Insect infestation leads to huge loss of agricultural products and transmission of vector-borne diseases causing millions of deaths per annum. Juvenile hormone (JH) controls the development and reproduction of insects, therefore the grouth of insects can be inhibited by interfering the action of JH. Based on this, we developed a novel insect species-specific screening system to identify juvenile hormone antagonists (JHANs) from natural origin. These compounds can disrupt JH-mediated insect development by interfering the binding of a heterodimer, steroid receptor coactivator (SRC), with its partner protein, the methoprene-tolerant (Met) JH receptor. This screening system could be used as a new tool to develop eco-friendly and species-specific insecticides.

• Jun Hyoung Jeon(Biological Resource Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Hannam Univer)
• Doo-Sang Park(Biological Resource Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology)
• Sang Woon(Core Facility Management Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology)
• Bong-Kyu Byun(Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Hannam University)
• Hyun-Woo Oh(Core Facility Management Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology)