Acetylcholinesterase-like proteins are a major component of reproductive trail mucus in the invasive pest land snail, Theba pisana.

ABSTRACT: Invasive invertebrate pests have become a major threat to food security as global populations increase. Pesticides, often containing organophosphates, have long been used as agents for providing immediate short-term recovery, yet are often broad-spectrum, leading to the development of resistance. In insect species, one mechanism for resistance is known to be driven by mutations in acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of acetylcholine. In this study, we explored a potential role for resistance-modified AChE in invasive pest land snails, using the Mediterranean snail Theba pisana. Following tissue transcriptomic investigation, an expanded family of AChE-like genes were identified that clustered phylogenetically into three individual clades, with one clade incl

SUBMITTER: Lutschini IRT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12094768 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature