Periplaneta americana perception of phytochemical naphthoquinones as allelochemicals.

Electrochemistry of malePeriplaneta americana perception of naphthoquinones as allelochemicals is presented. Importance of the oxidation-reduction potential and hydrogen-bonding capabilities of the naphtho-quinone messenger to its exchange of energy with the information-encoding, redox protein of the chemosensory neuron is considered. Evidence that the required information is initially encoded by an electroreactive protein in dendritic membrane is analyzed. A sulfhydryl-disulfide protein-based electrochemical mechanism for the demonstrated linear conversion of a molecular messenger energy state into whole insect behavior (avoidance or feeding inhibition) is elucidated. Even though the information-encoding mechanism is genetically conserved (kept electrochemically similar) within the species, behavioral biotypical differences regarding sensitivity to naphthoquinones are allowed through a group of proteins in the outer aqueous medium in the chemosensory sensillum. Such proteins electrochemically interface the dendritic membrane of the chemosensory neuron in the sensillum with the environment external to the sensillum. These interfacing proteins bind (complex) with chemical messengers (e.g., naphthoquinones) and/or variously degrade them, and thus determine the amount (moles) that is required in the environment to result in stimulation of the underlying sensory neurons and in a changed behavior.