• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2004

Bacillus thuringiensis produces crystal proteins toxic to medically and agriculturally important pests during sporulation. To improve the activity of insecticidal crystal protein in applying to mosquito larval control, an expression vector, pSyn4D harboring the mosquitocidal cry11Aa gene under control of psbA promoter of Amaranthus hybridus was constructed. This expression vector was transformed into Synechocystis PCC6803 and a transformant, Tr2C was selected with kanamycin. The mosquitocidal cry11Aa gene was stably integrated Into genomic DNA of Tr2C in PCR detection using cry11Aa-specific primers. The transformant expressed 72-kDa Cry11Aa protein and median lethal time (LT$\sub$50/) was approximately 2.1 days for Culex tritaeniorhynchus larvae and 0.7 day for Anopheles sinensis larvae, respectively. These results suggest this transformant can be used for mosquito larval control as a biological control agent.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.271-278
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• 2002

Methanol extracts from 420 samples of 173 plant species in 58 families were tested at 5000 ppm for their insecticidal and acaricidal activities against five economically important arthropod pests by spray method. The responses varied with arthropod pest species, plant species and plant tissue sampled. In a test with Nilaparvata lugens Stal, extracts from Zanthoxylum piperitum barks, Chamaecyparis obtusa leaf and Quercus salicina leaf showed potent insecticidal activity. With Plutella xylostella L., potent larvicidal activity was observed from extracts of Platycarya strobilacea wood, Meliosma myriantha barks, Sophora japonica leaf, Zanthoxylum piperitum barks, and Pinus thunbergii wood. Methanol extracts of Sophora japonica leaf and Zanthoxylum piperitum barks showed high insecticidal activity against Spodoptera litura. In a test with Tetranychus urticae Koch, extract from Carpinus coreana leaf, Firmiana simplex barks, Elaeagnus macrophylla leaf, Aralia elata leaf, Comus controversa barks and Chamaecyparis obtusa leaf exhibited strong acaricidal activity. As a naturally occurring pest control agent, Zanthoxylum piperitum barks could be useful as new insecticidal and acaricidal products against various arthropod pests.

• 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.

• 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.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.189-225
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• 2021

The use of albendazole and mebendazole, i.e., benzimidazole broad-spectrum anthelmintics, in treatment of parasitic infections, as well as cancers, is briefly reviewed. These drugs are known to block the microtubule systems of parasites and mammalian cells leading to inhibition of glucose uptake and transport and finally cell death. Eventually they exhibit ovicidal, larvicidal, and vermicidal effects on parasites, and tumoricidal effects on hosts. Albendazole and mebendazole are most frequently prescribed for treatment of intestinal nematode infections (ascariasis, hookworm infections, trichuriasis, strongyloidiasis, and enterobiasis) and can also be used for intestinal tapeworm infections (taeniases and hymenolepiasis). However, these drugs also exhibit considerable therapeutic effects against tissue nematode/cestode infections (visceral, ocular, neural, and cutaneous larva migrans, anisakiasis, trichinosis, hepatic and intestinal capillariasis, angiostrongyliasis, gnathostomiasis, gongylonemiasis, thelaziasis, dracunculiasis, cerebral and subcutaneous cysticercosis, and echinococcosis). Albendazole is also used for treatment of filarial infections (lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, loiasis, mansonellosis, and dirofilariasis) alone or in combination with other drugs, such as ivermectin or diethylcarbamazine. Albendazole was tried even for treatment of trematode (fascioliasis, clonorchiasis, opisthorchiasis, and intestinal fluke infections) and protozoan infections (giardiasis, vaginal trichomoniasis, cryptosporidiosis, and microsporidiosis). These drugs are generally safe with few side effects; however, when they are used for prolonged time (>14-28 days) or even only 1 time, liver toxicity and other side reactions may occur. In hookworms, Trichuris trichiura, possibly Ascaris lumbricoides, Wuchereria bancrofti, and Giardia sp., there are emerging issues of drug resistance. It is of particular note that albendazole and mebendazole have been repositioned as promising anti-cancer drugs. These drugs have been shown to be active in vitro and in vivo (animals) against liver, lung, ovary, prostate, colorectal, breast, head and neck cancers, and melanoma. Two clinical reports for albendazole and 2 case reports for mebendazole have revealed promising effects of these drugs in human patients having variable types of cancers. However, because of the toxicity of albendazole, for example, neutropenia due to myelosuppression, if high doses are used for a prolonged time, mebendazole is currently more popularly used than albendazole in anti-cancer clinical trials.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2000

These studies were carried out to investigate the toxicities of 43 registered insecticides to the sweetpotato whitefly(Bemisia tabaci, B. biotype). Insecticide activities were evaluated by testing systemic action and residual effect in the laboratory, and control efficacy in the greenhouse. All experiments were tested at the recommended concentration(ppm) of each insecticides. Insect growth regulators (IGRs), pyriproxyfen and teflubenzuron showed >95% ovicidal effect. The insecticides that showed >95% larvicidal activity on 3rd nymphal instars were abamectin, acetamiprid, imidacloprid, pyriproxyfen, and acetamiprid+ ethofenprox. Insecticides with >95% adulticidal activity were abamectin, acetamiprid, diazinon, endosulfan, fenitrothion, imidacloprid, methidathion, pirimiphos-methyl, pymetrozine, spinosad, acetamiprid+ ethofenprox, cartap kydrochloride+buprofezin, and fenpropathrin+fenitrothion. Abamectin, acetamiprid, imidacloprid, pyriproxyfen, and acetamiprid+ethofenprox showed both residual effect and systemic activity. In the control efficacy test on B. tabaci, 90% control values were obtained at 1st day after treatment of the insecticides including abamectin, acetamiprid, imidacloprid, pyriproxyfen and acetamiprid+ethofenprox but in pyriproxyfen, 90% control value was reached at 7th day after treatment. These results indicate that abamectin, acetamiprid, imidacloprid, pyriproxyfen and acetamiprid+ethofenprox can be used in control for B. tabaci in field.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.207-215
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• 2003

This study was carried out to evaluate toxicities of 3 registered insecticides to greenhouse whitefly(GWF), Trialeurodes vaporariorum and sweetpotato whitefly(SWF), Bemisia tabaci, B-biotype. Insecticide activities were evaluated by testing systemic action, residual effect in the laboratory, and control efficacy in the greenhouse. All experiments were tested at the recommended concentration(RC), half and a quarter concentrations of RC of each insecticides. Acetamiprid showed 45%, 42% ovicidal effect to greenhouse whitefly and sweetpotato whitefly at 40 ppm, respectively. Acetamiprid showed more than 97% larvicidal activities on the 3rd instars larvae of GWF and SWF at the recommended and its half concentrations. On the adults of the two whitefly species, acetamiprid and acetamiprid+ethofenprox showed more than 92% mortality even at half of recommended concentrations. Acetamiprid and acetamiprid+ethofenprox showed both residual effect and systemic activity. In the control efficacy test on GWF and SWF, 90% control values were obtained at the 3th day after treatments of acetamiprid and acetamiprid + ethofenprox by application with recommended concentration. These results indicate that acetamiprid and acetamiprid+ethofenprox can be used in the control of the two whitefly species in field.