Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis ofacyclic and cyclic chloronicotinyl insecticides

The binding activity of chloronicotinyl insecticides, including acetamiprid , nitenpyram and related compounds, to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor s (nAChR) of houseflies was measured. These compounds were defined as 'acyc lic' compounds. Variations in the binding activity were analysed using comp arative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) which is a technique for the analy sis of three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships. The CoMFA results showed that steric interactions were more significant for th e acyclic compounds than for imidacloprid and its derivatives (cyclic compo unds). It was also shown that the acyclic compounds could bind to housefly- nAChR in a similar manner to the cyclic compounds, and that the electrostat ic natures of the acyclic amino- and cyclic imdazolidine-moieties affected their binding activity. (C) 2000 Society of Chemical Industry.