Specificity of Monoterpene Interactions with Insect Octopamine and Tyramine Receptors: Insights from Sequence and Structure Comparison.

Octopamine and tyramine receptors (OARs/TARs) are interesting targets for new insecticide development due to their unique roles in insects' physiological and cellular response and their specificity to invertebrates. Monoterpene compounds that bear resemblance to the natural ligands have been shown to bind to the OARs/TARs but elicit varied responses in different insect species. Using methods, we attempt to investigate the molecular basis of monoterpene interactions and their specificity in different OARs and TARs of damaging or beneficial insects.