3,4‐Dihydroisocoumarins, a New Class of Ant Trail Pheromones

Abstract

The common garden ant, Lasius niger, marks its paths with isocoumarin (R)‐1. The structures of other isocoumarins from related ant species were elucidated by synthesis and mass spectrometric studies. The substances were tested for biological activity by means of trail‐following tests and electroantennograms.

An In Planta -Expressed Polyketide Synthase Produces ( R )-Mellein in the Wheat Pathogen Parastagonospora nodorum

“…Despite the widespread occurrence of mellein in fungi, this is the first time that a fungal PKS gene responsible for the synthesis of mellein has been identified. Outside of the fungal kingdom, mellein has been found in actinomycetes (33) and insects (61)(62)(63).…”

“…(R)-Mellein has also been shown to exhibit antiviral activity against hepatitis C virus (64), antiparasitic activity against Schistosoma mansoni (59), and zootoxicity against Artemia salina larvae (54). It has been reported to be a trail pheromone of ants (61,63), while the larvae of the parasitoid wasp Ampulex compressa apparently impregnate the cockroach host with (R)-mellein as one of the antimicrobials for defense against entomopathogenic microbes (62). Above all, the most commonly reported bioactivity of mellein and its derivatives is their non-host-specific toxicity against plants.…”

Synthesis, characterization and crystal structure of 1-(4-methylbenzoyl)-3-(4 aminosulfonylphenyl)thiourea

“…Sulfanilamide and its derivatives are still widely used in chemotherapy effectively against a broad range of microorganisms [7][8]. These are true anti-metabolites; they block a specific step in the biosynthetic pathway of folic acid [9].…”

Insect-Plant Interactions − Metabolism of Plant Compounds to Pheromones and Allomones by Lepidoptera and Leaf Beetles

“…Dihydropyrrolizines like 3 can also be produced by as trail pheromone by some ants. [42] plants [46] or by degradation of PA.…”