• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 1985

The cell cultures and crude extracts of Bacillus sphaericus 1593 K-5 and its mutant Spo-Dl216 were respectively bioassayed against Culex pipiens var. pollens mosquito larvae. The B. sphaeriucs 1593 K-5 showed toxic activity against the larvae. LC$_{50}$ values (cells/$m\ell$) was 2.6$\times$10$^2$. Also the LC$_{50}$ ($\mu\textrm{g}$ Protein/$m\ell$) of the crude extract was 10.26. However, B. sphaericus Spo-Dl216 didn't show toxic activity against the larvae. The soluble cytoplasmic toxin in broken B. sphaeriucs 1593k-5 cells was partially purified by gel permeation chromatography and ion exchange chromatography. Among the fractions of the gel permeation chromatography only a single fraction was found to be toxic. LC$_{50}$ values ($\mu\textrm{g}$ protein/$m\ell$) of the active fraction was 0.182. The active fraction of the gel permeation was subjected to ion exchange chromatography. Only a single fraction showed toxic activity and its LC$_{50}$ values ($\mu\textrm{g}$ protein/$m\ell$) was 0.02..02.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.535-540
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• 1990

Bacitlus sphaericus ts-Dl290 was characterized comparatively with the wild type strain 1593 by themeasurements of the biosynthesis of total DNA, RNA and protein on the temperature-shift culturesat permissive temperature of $30^{\circ}C$ and at nonpermissive temperature of $42^{\circ}C$. The growth patterns of the wild type strain and ts-Dl290 were similar at $30^{\circ}C$, but at 4Z C the mutant almost did not grow (temperature-sensitivity). When the growth temperatures of both stains were shifted-up from $30^{\circ}C$ to $42^{\circ}C$ after a 4 hour culture, their growths were normal, but when shifted-down from $42^{\circ}C$ to $30^{\circ}C$ after a 4 h culture, the mutant did not grow. When shifted up from $30^{\circ}C$ to $42^{\circ}C$ after a 4 hculture, the DNA syntheses of the two strains were at a normal rate for 1 h, but after 1 h the biosynthesesdecreased. The rate of DNA synthesis of the wild type strain at the nonpermissive temperature was about 93%, and that of the mutant was about 50% of the ratio of the wild type strain, and the RNA synthesis of the wild type strain was maintained for 3 h, and that of the mutant for 2 h. Thereafter the RNA synthesis decreased, and the synthesis of proteins in the both strains were similarlykept high for 8 h. The reversibility of the DNA synthesis of the mutant at $42^{\circ}C$ was lessened whenthe culture times were increased.re times were increased.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.541-546
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• 1990

Bacillus sphaericus ts-Dl290 was characterized by SDS-PAGE produced by the mutant at $30^{\circ}C$ and $42^{\circ}C$. The total amount of proteins produced by the mutant at $42^{\circ}C$ decreased to one-fifth of those at $30^{\circ}C$; however, when the culture was shifted down from $42^{\circ}C$ after 4 to $30^{\circ}C$, the total amount of protein decreased to one-third and the 221 kd protein did not appear, but the 155 kd appeared remarkably. When the mutant and the wild type strain were cultured in the media containing 80$\mu g$ per ml of chloramphenicol at $42^{\circ}C$, the wild type strain synthesized half amounts of the total proteins than those at $30^{\circ}C$, and the mutant produced one-tenth of the total protein amounts. When the both strains were cultured in the media containing chloramphenicol, the 155 kd protein was produced was produced in lesser amounts than those without chloramphenicol. The 150 kd protein showed lethal activity to Culex pipiens 3rd instar larvae.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.674-679
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• 2011

Bacillus sphaericus produces mosquito-larvicidal binary toxin composed of BinA and BinB. While BinB is expected to bind to a specific receptor on the cell membrane, BinA interacts to BinB or BinB receptor complex and translocates into the cytosol to exert its activity via unknown mechanism. To investigate functional roles of aromatic cluster in BinA, amino acids at positions Y213, Y214, Y215, W222 and W226 were substituted by leucine. All mutant proteins were highly produced and their secondary structures were not affected by these substitutions. All mutants are able to insert into lipid monolayers as observed by Langmuir-Blodgett trough and could permeabilize the liposomes in a similar manner as the wild type. However, mosquito-larvicidal activity was abolished for W222L and W226L mutants suggesting that tryptophan residues at both positions play an important role in the toxicity of BinA, possibly involved in the cytopathological process after toxin entry into the cells.