Dp. Spassova et Ak. Singh, QSAR for acetylcholinesterase inhibition and toxicity of two classes of phosphoramidothioates, SAR QSAR EN, 11(5-6), 2001, pp. 453-471
Methamidophos (Met) is a weak inhibitor of housefly head AChE but at the sa
me time it is highly toxic to the common housefly. The lethality of Met is
believed to be due to AChE inhibition. An extensive OSAR study may help in
determining the mode of action of Met in vivo and in vitro and provide a ra
tional for its high insecticidal toxicity. Acephate (Ace), like Met, is a p
oor inhibitor of AChE in vitro and has a comparable to Met insect toxicity
in vivo. Contrary to Met, though, Ace has much lower mammalian toxicity. Un
derstanding the structural properties which make insecticides toxic to inse
cts but not to mammals is of great importance, since mammals (including hum
ans) are inadvertently exposed to these compounds.
Our results were consistent with the model in which both the in vitro and i
n vivo toxicity of Met depends on the inhibition of the active center of AC
hE by the unchanged Met. An optimal susceptibility to hydrolysis is needed
for Met and its analogs to have high insecticidal activity since in order t
o phosphorylate AChE they need to be hydrolyzed and at the same time their
stability is of great importance in vivo for accumulating at the site of ac
tion. The insecticidal activity of Ace analogs may be due to direct interac
tion with the active center of the AChE. The mammalian toxicity of Ace anal
ogs may be due to interaction with an 'allosteric' reaction center in the A
ChE.