Backbone cyclised peptides from plants show molluscicidal activity against the rice pest Pomacea canaliculata (golden apple snail).
Golden apple snails ( Pomacea canaliculata) are serious pests of rice in South East Asia. Cyclotides are backbone cyclized peptides produced by plants from Rubiaceae and Violaceae. In this study, we investigated the molluscicidal activity of cyclotides against golden apple snails. Crude cyclotide extracts from both Oldenlandia affinis and Viola odorata plants showed molluscicidal activity comparable to the synthetic molluscicide metaldehyde. Individual cyclotides from each extract demonstrated a range of molluscicidal activities. The cyclotides cycloviolacin O1, kalata B1, and kalata B2 were more toxic to golden apple snails than metaldehyde, while kalata B7 and kalata B8 did not cause significant mortality. The toxicity of the cyclotide kalata B2 on a nontarget species, the Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus), was three times lower than the common piscicide rotenone. Our findings suggest that the existing diversity of cyclotides in plants could be used to develop natural molluscicides.
Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
Manuel Rey R
MR
Plan
Ivana
I
Saska
Arsenia G
AG
Cagauan
David J
DJ
Craik
D000079:Acetaldehyde / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000633:toxicity; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D023681:Cichlids; D047169:Cyclotides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008975:Molluscacides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D012275:Oryza / Q000469:parasitology*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012908:Snails / Q000187:drug effects*
D047169:Cyclotides; D008975:Molluscacides; D010575:Pesticides; D010936:Plant Extracts; C002935:metaldehyde; D000079:Acetaldehyde