• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.295-300
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• 1989

Screening of Pseudomonas strains that can be used as hosts for expression of crystal protein gene of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-73 was carried out. From rhizosphere soil of 7 kinds or crops as fluorescent Pseudomonas strains were isolated. A hybrie plasmid, pKTC1, composed of the broad host range vector pKT230 and the crystal protein gene was constructed and used for transformation of the 35 Pseudomonas strains. As the result, the crystal protein gene could be introduced into 4 isolates. Several methods including bioassay and immunochemical detection indicated that the crystall protein gene was expressed in the Pseudomonus isolates.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.285-289
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• 1994

An insecticidal crystal protein gene, cryIA(c), from Bacillus thuringiensis HD-73 was integrated into the chromosome of a xanthan-producing bacterium, Xanthomonas campestris XP92. The cryIA(c) gene expression cassette was constructed that placed the gene between the trc promoter and rrnB transcriptional terminator. The $lacl^q$ gene was also included to prevent the expression of cryIA(c) gene in X campestris cells. Southem blot analysis confirmed the integration of the cryIA(c) gene expression cassette in chromosome of X campestris XP92 transconjugant. Expression of the insecticidal crystal protein was confirmed by Western blot analysis and bioassay against the larvae of Hyphantria cunea (Lepidoptera： Arctiidae) and Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera：Plutellidae).

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.157-161
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• 1994

To investigate the morphology of Bacillus thuringiensis crystal proteins, two type crystal protein genes, cryIA(c) gene under the control of cryIA(b) gene promoter and cryIIA gene under the control of its own promoter, were transformed in B. thuringiensis acrystalliferous mutant strain and the transformants were characterized by SDS-PAGE and scanning electron microscopy. The expression and formation of crystal proteins in B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Cry-B revealed that crystal proteins appear to have same molecular weight and morphology to those of wild type strain's, suggesting that the expression and formation of crystal proteins affected not by host cell or recombination of cryIA(e) gene under the control of cryIA(b) gene promoter but by only structural fragment of protoxin.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 1991

A shuttle promoter-probe vector, pEB203, was derived from pBR322, pPL703 and pUB110. Using the vector, a useful DNA fragment, 319 bp EcoRI fragment, having strong promoter activity has been cloned from Bacillus subtills chromosomal DNA. Selection was based on chloramphenicol resistance which is dependent upon the introduction of DNA fragments allowing expression of a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene. The nucleotide sequence of the 319 bp fragment has been determined and the putative -35 and -10 region, ribosome binding site, and ATG initiation codon were observed. This promoter was named EB promoter and the resultant plasmid which can be used as an expression vector was named pEBP313. The crystal protein gene from B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-73 was cloned downstream from the EB promoter without its own promoter. When the resultant plasmid, pBT313, was introduced into Escherichia coli and B. subtilis, efficient synthesis of crystal protein was observed in both cells, and the cp gene expression in B. subtilis begins early in the vegetative phase. The cell extracts from both clones were toxic to Hyphantria cunea larvae.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.1498-1503
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• 2007

To identify novel crystal proteins, Bacillus thuringiensis 2385-1 was isolated from Korean soil samples and characterized. The H-serotype of 2385-1 was identical to that of subsp. kenyae (H4a4c), and its crystal toxin was bipyramidal-shaped. However, 2385-1 showed a much higher toxicity towards Plutella xylostella and Spodoptera exigua larvae than subsp. kenyae. In addition, the crystal protein profile and plasmid DNA pattern of 2385-1 differed from those of subsp. kenyae. To verify the crystal protein gene types of 2385-1, a PCR-RFLP analysis was performed, and the results revealed that 2385-1 contained two novel cry1-type crystal protein genes, cryl-5 and cry1-12, in addition to the crylJal gene. The deduced amino acid sequences of cryl-5 and cry1-12 showed a 97.9% and 75.7% sequence similarity with the CrylAb and CrylJa crystal proteins, respectively. Among the novel crystal proteins, Cry1-5 showed a high toxicity towards P. xylostella and S. exigua larvae. In conclusion, B. thuringiensis 2385-1 is a new isolate in terms of its gene types, and should be a promising source for an insecticide to control lepidopteran larvae.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.305-311
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• 1997

Bacillus thuringiensis, a gram-positive soil bacterium, is characterized by its ability to produce crystalline inclusions during sporulation. The crystal proteins exhibit a highly specific insecticidal activity. An insecticidal crystal protein (ICP), Cry II A, is specifically toxic to both lepidopteran and dipteran insects. In this study, tobacco plants transformed by the cry II A gene have been generated. The Cry II A crystal protein was purified from E. coli JM103 harboring cry II A gene by differential solubility. The activated Cry II A was prepared by tryptic digestion. The purified protoxin (70 kDa) and the activated toxin (50 kDa) were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. To generate the transgenic tobacco having cry II A gene, the cry II A gene was subcloned to a plant expression vector, pSRL2, having two CaMV 35S promoters. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into tobacco (N. tabacum var. Petit Havana SR1) by Agrobacterium-mediated leaf disc transformation. Through the regeneration, six putative transgenic tobacco plants were obtained and three transformants were confirmed by Southern blot analysis. It has been found that one plant had single copy of cry II A gene, another had two copies of the gene, and the third had a truncated gene. After the immunochemical confirmation of cry II A expression in plants, the transgenic tobacco plants will be used to study the genetics of future generation with the insecticidal crystal protein gene cry II A.

• 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 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.

• 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.

• 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.