*4.1. Entomotoxic E*ff*ects*

The indiscriminate use of pesticides has caused a negative impact in the environment and in the health of consumers. Besides, it has facilitated the emergence of resistance in more than 600 insect and mite species [73,74]. Those phenomena have driven the study of new insecticidal molecules that, ideally, are environment-friendly and affect the target pest species without harming beneficial insects, humans and other animals [75]. According to the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC), there are more than thirty types of modes of action currently described, including sodium channel modulators, juvenile hormone inhibitors and miscellaneous non-specific (multi-site) inhibitors, among others [73]. In the cases of Jaburetox and Soyuretox, their mechanism of action is still not completely understood. As discussed above, what we do know is that Jaburetox interacts with lipid membranes, especially those of acidic nature [66], and present cell membrane-disturbing activities [76]. We have reported that Jaburetox act upon several insect organs and at different levels, i.e., by altering the activity of various enzymes and/or the protein and the gene expression of several proteins [77,78]. The property of this peptide to target different organs, cell types, and proteins probably reflects its intrinsically disordered nature that would allow to accommodate the interaction of Jaburetox with different binding partners. Concerning Soyuretox, we know less about its sites of action, but as far as entomotoxicity goes, current evidence suggests that Soyuretox has properties similar to those of Jaburetox [64]. As commented before, Jaburetox and Soyuretox share 68% of their sequence whereas the N-terminal regions of the peptides are the most divergent. However, they can conserve functions and other features without necessarily presenting a conserved sequence as it has been described for different IDPs [79]. In an attempt to systematize and integrate the data obtained by our laboratory and collaborators regarding the entomotoxic effects of Jaburetox and Soyuretox, these findings were grouped hoping to throw light to some general trends, and trying to lay working hypothesis and new avenues for future research. The effects of Jaburetox and Soyuretox on different insect species are summarized in Table 2.




**Table 2.** *Cont.*
