• 농약과학회지
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.181-190
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• 2014

곤충병원세균인 Bacillus thuringiensis (비티)는 포자 형성과 더불어 살충성 Cry 독소단백질을 생산한다. Cry 독소단백질은 대상 곤충의 중장에 위치한 수용체와 특이적으로 결합하며 살충작용을 발휘하기에 비티의 적용해 충범위가 비교적 좁다. 본 연구는 비티의 적용해충범위와 살충력을 증가시키기 위한 일환으로 실시되었다. 서로 다른 네 가지 비티 균주에서 분리된 Cry 독소단백질은 각각 좁은 적용해충범위를 나타냈다. 이들 Cry 독소단백질을 혼합한 결과 적용범위가 현격하게 증가했다. 벡큘로바이러스가 비티의 적용범위를 증가시키는 지 알아보기 위해 Cry1Ac 또는 Cry1Ca 독소단백질을 각각 발현시키는 재조합바이러스로 검정한 결과 벡큘로바이러스는 Cry 독소단백질의 적용범위를 증가시키는 데 유효하지 않았다. Xenorhabdus nematophila (Xn) 세균 배양액은 조사된 모든 곤충의 세포성 면역을 억제하고 Cry 독소단백질의 살충력을 증가시켰다. 이 Xn 세균배양액을 혼합 Cry 독소단백질에 추가한 결과 적용해충범위와 살충력을 모두 증가시켰다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제22권6호
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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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• 제47권10호
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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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• 제8권1호
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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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• 제40권1호
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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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• 제2권2호
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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.

• 농약과학회지
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.301-311
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• 2015

Bacillus thuringiensis (비티)의 약효를 증가시키기 위한 일환으로 Cry 독소단백질의 혼합효과를 검정하였다. 서로 다른 네 가지 비티 균주에서 분리된 Cry 독소단백질 추출물들은 각각 좁은 적용해충범위를 나타냈다. 이들 Cry 독소단백질을 혼합한 결과 적용범위가 현격하게 증가했다. Xenorhabdus nematophila (Xn) 세균 배양액은 조사된 모든 곤충의 세포성 면역을 억제하고 Cry 독소단백질의 살충력을 증가시켰다. 이 Xn 세균배양액을 혼합 Cry 독소단백질에 추가한 결과 적용해충범위와 살충력을 모두 증가시켰다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제40권5호
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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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• 제36권3호
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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.

• 농약과학회지
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.166-176
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• 2011

제주도의 녹차 밭에 서식하는 딱정벌레목인 청동풍뎅이 (Anomala albopilosa)의 사체와 녹차 밭 토양에서 분리한 Bacillus thuringiensis CAB530 균주의 생물효과를 검토하였다. 이 균주는 몇 종류의 해충에 대한 살충활성에서 난방제 농업해충 가운데 하나인 파밤나방에 높은 효과를 나타냈다. 파밤나방 2령 유충에 대한 살충활성 검정에서 CAB530 균주는 $LC_{50}$값이 $1.49{\times}10^4$(cfu/$m{\ell}$)으로 고활성을 보였다. 이 균주가 생산하는 살충성 독소단백질의 SDS-PAGE에서는 파밤나방에 살충활성이 있는 기존의 B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki와 비슷한 130kDa의 밴드를 나타내었다. 또한 파밤나방 중장액으로 반응을 시킨 후에 약 65kDa의 활성 독성단백질을 확인할 수 있었다 PCR수행에서 CAB530 균주는 cry1Aa, cry1Ab, cry1C, cry1D, cry1F 그리고 cry1I등 6 개의 유전자가 존재하는 것으로 밝혀졌으며, B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstala기준 균주와 차이가 있었다. 딱정벌레목에서 분리 선발한 B. thuringiensis CAB530균주는 crystal의 형태와 SDS-PAGE의 결과는 B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki와 유사하게 나타났지만, 살충활성 검정과 PCR product 전기영동 결과는 B thuringiensis subsp. aizawai와 유사하게 나타났다.