Neonicotinoid substituents forming a water bridge at the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

Neonicotinoid insecticides are extensively used for crop protection. The chloropyridinyl or chlorothiazolyl nitrogen and tetrahydrofuryl oxygen atoms of neonicotinoids serve as hydrogen acceptors at the target site. This investigation designs and prepares neonicotinoid probes to understand the structure-activity relationships (SARs) at the target site focusing on the water-mediated ligand-protein interactions. 2-Nitroiminoimidazolidine analogues with hydrogen-acceptor N-CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)F and N-CH(2)CH(2)C(O)CH(3) substituents showed higher binding affinities to the Drosophila melanogaster nicotinic receptor than probes with different hydrogen-bonding points in location and capability, suggesting that the appropriately positioned fluorine or carbonyl oxygen plays an important role on hydrogen-bond formation. Their binding site interactions were predicted using a crystal structure of the acetylcholine binding protein. The fluorine or carbonyl oxygen forms a water bridge to Ile-118 (and/or Ile-106) at the binding domain, consistent with that of neonicotinoids with a chloropyridinylmethyl, chlorothiazolylmethyl, or tetrahydrofurylmethyl moiety. Therefore, the present SAR study on binding site interactions helps design potent neonicotinoids with novel substituents.