• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.370-373
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• 1996

Three strains (KW-1, KW-14, KW-15) of Bacillus thuringiensis were isolated from soil in Wonju area and characterized. The three strains produced parasporal inclusion bodies (crystals) and spores in their cells. The KW-1 strain produces spherical crystals. The crystals of strain KW-14 are bipyramidal crystal. The KW-15 strain harbors irregular crystals. Only minor biochemical characteristics of the three isolates were different and distinctive, however general characteristics were similar to the known serotypes of B. thuringiensis. Three strains were resistant to penicilin G, oxacillin and cephalothin. Three strains were highly toxic to Bombyx mori larvae, but not to the Culex pipiens larvae.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 1991

The crystal protein gene (cp) of Bacillus tizuringienszs subsp. liuvstaki (B.t.k.) HI173 was subcloned into HanzHI site of central region (Tn5-cp) or BglII site of IS50L region (IS50L-cp) in Tn5, and transposed into the chromosomal DNA of five strains of root-colonizing Pseudomonas. The expression of cp gene in Acwiomoncrs transconjugants was demonstrated by immunoblot analysis and bioassay against larvae of the Hyphantria cunea.

• 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.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2000

Early studies of the molecular biology of Bacillus thuringeinsis suggested that genetic manipulation of this species could create combinations of genes more useful than those known to occur in natural isolates. Breakthroughs that made these manipulations possible include the cloning of many genes encoding endotoxins, the development of transformation vectors, and various PCR techniques. This paper reviews several genetic factors such as promoters, a 5'mRNA stabilizing sequence, 3'transcription termination sequences, and helper proteins that have been used to enhance crystal protein synthesis, and shows how these genetic elements can be manipulated with new molecular tools to develop more efficacious strains of B. thuringiensis.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 1985

Delta-endotoxin in Bacillus thuringiensis var. finitimus, HD-1, HD-9 and HD-73 strains were isolated by NaBr, CsCl and Renografin density gradients. The purity of the toxin was about 98%. The purified o-endotoxin was analyzed by SDS-PAGE, electron microscopic observation and bioassay. According to SDS-PAGE, the molecular weight of subunits of the o-endotoxin were about 66,000 and 130,000 daltons. The shapes of the crystal toxin observed by TEM except finitimus strain were bipyramidal. When the purified endotoxin was bioassayed against tobacco horn worm, the entomocidal activities ($1{\mu}g/ml$) of HD-1 and HD-73 strains were, respectively, 60% and 100% at nine days after treated. The molecular weights of the plasmids isolated from B. thuringiensis were various from 0.5 to 120 Kb. The numbers of plasmids in HD-1, HD-9 and HD-73 strains were 12, 3 and 11, respectively, but B. thuringiensis var. finitimus strain had no plasmid.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.227-231
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• 1992

The plasmids pSUPBT and pSUPBTR were constructed with a vector pSUP2021 and the BT toxin gene in the plasmid pES 1. The plasmids constructed were introduced into the antagonistic rhizobacteria P. fluorescens KR164 by conjugation and P. fluorescens having pSUPBT and pSUPBTR were named P. fluorescens KR164(pSUPBT)#2, KR164(pSUPBT)#3, KR164(pSUPBTR)#2 and KR164(pSUPBTR)#3, respectively. The BT toxin gene were identified in all transformants by Southern hybridization and the final product of BT toxin gene was identified only in P. fluorescens KR164(pSUPBTR)#3 by SDS-PAGE. This crystal toxin protein were also observed in electron microscopy.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.407-415
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• 2012

An endophytic bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis GS1, was isolated from bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) and found to have maximal production of chitinase (4.3 units/ml) at 5 days after culture. This study investigated the ability of B. thuringiensis GS1 to induce resistance to Rhizoctonia solani KACC 40111 (RS) in cucumber plants. Chitinase activity was greatest in RS-treated plants at 4 days. ${\beta}$-1,3-Glucanase activity was highest in GS1-treated plants at 5 days. Guaiacol peroxidase (GPOD) activity increased continuously in all treated plants for 5 days. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity in RS-treated plants was increased 1.5-fold compared with the control at 4 days. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity in RS-treated plants was increased 1.5-fold compared with the control at 3 days. At 5 days after treatment, activity staining revealed three bands with chitinase activity (Ch1, Ch2, and Ch3) on SDS-PAGE of cucumber plants treated with GS1+RS, whereas only one band was observed for RS-treated plants (Ch2). One GPOD isozyme (Gp1) was also observed in response to treatment with RS and GS1+RS at 4 days. One APX band (Ap2) was present on the native-PAGE gel of the control, and GS1- and GS1+RS-treated plants at 1 day. PPO bands (Po1 and Po2) from RS- and GS1+RS-treated plants were stronger than in the control and GS1-treated plants upon native-PAGE at 5 days. Taken together, these results indicate that the induction of PR proteins and defense-related enzymes by B. thuringiensis GS1 might have suppressed the damping-off caused by R. solani KACC 40111 in cucumber plants.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.89-93
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• 2004

