Item

An investigation of the chemical reactions of esters of phosphoric acid and alkylphosphoric acids in relation to their chemosterilant activity on Tetranychus urticae (Koch)

Chia, J. S.
Date
1970
Type
Thesis
Fields of Research
ANZSRC::060101 Analytical Biochemistry , ANZSRC::0301 Analytical Chemistry , ANZSRC::060601 Animal Physiology - Biophysics , ANZSRC::070308 Crop and Pasture Protection (Pests, Diseases and Weeds)
Abstract
In recent years considerable attention has been given to the study of biological effects produced by chemical alkylating agents (Ross, 1962; Wheeler, 1962; Alexander, 1960; Auerbach, 1958; Borkovec, 1962). These compounds produce a variety of cytological effects including mutagenicity, antimitotic effects, enzyme inhibition, cytotoxicity, carcinogenicity, hepatotoxicity and chemosterility (Wheeler, 1962; Borkovec, 1966; Epstein et al., 1970; Jackson & Jones, 1969; Ross, 1962; Craddock & Magee, 1963; Lawley & Brookes, 1963; Loveless, 1951; La Brecque,1961). A number of alkylating agents have been examined by workers in the field of cancer research and possible molecular reactions underlying the biological effects have been discussed (Wheeler, 1962; Ross, 1962; Craddock & Magee, 1966; Warwick, 1963). Alkylating agents have also been tested as insect chemosterilants. Compounds such as the phosphorylated aziridines (e.g. tepa, metepa, and, apholate) show high chemosterilant activity against certain insect species (Morgan, 1965; Morgan & La Brecque, 1962, 1964; Rai, 1964) although their practical usefulness seems likely to be limited by their phytotoxicity and relatively high mammalian toxicity as well as by the prospects of unpleasant side effects. More recently a study by D.R. Penman (1970) has demonstrated that simple triesters of phosphoric acid and some related materials may be used to reduce the fecundity and egg hatch of the female two spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae (Koch) under laboratory conditions. Some of these materials, judged by their acute oral toxicity data are virtually non toxic to animals and are harmless to plants although their mutagenic properties may become apparent at high dosage rates (Epstein et al., 1970). It has been shown that alkylating agents can react with purine bases in nucleic acids (Lawley & Brookes, 1963, 1964; Magee & Farber, 1962), particularly with the 7-N group of guanine, and the suggestion has frequently been made that this is the underlying basis of the biological effects of these compounds. Trimethyl phosphate has alkylating potential and has been shown to alkylate amines, mercaptans, phenols and alcohols under laboratory conditions (Jones et al., 1966). We have now investigated the reaction of trialkyl phosphates and some related materials with purine and pyrimidine bases, nucleosides, nucleotides and nucleic acids.
Source DOI
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