Bioactive peptides inhibit the feeding activity in the grey garden slug, Deroceras reticulatum

Authors: Choi, Man-Yeon; PRICE, BRIANA - Washington State University; HAFEEZ, MUHAMMAD - Oregon State University; MARTIN, RUTH - Oregon State University; RICHART, CASEY - Oregon State University; MCDONNELL, RORY - Oregon State University

Submitted to: Pest Management Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/9/2024
Publication Date: 8/28/2024
Citation: Choi, M.Y., Price, B., Hafeez, M., Martin, R., Richart, C., Mc Donnell, R. 2024. Bioactive peptides inhibit the feeding activity in the grey garden slug, Deroceras reticulatum. Pest Management Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.8386.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.8386

Interpretive Summary: Slugs are a serious pest in grass seed, nursery, and vegetable crops production. Slug damage has caused nearly $100 million in damage to the $500 million grass seed industry in Oregon alone and in a common contaminant leafy green vegetables. Currently, the most common methods of slug control are chemical pesticides, which can be harmful to the environment and human health. In this study, several bioactive proteins were found to reduce slug weight loss, feeding, and survival. This research demonstrates that bioactive proteins have potential as a novel approach to managing slugs.

Technical Abstract: The grey garden slug (Deroceras reticulatum) is considered the most severe slug pest in agriculture. The major control methods for slugs rely on chemical pesticides, which also pose environmental risks and a potential hazard to human health. There is a need for sustainable management alternatives such as biologically based slug control options. However, the efficacy of nonchemical measures for controlling the slug population remains limited, particularly in the context of variable outdoor conditions. Neuropeptides and their receptors have been proposed as promising biological targets for the development of new pest management strategies. In this study, a total of twenty-three bioactive peptides from the PRX family, previously identified, were injected into or fed to the slug. The detrimental effects of these peptides, including a reduction in body weight and an inhibition of feeding activity, were evaluated in various choice tests against the slug. Furthermore, the bioactive peptide formulated with a lipid particle demonstrated an anti-feeding effect. One of myomodulin (MM) peptides, APPLPRY, demonstrated a significant reduction in feeding activity, resulting in a reduction in slug weight or mortality. This represents the first evidence of a bioactive peptide having a detrimental effect on the pest slug. The in vivo results provide insights into the potential development of active ingredients for managing slugs in the field.