• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.250-254
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• 2007

Bacillus thringiensis strain 108 was isolated from soil and had nematicidal activity against second stage juvenile of plant root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita. The strain 108, a rod shape, spore forming and Gram positive bacterium, produced lecithinase, catalase, and ${\delta}$-endotoxin. The strain 108 belongs to H serotype 3, Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki. A nematicidal substance of the strain 108 was partially purified on Sephadex G-25 gel filtration, activated carbon adsorption, silica gel adsorption, and Sephadex G-10 gel filtration. $LC_{90}$ of the partially purified substance against M incognita was $1.2\;{\mu}g/ml$. The nematicidal substance was stable by heat treatment at $100^{\circ}C$ for 1hr, but was perfectly lost nematicidal activity after autoclave ($110^{\circ}C$, 30 min).

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 1992

Dissolution and degradation of the parasporal crystal proteins produced from B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki, B. thuringiensis var. dendrolimus and B. thuringiensis var. aizawai were investigated. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis showed that the crystals contained major protein with molecular weight of approximately 134 kDa for B. thuringiensis var. aizawai 143 kDa for B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki and 149 kDa for B. thuringiensis var. dendrolimus, respectively. Crystals of three other strains were incubated alkali solutions at various pH or gut juice of Silkwarm Bombyx mori, Fall webworm Hyphantria cunea, and Common Cabbage worm Pieris rapae. When crystals of these strains were solubilized by alkali solutions, no major differences among strains B. thuringiensis could be detected. Among the strains studied, crystal protins (130-66 kDa) consist of protease resistant polypeptides in the 45-66 kDa size range when treated with gut juice of three insect species.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.1057-1062
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• 2004

The entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis is the most widely used biopesticide. Insecticidal proteins, coded by genes located in plasmids, form typical parasporal, crystalline inclusions during sporulation. We isolated a Bacillus thuringiensis strain having insecticidal activity against larvae of the house fly (M. domestica) from the soils at a pig farm in Korea, and named it Bacillus thuringiensis SM. The culture filtrate from Bacillus thuringiensis SM showed strong lethality (83.3%) against M. domestica larvae. The parasporal crystal is enclosed within the spores' outermost envelope, as determined by transmission electron microscopy, and exhibited a bipyramidal form. The crystal proteins of strain SM consisted of five proteins with molecular weights of approximately ~130, ~80, ~68, ~42, and ~27 kDa on a 10% SDS-PAGE (major band, a size characteristic of Cry protein). Examination of antibiotic resistance revealed that the strain SM showed multiple resistant. The strain SM had at least three different plasmids with sizes of 6.6, 9.3, and 54 kb. Polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) revealed the presence of cry1, cry4A2, and cry11A1 genes in the strain SM. The cry1 gene profile of the strain SM appeared in the three respective products of 487 bp [cry1A(c)], 414 bp [cry1D], and 238 bp [cry1A(b)]. However, the strain SM has not shown the cry4A2 md cry11A1 genes. In in vivo toxicity assays, the strain SM showed high toxicity on fly larvae (M. domestic) [with $LC_{50}$ of 4.2 mg/ml, $LC_{90}$ of 8.2 mg/ml].

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.19 no.spc
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• pp.259-262
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• 2011

In organic Chinese cabbage fields, Commercial Bacillus thuringiensis products are used widely against diamond back moth, Plutella xylostella. We conducted the study to determine the effective spray-interval of commercialized B. thuringiensis against diamond back moth on Chinese cabbages. Chinese cabbage leaves were collected 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 10days after treatment in first trial and 0, 2, 4, 7, 9, 11days after treatment. We compared the insecticidal property of sprayed B. thuringiensis and the density of it on surface of Chinese cabbages using collected leaves. The insecticidal property maintained high until nine days after commercial B. thuringiensis products sprayed.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.154-159
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• 1996

To isolate Bacillus thuringiensis toxic to Spodoptera species, we collected soil samples in Korea. In these samples, we characterized 7 B. thuringiensis isolates toxic to spodoptera exigua or S. litura from soil, granary and sericultural farm samples. The 7 isolates were named B. thuringiensis STB-1, STB-2, STB-3, STB-4, STB-5, STB-6 and STB-7, respectively. The bioassay of these isolates against S. exigua and S. litura showed highly insecticidal activity. The serotypes of them were determined by agglutination tests using 33 antisera ; STB-1 an STB-2 are identical to B. thuringiensis subsp. kurastaki, and STB-3, STB-4 and STB-5 are identical to subsp. kenyae. STB-6 and STB-7 did not react with 33 antisera. STB-1 and STB-3 which have different gene types from B. thuringiensis subsp. kurastaki and subsp. kenyae are identified new isolates. STB-6 and STB-7 which show no agglutination in serological tests havd cryIA(a), cryIA(b), cryIC, and cryII genes are also identified new isolates. Molecular weights of parasporal inclusions of all isolates were determined approximately 130 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel elctrophoresis.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.315-324
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• 2009

