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Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Automating Citrus Budwood Processing for Downstream Pathogen Detection Through Instrument Engineering
Published on: April 21, 2023
Inward Rectifier Potassium (Kir) Channel Inhibitors Protect Citrus from the Asian Citrus Psyllid by Inducing Toxicity
Flinn O'Hara1, Alexandra Cremades1, Na Xie1
1Emerging Pathogens Institute, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States.
Abstract:
Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by the phloem-restricted bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (C. Las), is vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and threatens global citrus production. We demonstrate that VU041 (C19H20F3N3O), a small-molecule inhibitor of inward rectifier potassium (Kir) channels, provides a dual-mechanism approach to management of Huanglongbing (HLB) disease by combining acute toxicity with antifeedant activity. Topical and tarsal contact bioassays revealed that VU041 induced rapid mortality to ACP (24 h LD50 = 25 ng/insect) and reduced salivary gland secretion to suppress feeding behaviors. In semifield acquisition assays on C. Las-infected citrus, foliar application of VU041 significantly reduced both ACP survival (up to 96% at 365 ppb) and C. Las acquisition in surviving ACP. Combined, these results indicate that VU041 represents a promising chemical lead for developing insecticides that simultaneously kill ACP vectors and block pathogen acquisition at sublethal concentrations, representing a potentially transformative approach to reducing HLB-mediated losses in citrus production.
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