually by enzymatic action. It includes those metabolic transformations that make the substance more soluble for faster renal excretion.	Detoxication, Drug, Metabolic,Drug Detoxication, Metabolic,Metabolic Detoxication, Drug,Detoxification, Drug, Metabolic,Metabolic Detoxification, Drug,Metabolic Drug Inactivation,Detoxication, Drug Metabolic,Detoxication, Metabolic Drug,Detoxification, Drug Metabolic,Drug Inactivation, Metabolic,Drug Metabolic Detoxication,Drug Metabolic Detoxification,Inactivation, Metabolic Drug,Metabolic Drug Detoxication,Metabolic Inactivation
D002172	Canavanine
D002250	Carbon Radioisotopes	Unstable isotopes of carbon that decay or disintegrate emitting radiation. C atoms with atomic weights 10, 11, and 14-16 are radioactive carbon isotopes.	Radioisotopes, Carbon
D000613	Aminobutyrates	Derivatives of BUTYRIC ACID that contain one or more amino groups attached to the aliphatic structure. Included under this heading are a broad variety of acid forms, salts, esters, and amides that include the aminobutryrate structure.	Aminobutyric Acids,Aminobutyric Acid,Acid, Aminobutyric,Acids, Aminobutyric
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia