• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.230-234
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• 2002

To describe characteristics of a hemolysin in mosquitocidal Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. gyangiensis strain 21-2, Escherichia coli HB101 was transformed with a gene encoding hemolysin in the strain 21-2. Transformant 47 con-tained 2.5 kb DNA was selected by ELISA, immunoblot and DNA electrophoresis. Transformant 47-5 was recon-structed after digestion of the 2.5 kb DNA with Hind m. Transformant 47-5 contained 1.8 kb DNA and expressed 23 kDa Protein which had mosquitocidal activity to Aedes aegypti. The 23 kDa Protein itself in vitro didn't show hemolytic activity on human erythrocytes, but the protein had the activity after proteinase K treatment.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.425-429
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• 1987

The extra-cellular hemolysin from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis was purified in the process of suiting with (NH$_4$)$_2$SO$_4$, Sephadex G-200 gel filtration, and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The purified hemolysin had molecular weight of approximately 47,000 dalton on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The activity of purified hemolysin on human red blood cells was increased by thiol agents, but that was Inhibited by cholesterol, protease treatment, and metal salts such as CuSO$_4$, and FeSO$_4$, respectively.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.137-140
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• 1998

The transgenic tomato plants showing the insecticidal activity against the coleopteran insect larvae have been bred to the 4th generation $(R_4)$. The Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. tenebrionis (B.t.t.)-toxin gene and the expression were detected in the $R_4$ transgenic plants. The expression of the toxin gene conferred a coleopteran insect larvae tolerance to the transgenic tomato plants. The ploidy levels of the $R_4$ transgenic plants were diploid. The results indicated that the toxin gene was inherrited to the next generation and expressed. Such a molecular breeding can provide a method for a permanent control of insects a agronomic relevance.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.145-149
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• 2004

The expression of a fusion protein comprised of the B. thuringiensis crystal protein, Cry1Ac, and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in Escherichia coli XLl-blue was examined. Three recombinant plasmids were transformed into E. coli XL1-blue and named as ProAc/Ec, MuEGFP/Ec and ProMu-EGFP/Ec, respectively. All transformants were observed by light and fluorescence microscopy at mid-log phase. The expression in E. coli transformants, ProMu-EGFP/Ec and MuEGFP/Ec, exhibited bright enough fluorescence to be observed. Furthermore, ProMu-EGFP/Ec produced fluorescent inclusions, which may have been recombinant crystals between EGFP and Cry1Ac while MuEGFP/Ec expressed soluble EGFP in cell. In SDS-PAGE, ProAc/Ec had 130 kDa crystal protein band and MuEGFP/Ec had thick 27 kDa EGFP band. However, ProMu-EGFP/Ec had about 150 kDa fusion protein band. Accordingly, these results indicated that a fusion protein between the B. thuringiensis crystal protein and a foreign protein under the lacZ promoter was successfully expressed as granular structure in E. coli. It is suggested that the E. coli expression system by N-terminal fusion of B. thuringiensis crystal protein may be useful as excellent means for fusion expression and characterization of B. thuringiensis fusion crystal protein.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.120-128
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• 1993

The objective of this study is to identify plasmids of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki HD-1(B. t k HD-1) toxic to lepidopteran larvae. The results from agarose gel electrophoresis indicated that the bacterium contained 9 plasmids with approximate sizes of 1.4, 4.9, 5.4, 9.3, 10, 29, 44, 52, and 150 megadaltons(Md). By treating the wild type of B. t k HD-1 with either SDS or EtBr as curing agent, 26 cured mutants of the bacterium were obtained, 9 of them were crystallifereous(cry+) and the others acrystallifereous(cry-). Plasmids from B. t k HD-1 were transferred to B. cereus 569 strR cry- recipients(Bc569 M1). Among 13 isolates of Bc569 M1 transcipient, 11 of them were capable of producing the crystal toxic proteins. The plasmid patterns of Bc569 M1 transcipients and partially curved mutants of B. t k HD-1 on agarose gel electrophoresis suggested that the 29 and 44Md plasmids should be involved in the production of crystalline toxic proteins.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.304-313
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• 2004

Three-dimensional (3D) models for the 65-kDa activated Cry4A and Cry4B $\delta$-endotoxins from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis that are specifically toxic to mosquito-larvae were constructed by homology modeling, based on atomic coordinates of the Cry1Aa and Cry3Aa crystal structures. They were structurally similar to the known structures, both derived 3D models displayed a three-domain organization: the N-terminal domain (I) is a seven-helix bundle, while the middle and C-terminal domains are primarily comprise of anti-parallel $\beta$-sheets. Circular dichroism spectroscopy confirmed the secondary structural contents of the two homology-based Cry4 structures. A structural analysis of both Cry4 models revealed the following: (a) Residues Arg-235 and Arg-203 are located in the interhelical 5/6 loop within the domain I of Cry4A and Cry4B, respectively. Both are solvent exposed. This suggests that they are susceptible to tryptic cleavage. (b) The unique disulphide bond, together with a proline-rich region within the long loop connecting ${\alpha}4$ and ${\alpha}5$ of Cry4A, were identified. This implies their functional significance for membrane insertion. (c) Significant structural differences between both models were found within domain II that may reflect their different activity spectra. Structural insights from this molecular modeling study would therefore increase our understanding of the mechanic aspects of these two closely related mosquito-larvicidal proteins.