Cyclotides: disulfide-rich peptide toxins in plants

Cyclotides are a plant-derived family of peptides that comprise approximately 30 amino acid residues, a cyclic backbone and a cystine knot. Due to their unique structure, cyclotides are exceptionally stable to heat or proteolytic degradation and are tolerant to amino acid substitutions in their backbone loops between conserved cysteine residues. Their toxicity to insect pests and their make-up of natural amino acids has led to their applications in eco-friendly crop protection. Furthermore, their stability and cell penetrating properties make cyclotides ideal scaffolds for bioactive epitope grafting. This article gives a brief overview of cyclotide discovery, characterization, distribution, synthesis and mode of action mechanisms. We focus on their toxicities to insect pests and their medical and agricultural applications.