Study of the bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ia protein oligomerization promoted by midgut brush border membrane vesicles of lepidopteran and coleopteran insects, or cultured insect cells
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produces insecticidal proteins that are either secreted during the vegetative growth phase or accumulated in the crystal inclusions (Cry proteins) in the stationary phase. Cry1I proteins share the three domain (3D) structure typical of crystal proteins but are secreted to the media early in the stationary growth phase. In the generally accepted mode of action of 3D Cry proteins (sequential binding model), the formation of an oligomer (tetramer) has been described as a major step, necessary for pore formation and subsequent toxicity. To know if this could be extended to Cry1I proteins, the formation of Cry1Ia oligomers was studied by Western blot, after the incuba…
Activation of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1I to a 50 kDa stable core impairs its full toxicity to Ostrinia nubilalis
Abstract Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1I insecticidal proteins are structurally similar to other three-domain Cry proteins, although their size, activity spectrum, and expression at the stationary phase are unique among other members of the Cry1 family. The mode of action of Cry1 proteins is not completely understood but the existence of an activation step prior to specific binding is widely accepted. In this study, we attempted to characterize and determine the importance of the activation process in the mode of action of Cry1I, as Cry1Ia protoxin or its partially processed form showed significantly higher toxicity to Ostrinia nubilalis than the fully processed protein either activated with …
Genomics and Proteomics Analyses Revealed Novel Candidate Pesticidal Proteins in a Lepidopteran-Toxic Bacillus thuringiensis Strain
Discovery and identification of novel insecticidal proteins in Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains are of crucial importance for efficient biological control of pests and better management of insect resistance. In this study, the Bt strain KhF, toxic for Plodia interpunctella and Grapholita molesta larvae, underwent genomics and proteomics analyses to achieve a better understanding of the bases of its pathogenicity. The whole-genome sequencing results revealed that the KhF strain contained nine coding sequences with homologies to Bt insecticidal genes. The lepidopteran toxic mixture of spores and crystals of this Bt strain was subjected to liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry …
Structural and functional diversity of Bacillus thuringiensis toxins on animal, plant and microbial cells
Debido a los efectos nocivos de los insecticidas químicos en los ecosistemas y sobre los organismos beneficiosos, la implementación de agentes de control biológico ha recibido considerable atención. Entre los agentes de control biológico, se ha dedicado gran interés a los entomopatógenos, debido a su potencial para controlar plagas agrícolas y domésticas, vectores de enfermedades humanas y animales, sin introducir material no degradable en el medio ambiente. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) es el agente de control microbiano comercial más utilizado en la actualidad, con efectividad contra diferentes especies de insectos plaga. Las cepas de Bt producen cristales paraesporales proteináceos durante…
The Independent Biological Activity of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry23Aa Protein Against Cylas puncticollis
The Cry23Aa/Cry37Aa proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been described toxic to Cylas puncticollis larvae. In general, it is believed that Cry23Aa and Cry37Aa act jointly to exert the insecticidal activity, while there is no evidence of their toxicity individually. Therefore, in the present study, the contribution of each protein in the insecticidal activity toward C. puncticollis larvae has been assessed. The results showed that both proteins were toxic for C. puncticollis larvae when tested individually. Contrary to what was claimed previously, our results suggest that the presence of both proteins is not necessary to exert toxicity against C. puncticollis larvae. Also, the bin…