Regulation of insect immunity. A rational approach to insecticide design involves detailed investigation of biochemical processes in insects and subsequent exploitation of those features that are unique to insects as targets for insecticide development. Much of the laboratory's effort has been directed towards monoaminergic neurotransmitters in the CNS of the insect. Non-specific binding was determined in the presence of 10 micromoles serotonin. The results are from a single experiment repeated three times.
Data points re means of three individual experiments carried out in duplicate or triiplicate.
Analysis of monoamines Monoamines and their metabolites can be assayed using HPLC separations with coulometric electrochemical detection. Techniques pioneered in this laboratory enable estimation of monoamines and their metabolites in individual insect ganglia. Pharmacology of monoamine receptors Most of the physiological effects of monoamine neurotransmitters are mediated through specific, protein receptors located in the outer cell membrane and coupled to an adenylate cyclase complex. The nature of monoamine binding to the receptor is investigated by studying the effects of various aminergic agonists and antagonists on cyclic AMP production. Direct binding studies using radiolabelled ligands are also used to characterise the pharmacological nature of the monoamine receptors.