This research will further expand our understanding of the biochemical bases for the antimetabolic and insecticidal properties of canavanine and canaline and the ability of resistant insects to detoxify and degrade these compounds. Lysozyme is employed to analyze the overall process whereby canavanine ultimately replaces arginine within a structurally aberrant, canavanyl protein and Manduca sexta is used to probe the molecular details of the relationship of canavanine to arginine in protein synthesis. Studies involving the interaction of canaline with pyridoxal phosphate will expand our knowledge of its effects in and metabolism by insects. The biochemical basis for the ability of resistant insects to detoxify and degrade canavanine and canaline will be elucidated by: a) isolating, purifying and describing the enzymes constituting the canavanine and canaline metabolic detoxification system of the canavanine-resistant, tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens, b) isolating and identifying the in vitro and in vivo reaction products of canavanine and canaline catabolism, c) analyzing the interaction of other protective allelochemicals with this metabolic detoxification system, and d) preparing inhibitors of the canavanine-canaline metabolic detoxification enzyme(s).%%% Living systems produce at least 600 nonprotein amino acids. These compounds possess a rich structural diversity and elicit unusual and valuable biochemical and biological properties. Two of these compounds are canavanine and its metabolic derivative, canaline. Canavanine is interesting in that it is a highly toxic natural product that exhibits deleterious effects in a diversified array of procaryotic and eukaryotic organisms ranging from viruses to humans. Yet, it is innocuous to producer organisms, some of which are veritable canavanine storehouses. Since both canavanine and canaline are widespread in legumes including some that are important for human and domestic livestock consumption, a more detailed knowledge of its metabolism by animals is desirable. An understanding of the ability of resistant insects to detoxify and degrade these compounds is also important for any future use of natural products in insect control.***//