For the environmental friendly management of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki ($30{\times}10^8\;cfu/mg$) and neem oil (0.5% azadirachtin) were used as green control agencies with mixed and alternative treatments on the chinese cabbage. When Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki was applied to 1st and 2nd larva of P. xylostella with recommended concentration, their mortalities were reached to 100% by 2 days after treatment. In case of azadirachtin, its effect of mortality was continued for 7 days, and reached to 100% mortality. $LC_{50}$ values of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki and azadirachtin against 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th larva of P. xylostella were $2.8{\times}10^4$, $3.1{\times}10^4$, $3.4{\times}10^4$ and $1.5{\times}10^5\;cfu/ml$, and 2.7, 3.9, 4.7 and 7.1 ppm, respectively. The number of laid eggs of P. xylostella was reduced to 57.5 at 25 ppm of azadirachtin compared with control treatment. The hatch ratio was not significantly different with Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki treatment in comparison with control treatment. However, when azadirachtin was applied, their hatch ratio were reduced to 25.8 and 45.4% at 25 and 50 ppm, respectively. On the other hand, emergence rate of eggs was not different with Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki treatment, but 45.4% was shown in azadirachtin treatment with 50 ppm in comparison with control. When the mixture with Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki and azadirachtin was applied to adults of P. xylostella, their mortality was higher than Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki treatment only. These results are supposed that the mixture of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki and azadirachtin might be used as green control agents for reducing the demage of diamondback moth in the Chinse cabbage.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.2043-2048
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• 2015

Bacillus thuringiensis microbial insecticide products have been applied worldwide. Although a few cases of B. thuringiensis foodborne illness have been reported, little is known about the toxigenic properties of B. thuringiensis isolates. The aims of this study were to estimate the pathogenic potential of B. thuringiensis selected from microbial insecticide products, based on its possession of toxin genes and production of enterotoxins. Fifty-two B. thuringiensis strains selected from four kinds of microbial insecticide products were analyzed. PCR assay for detection of toxin genes and immunoassay for detection of enterotoxins were performed. The hemolysin BL complex as a major enterotoxin was produced by 17 (32.7%), whereas the non-hemolytic enterotoxin complex was detected in 1 (1.9%) of 52 B. thuringiensis strains. However, cytK, entFM, and ces genes were not detected in any of the tested B. thuringiensis strains. The potential risk of food poisoning by B. thuringiensis along with concerns over B. thuringiensis microbial insecticide products has gained attention recently. Thus, microbial insecticide products based on B. thuringiensis should be carefully controlled.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.168-173
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• 1988

Immunological analysis between endotoxin proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis serovar. kurstaki HD1 and HD73 have been investigated by using polyclonal antibodies. The antisera against the endotoxin proteins were prepared from rabbits injected with the endotoxin protein antigens. When about 2mg/$m\ell$ of the antigens were injected for 7 times, the titers were highest. The stability of the antigens was reduced to about 50% after 9 days incubation at 4$^{\circ}C$. The sensitibity of endotoxin protein from B. thuringiensis HD1 and HD73 by indirect ELISA was 50ng/$m\ell$ and 400ng/$m\ell$, respectively. The cross reaction of antiserum appeared that anti-HD1 partialy reacted with crystal protein but anti-HD73 reacted with HD1 endotoxin about 100%.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.340-345
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• 2004

To investigate the co-expression and crystallization of a fusion gene between the Bacillus thuringiensis crystal protein and a foreign protein in B. thuringiensis, the expression of the Cry1Ac fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP) genes in a B. thuringiensis $Cry^-B$ strain was examined. The cry1Ac gene was cloned in the B. thuringiensis-E. coli shuttle vector, pHT3101, under the control of the native cry1Ac gene promoter, while the GFP gene was inserted into the XhoI site upstream of the proteolytic cleavage site, in the middle region of the crylAc gene (pProAc-GFP). The B. thuringiensis $Cry^-B$ strain carrying pProAc-GFP (ProAc-GFP/CB) did not produce any inclusion bodies. However, the transformed strain expressed fusion protein forms although the expression level was relatively low. Furthermore, an immu­noblot analysis using GFP and Cry1Ac antibodies showed that the fusion protein was not a single spe­cies, but rather multiple forms. In addition, the N-terminal fragment of Cry1Ac and a non-fused GFP were also found in the B. thuringiensis $Cry^-B$ strain after autolysis. The sporulated cells before autolysis and the spore-crystal mixture after autolysis of ProAc-GFP/CB exhibited insecticidal activities against Plutella xylostella larvae. Accordingly, the current results suggest that a fusion crystal protein produced by the transfomant, ProAc-GFP/CB, can be functionally expressed but easily degraded in B. thuring­iensis.