• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.181-190
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• 2014

An entomopathogenic bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), can sporulate along with production of insecticidal Cry toxins. Bt Cry toxins exhibit relatively narrow spectrum to target insects due to their specific interactions with midgut receptors. This study designed several strategies to enhance Bt efficacy in target insect spectrum and insecticidal activity. Four Cry toxins were purified from four different Bt strains and showed relatively narrow target insect spectrum. However, the Cry mixtures significantly expanded their target insect spectra. The additional effect of baculovirus to Cry toxin was tested with recombinant baculoviruses expressing Cry1Ac or Cry1Ca. However, the baculovirus was little effective to expand target insect spectrum. Bacterial culture broth of Xenorhabdus nematophila (Xn) significantly suppressed insect cellular immune response and increased Cry toxicity. The addition of Xn culture broth to Cry mixture significantly enhanced Bt efficacy in target insect spectrum and insecticidal activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.788-792
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• 2012

We report the computational structural simulation of the Cry1Ab19 toxin molecule from B. thuringiensis BtX-2 based on the structure of Cry1Aa1 deduced by x-ray diffraction. Validation results showed that 93.5% of modeled residues are folded in a favorable orientation with a total energy Z-score of -8.32, and the constructed model has an RMSD of only $1.13{\AA}$. The major differences in the presented model are longer loop lengths and shortened sheet components. The overall result supports the hierarchical three-domain structural hypothesis of Cry toxins and will help in better understanding the structural variation within the Cry toxin family along with facilitating the design of domain-swapping experiments aimed at improving the toxicity of native toxins.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.10
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• pp.546-551
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• 2014

The insecticidal activity of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry toxins involves toxin stabilization, oligomerization, passage across the peritrophic membrane (PM), binding to midgut receptors and pore-formation. The residues Arg-158 and Tyr-170 have been shown to be crucial for the toxicity of Bt Cry4Ba. We characterized the biological function of these residues. In mosquito larvae, the mutants R158A/E/Q (R158) could hardly penetrate the PM due to a significantly reduced ability to alter PM permeability; the mutant Y170A, however, could pass through the PM, but degraded in the space between the PM and the midgut epithelium. Further characterization by oligomerization demonstrated that Arg-158 mutants failed to form correctly sized high-molecular weight oligomers. This is the first report that Arg-158 plays a role in the formation of Cry4Ba oligomers, which are essential for toxin passage across the PM. Tyr-170, meanwhile, is involved in toxin stabilization in the toxic mechanism of Cry4Ba in mosquito larvae.

• 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.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.58-64
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• 2007

Similar to the other known structures of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry $\delta$-endotoxins, the crystal structure of the 65-kDa activated Cry4Ba toxin comprises three domains which are, from the N- to C-terminus, a bundle of $\alpha$-helices, a three-$\beta$-sheet domain, and a $\beta$-sandwich. To investigate the properties of the C-terminal domain III in isolation from the rest of the toxin, the cloned Cry4Ba-domain III was over-expressed as a 21-kDa soluble protein in Escherichia coli, which cross-reacted with anti-Cry4Ba domain III monoclonal antibody. A highly-purified domain III was obtained in a monomeric form by ion-exchange and size-exclusion FPLC. Circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated that the isolated domain III fragment distinctly exists as a $\beta$-sheet structure, corresponding to the domain III structure embodied in the Cry4Ba crystal structure. In vitro binding analysis via immuno-histochemical assay revealed that the Cry4Ba-domain III protein was able to bind to the apical microvilli of the susceptible Stegomyia aegypti larval midguts, albeit at lower-binding activity when compared with the full-length active toxin. These results demonstrate for the first time that the C-terminal domain III of the Cry4Ba mosquito-larvicidal protein, which can be isolated as a native folded monomer, conceivably participates in toxin-receptor recognition.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.185-189
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• 2001

Wild type Bacilus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis and B. sphaericus toxins have been used separately as active in ingredients for bacterial insecticides to control mosquito larvae due to their comparable toxicity to chemical insecticides. Cry11B, recently cloned from B. thuringiensis subsp. jegathesan, shows higher toxicity against three major species of mosquito larvae than Cry11A, one of the major component of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis inclusion body. To determine whether the combination of cry11B and B. sphaericus binary toxins is as toxic as B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis parental strain, cry11B and B. sphaericus binary toxins genes were co-expressed as an operon using cytlA promoters/STAB-SD hybrid expression system in B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis acrystalliferous strain 4Q7. However, unexpectedly, B. sphaericus binary toxins were barely produced, whereas relatively large amount of Cry11B was produced. When this strain was grown in four different media, NB+G and Peptonized Milk produced more toxin proteins and spores per unit of media than GYS and G-Tris. Toxicity of this strain against fourth instar Culex quinquefasciatus was ranged from of 8.3 to 45.7 ng/ml, with NB+G culture being the highest, and GYS culture was the lowest.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.301-311
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• 2015

