ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment → Animals

New generation eco-friendly pesticide might work by shutting down insect reproductive system

Tibi PuiubyTibi Puiu
August 27, 2013
in Animals, Biology
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

Farmers, with the help of researchers in the field, have been desperately trying to develop new insecticides that can ward off pests looking to claim their crops. These products work with a varying degree of effectiveness. For one, the insect pests tend to develop tolerance and new solutions have to be developed, and of course there’s always the issue of poisoning to humans and mammals. Spraying chemicals on crops might kill your pests and preserve yields, but if it comes at a compromise to human health, then we’re spelling trouble here.

A new generation of  safe insecticides might prove to be the most efficient, if we’re to judge the latest findings made by an international team of researchers. The team successfully isolated for the first time a neuropeptide named natalisin that regulates the sexual activity and reproductive ability of insects. After blocking this neuropeptide, the researchers found that neither male or female insects were able to reproduce any longer. This neuropeptide is unique to insects and arthropods, so theoretically spraying it over crops won’t affect humans and will in return kill off all pests simply by leaving them no means of reproducing any longer.

fruit fly life cycle
(c) orkin.com

Neuropeptide is composed of short chains of amino acids in the brain of insects and arthropods and is part of their peptidergic system – a genetic network that uses small peptides as neurotransmitters to chemically relay messages throughout the body, particularly those related to sexual activity.

“Natalisin is unique to insects and arthropods and has evolved with them,” said Yoonseong Park, professor of entomology at Kansas State University. “It appears to be related to a neuropeptide called tachykinin that is in mammals and invertebrates. While tachykinin is involved with various biological processes, including the control of blood flow in mammals, natalisin is linked to reproductive function and mating behavior in insects and arthropods.”

The research followed natalisin interactions in fruit flies, red flour beetles and silk moths, each of them insects with four classic stages of development – egg, larva, pupa and adult. Natalisin distribution was manipulated using a genetic tool called RNA interference, or RNAi, which allowed the researchers to see what happens during each development cycle. They found that the absence of natalisin in the brain led to the insects’ physical inability to reproduce as well as reduced their interest in mating.

“For example, we saw that knocking out the natalisin in the fruit fly makes them unable to mate,” Park said. “The female is too busy grooming her body for the male to approach her. The male doesn’t send a strong enough signal to the female to get her attention. We’re not sure if that’s because the male can’t really smell her or because he is not developed enough to signal her.

This neuron knockdown might allow scientists to develop targeted pesticides that would be environmentally safe, because they wouldn’t affect plants, animals or humans. This statement, however, warrants one or a couple of new studies altogether. What effects on the local biosphere would such a pesticide pose? If a large population of insects become sterilized, besides the targeted pests, how would this affect other animals that depend on these for food, for instance? Honeybees always come to mind.These are just a few important questions that need to be addressed.

If anything, however, the study sheds new light on how the brain functions with the neurosystem, and provides more information about the basic biology of the fruit fly, which is the model insect for research. The research was made in cooperation between the Kansas State University, South Korea’s Institute of Science and Technology, Korea Academy and Slovakia’s Slovak Academy of Sciences.

Findings appeared in a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

RelatedPosts

Giving Primates a Third Arm (and Why it Matters)
Technique Images Brain Activity When We Think Of Others
How patient “M” saw the world backward and upside down
Researchers identify brain patterns associated with learning to improve teaching, fight Alzheimer’s
Tags: brainfruit flyneuropeptidesneurosystemneurotransmitter

ShareTweetShare
Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. He has a B.Sc in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc in renewable energy systems.

Related Posts

Mind & Brain

Scientists Just Built a Mini Human Nervous System That Can Process Pain in a Dish in World First

byTibi Puiu
1 month ago
Health

Your Brain Hits a Metabolic Cliff at 43. Here’s What That Means

byTibi Puiu
1 month ago
Biology

Maggots Can “Taste” Texture—And That’s Why They Prefer Rotting Food

byRupendra Brahambhatt
3 months ago
Future

Human thought has a speed limit — and it’s surprisingly slow

byMihai Andrei
3 months ago

Recent news

Scorpion Stings Are Surging in Brazil with Sting Rates Rising 155%

May 13, 2025

Researchers Used 3D Tech to Rebuild the Parthenon’s Lighting and Discovered It Was Nothing Like We Imagined

May 13, 2025

Cells Might Be Doing Quantum Computing. Life on Earth Has Performed 10⁶⁰ Logical Operations

May 13, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.