POTENTIAL OF NATURAL PEPTIDIC COMPOUNDS AS LEADS FOR NOVEL PESTICIDES

Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of the natural pesticida l peptide, tentoxin, are described in the context of similarity betwee n pharmaceutical and agricultural methods of developing biologically a ctive peptidomimetics. Essential residue substitutions that confer bio logical activity through predictable conformational changes in the pep tide backbone and side chain functionalities are discussed. A combinat ion of molecular modelling studies and the biological activity of natu ral, synthetic and photochemically transformed analogs of tentoxin is utilized to further the understanding of structural and conformational requirements for biological activity.