To enhance Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) efficacy, four Cry toxins were purified from four different Bt strains and assessed in their combined efficacy. The Cry mixtures significantly expanded their target insect spectra. Bacterial culture broth of Xenorhabdus nematophila (Xn) significantly suppressed insect cellular immune response and increased Cry toxicity. The addition of Xn culture broth to Cry mixture significantly enhanced Bt efficacy in target insect spectrum and insecticidal activity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.773-782
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• 2007

Different isolates of the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis produce multiple crystal (Cry) proteins toxic to a variety of insects, nematodes and protozoans. These insecticidal Cry toxins are known to be active against specific insect orders, being harmless to mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Due to these characteristics, genes encoding several Cry toxins have been engineered in order to be expressed by a variety of crop plants to control insectpests. The cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, and the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, are the major economically devastating pests of cotton crop in Brazil, causing severe losses, mainly due to their endophytic habit, which results in damages to the cotton boll and floral bud structures. A cry1Ia-type gene, designated cry1Ia12, was isolated and cloned from the Bt S811 strain. Nucleotide sequencing of the cry1Ia12 gene revealed an open reading frame of 2160 bp, encoding a protein of 719 amino acid residues in length, with a predicted molecular mass of 81 kDa. The amino acid sequence of Cry1Ia12 is 99% identical to the known Cry1Ia proteins and differs from them only in one or two amino acid residues positioned along the three domains involved in the insecticidal activity of the toxin. The recombinant Cry1Ia12 protein, corresponding to the cry1Ia12 gene expressed in Escherichia coli cells, showed moderate toxicity towards first instar larvae of both cotton boll weevil and fall armyworm. The highest concentration of the recombinant Cry1Ia12 tested to achieve the maximum toxicities against cotton boll weevil larvae and fall armyworm larvae were 230 ${\mu}g/mL$ and 5 ${\mu}g/mL$, respectively. The herein demonstrated insecticidal activity of the recombinant Cry1Ia12 toxin against cotton boll weevil and fall armyworm larvae opens promising perspectives for the genetic engineering of cotton crop resistant to both these devastating pests in Brazil.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.294-298
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• 2003

The pathological effect of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry $\delta$-endotoxins on susceptible insect larvae had extensive damage on the midgut epithelial cells. In this study, an ex vivo assay was devised for assessing the insecticidal potency of the cloned Cry4B mosquito-larvicidal protein that is expressed in Escherichia coli. Determination of toxicity was carried out by using a cell viability assay on the midguts that were dissected from 5-day old Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae. After incubation with the toxin proteins, the number of viable epithelial cells was determined photometrically by monitoring the quantity of the bioreduced formazan product at 490 nm. The results showed that the 65-kDa trypsin-activated Cry4B toxin exhibited toxic potency ca. 3.5 times higher than the 130-kDa Cry4B protoxin. However, the trypsin-treated products of the non-bioactive Cry4B mutant (R158A) and the lepidopteran-specific Cry1Aa toxin displayed relatively no ex vivo activity on the mosquito-larval midguts. The ex vivo cytotoxicity studies presented here confirms data that was obtained in bioassays.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.166-176
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• 2011

Bacillus thuringiensis CAB530 was isolated from dead Anomata albopilosa (Rutelidae: Coleoptera) and soil of green tea field, and confirmed its insecticidal activities. CAB530 isolate showed a high insecticidal activity against the beet armyworm among the many lepidopteran insects that are difficult to control. $LC_{50}$ value of CAB530 isolate against the second larva of Spodoptera exigua was $1.49{times}10^4$ spore concentration (cfu/$m{\ell}$). SDS-PAGE result of insecticidal toxin protein of CAB530 isolate showed a band at 130 kDa that is similar pattern with B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki that took insecticidal activity against S. exigua. Otherwise, the crystal protein of the CAB530 isolate was conformed at 65 kDa level after 30 minute of incubation in S. exigua midgut juice. Six crystal genes (cry1Aa, cry1Ab, cry1C, cry1D, cry1F and cry1I) were identified by PCR. It different from genes of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki. Crystal shape and pattern of toxin protein was similar with B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki, however, insecticidal activity and PCR result of CAB530 isolate was similar with B. thuringiensis subsp. aizawai.