Expression of a fusion protein between B. thuringiensis crystal protein, Cry1Ac1 and a scorpion insect toxin (AaIT, Androctonus australis Hector insect toxin) in acrystalliferous B. thuringiensis strain (Cry-B strain) was examined. The cry 1Ac1 gene was cloned in B. thuringiensis-E coli shuttle vector, pHT3101, under the control of the native cry 1Ac1 gene promoter (pProAc) and a gene encoding AaIT was inserted in XhoI site in the middle of the cry 1Ac1 gene (pProAc-ScoR). B. thuringiensis Cry-B strain carrying pProAc-ScoR (PyoAc-ScoR/CB) produced an inclusion body of irregular shape and the expressed fusion protein is approximately 65 kDa in size. Sporulated cells and spore-crystal mixtures of ProAc-ScoR/CB had insecticidal activity against Plutella xylostella larvae, showing $LT_50$ of ProAc-ScoR/CB (22.59 hrs) lower than that of ProAc/CB (30.06 hrs) at $1{\times}{10^7} {CEU/cm^2}$. These results suggest that the fusion protein including a B. thuringiensis crystal protein and an AaIT may be functionally expressed in B. thupingiensis. Moreover, we verified the additive toxicity of AaIT, which is a new feasible candidate for insect control.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.173-177
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• 1996

Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. morrisoni PG-14 is a gram-positive soil bacterium producing mosquitocidal parasporal inclusions composed of several crystal proteins. Among these crystal protein genes, cryIVD gene is one of major component which has 72 kDa in size. However, these parasporal inclusions sink quickly from the surface of water where mosquito larval feeding occurred. To develope mosquitocidal cyanobacterium, therefore, we constructed the expression vector, pCYASK 5-1 harboring cryIVD gene. The expression vector, pCYASK5-1 was transformed into the cyanobacterium Syne- chocystis PCC6803 reported as a natural mosquito larval food source and the transformants were selected with kanamycin. Expression of IVD gene in transformant was characterized by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and immunoblot analysis. The mosquitocidal activity of a transformant was determined with Culex tritaeniorhynchus. The results showed that, the transformed cyanobacterium is toxic to mosquito larvae and will be expected as a potential agent that is used for mosquito control.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.167-176
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• 2013

A novel bioactive molecule produced by Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Bn1 (Bt-Bn1), isolated from a common pest of hazelnut, Balaninus nucum L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), was determined, purified, and characterized in this study. The Bt-Bn1 strain was investigated for antibacterial activity with an agar spot assay and well diffusion assay against B. cereus, B. weinhenstephenensis, L. monocytogenes, P. savastanoi, P. syringae, P. lemoignei, and many other B. thuringiensis strains. The production of bioactive molecule was determined at the early logarithmic phase in the growth cycle of strain Bt-Bn1 and its production continued until the beginning of the stationary phase. The mode of action of this molecule displayed bacteriocidal or bacteriolytic effect depending on the concentration. The bioactive molecule was purified 78-fold from the bacteria supernatant with ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, and HPLC, respectively. The molecular mass of this molecule was estimated via SDS-PAGE and confirmed by the ESI-TOFMS as 3,139 Da. The bioactive molecule was also determined to be a heat-stable, pH-stable (range 6-8), and proteinase K sensitive antibacterial peptide, similar to bacteriocins. Based on all characteristics determined in this study, the purified bacteriocin was named as thuricin Bn1 because of the similarities to the previously identified thuricin-like bacteriocin produced by the various B. thuringiensis strains. Plasmid elution studies showed that gene responsible for the production of thuricin Bn1 is located on the chromosome of Bt-Bn1. Therefore, it is a novel bacteriocin and the first recorded one produced by an insect originated bacterium. It has potential usage for the control of many different pathogenic and spoilage bacteria in the food industry, agriculture, and various other areas.