Neonicotinoid Insecticides and Honey Bees: Technical Answers to FAQs
نویسندگان
چکیده
Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticides with the same mode of action as nicotine. Examples include imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, acetamiprid, thiacloprid and dinotefuran. These compounds interfere with the transmission of impulses in the nerve system of insects. Similar to the naturally occurring signal-transmitting acetylcholine, neonicotinoids stimulate certain nerve cells by acting on a receptor protein. Neonicotinoids bind tightly to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and are not broken down by the enzymes which normally and rapidly remove acetylcholine. They therefore disrupt normal nerve transmission and produce toxic effects. Unlike nicotine, these chemicals have a much higher affinity for the insect receptor than for the mammalian receptor, resulting in a much more favorable toxicological profile than nicotine. They have both contact and ingestion activity to insects.
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