A Nemertean-Derived Peptide Toxin Exhibits Oral Insecticidal Activity Against Spodoptera litura
Wenxian Wu, Yueyue Liu, Qipeng Jiang, Yi Cai, Xingyue Li · 2026
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Description
The caterpillar Spodoptera litura chews through many crops and is fast out-evolving chemical sprays. Wenxian Wu, Yueyue Liu, Qipeng Jiang, Yi Cai, and Xingyue Li test a gentler weapon in this 2026 study: peptide toxins from venomous animals, remade in yeast and fed to the pest. Most such toxins work when injected but fail when eaten, which is how a crop spray must work.
Seven candidate toxins were screened by injection and by feeding on treated leaf discs. A toxin from a marine ribbon worm, called nemertide alpha-1, proved strongest by mouth, while the best injection toxin, a modified spider peptide, did nothing when eaten. Sprayed on whole plants, the worm toxin killed up to ninety-two percent of larvae at the top dose. Lower doses stunted the survivors and cut leaf damage. Fermentation produced the toxin in useful amounts.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Wenxian Wu, Yueyue Liu, Qipeng Jiang, Yi Cai, Xingyue Li |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 68 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |