Christina writes:
> But please, you really don't understand receptor physiology.

Contrary to what has been stated, I understand the difference between nicotinoids and neonicotinoids, and the fact that they are specific to vertebrate and inverterbrate nAChRs respectively. I base this upon work done by researchers at UC Berkeley, by scientists whose careers depend upon understanding these distinctions. I may be wrong, but are they? How do you reconcile what you are saying with this:

Neonicotinoid insecticides display excellent selectivity profiles that are largely
attributable to specificity for insect versus mammalian nAChRs.

Neonicotinoids and nicotinoids have common structural features but
different protonation states at physiological pH. The neonicotinoids (e.g., IMI) are
not protonated and selective for the insect nAChR, whereas the nicotinoids (e.g.,
nicotine) are cationic in nature and consequently selective for the mammalian
nAChR. Therefore, neonicotinoids and their analogs are excellent probes to help
define the mechanisms of selectivity and ultimately the topological divergence
between insect and vertebrate binding sites.

NEONICOTINOID INSECTICIDE TOXICOLOGY: Mechanisms of Selective Action
Motohiro Tomizawa and John E. Casida
Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental
Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-3112

Peter
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