Perspective: It is time to consider new ways to attack unpesticidable (undruggable) target sites by designing peptide pesticides.

Abstract

Evolved resistance and regulatory deregistration have severely limited farmers' pesticide options. Many potential new pesticide target sites have been elucidated using targeted gene suppression and mutational tools, but few small molecules could be found that inhibit the target enzymes; the targets were considered 'undruggable'. Some organisms from all biological kingdoms use toxic peptides to ward off or kill enemies, and the agrochemical industry has used a few peptide analogs (glufosinate and bialophos) for field application. Conversely, pharmaceutical scientists have been using three-dimensional target protein structure to discover and synthesize short peptides that bind tightly to the surfaces of, and inhibit previously undruggable targets. New computational tools to quickly elucidate 3-D protein structure from amino acid sequence have just emerged. They replace crystallizing target proteins and performing X-ray crystallography to elucidate 3-D structure. These new tools allow prediction of peptides that will bind to the target proteins. They have further modified such peptides to enhance penetration, translocation and temperature stability. There is reason to assume that the same pioneering techniques can be used to develop peptide pesticides as well as pesticide synergists that act against undruggable targets and have excellent environmental and toxicological profiles. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.