title: Azobenzene-benzoylphenylureas as photoswitchable chitin synthesis inhibitors.
abstract: Benzoylphenylureas (BPUs) are used as synthetic insect growth regulators for inhibiting chitin synthesis. Merging insecticidal BPUs with photoswitchable azobenzene generated photoresponsive chitin synthesis inhibitors. A prepared azobenzene-benzoylphenylurea can be activated upon irradiation with UV light, and shows 6-fold and 2-fold activity difference to armyworm (Mythimna separata) and German cockroach (Blattella germanica) sulfonylurea receptors, respectively. This is the first example of a photoswitchable BPU insecticide. The generation of such a photoresponsive BPU insecticide allows for modulation of the insecticidal activity by light, and may facilitate the spatiotemporal control over the sulfonylurea receptor and the mechanistic study of this kind of insecticide.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China. shaoxusheng@ecust.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xusheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D002686:Chitin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D064233:Sulfonylurea Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D007306:Insecticides; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds; D064233:Sulfonylurea Receptors; D002686:Chitin; C009850:azobenzene