Animal Safety Test of Bacillus thuringiensis BT Protein

[Objectives]To determine the biological safety of BT protein from Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)fermentation broth to mammals at high doses.[Methods]Healthy mice were randomly divided into 4 groups with 10 mice in each group.The experimental groups were fed with Bt fermentation supernatant at 0.2,0.6 and 1.0 mL/kg,respectively,once a day for 7 consecutive days.The blank control group was fed normally without intragastric administration.[Results]There was no significant difference in blood routine and blood biochemical analysis between the experimental group and the control group.After intragastric administration,the mice were dissected,and no obvious pathological changes were found;the heart,liver,spleen,lung and kidney were taken to make tissue sections,and no pathological changes were found by microscopic observation.[Conclusions]Mice can tolerate high doses of BT protein from B.thuringiensis fermentation broth.

Degradation of N-Acyl Homoserine Lactone Quorum Sensing Signals by Bacillus thuringiensis AHL Lactonase

Bacterial cells rely on signaling molecules to communicate with others from the same species and induce certain genes in a process known as quorum sensing (QS). A common molecule is N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) which is responsible for the expression of virulence and other factors that allow the organisms to compete in a given environment. On the other hand, other bacteria produce certain enzymes such as AHL-lactonase that break down AHL molecules and prevent gene expression of these factors. The aim of this work was to examine the level of degradation of AHL molecules by AHL-lactonase in 62 Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains isolated from Middle Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. N-hexanoyl-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL) and N-3-oxo-hexanoyl homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL), which cause Chromobacterium violaceum (CV026) to produce a purple pigment were tested at different concentrations to view the Bt lactonase activity. In addition, PCR was used to test for the presence of the lactonase gene. The results showed that among the 62 Bt strains, there were 58 that possessed the AHL-lactonase (aiiA) gene and 48 strains were able to degrade C6-HSL. At high concentrations of AHL, only 13 strains were able to completely degrade C6-HSL. In addition, degradation of 3-oxo-C6-HSL was weak compared to C6-HSL. The results also revealed that AHL lactonase was thermostable, and it was concluded that the level of degradation varies in Bt strains. Only 13 of the strains studied have potent inhibitory activity against C6-HSL, which may be good to be used in field applications to control agricultural pest.

A Fragment of Cadherin-Like Protein Enhances Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1B and Cry1C Toxicity to Spodoptera exigua(Lepidoptera:Noctuidae)

Cry toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis（Bt） are effective biological insecticides against certain insect species.In this study,bioassay results indicated that Cry1B and Cry1C were toxic to Spodoptera exigua.We also identified a cadherin-like gene in S.exigua that could enhance the toxicity of Cry1B and Cry1C.The cadherin-like gene identified from the larvae midgut tissue was cloned by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction（RT-PCR） and rapid amplification of cDNA ends（RACE）.The full-length cDNA of the gene consisted of 5 220 bp encoding 1 740 amino acid with a predicted molecular mass of 196 kD.BLAST search analysis showed that the predicted amino acid sequence had a high sequence identity to the published sequences of cadherin-like proteins from other Lepidoptera insects.Spatial expression of the cadherin-like gene detected by qRT-PCR analysis revealed that the cadherin-like gene was mainly present in the gut of 4th instar larvae and during different life stages.The results suggested that the commercial development of this synergist has the potential to enhance Cry1B and Cry1C toxicity against Lepidoptera insects.

Identification and Distribution of Bacillus thuringiensis Isolates from Primeval Forests in Yunnan and Hainan Provinces and Northeast Region of China

Ninety-two Bacillus thuringiensis isolates were screened from 683 soil samples collected from tropical and semitropical primeval forests in Yunnan and Hainan provinces of China. Several shapes of crystals, including bipyramidal, square, ovoid, spherical, and amorphous, were observed in the B. thuringiensis isolates. Twenty-six pairs of primers were used to identify 31 holotype cry genes at primary rank of the B. thuringiensis cry gene nomenclature system. The cry gene-types of 92 B. thuringiensis isolates and 33 B. thuringiensis isolates screened from Northeast region of China were identified by PCR-RFLP and SDS-PAGE methods. Fifty-eight isolates harbored cry1 genes, 32 isolates cry2 genes, 12 isolates cry8 genes, 3 isolates cry9 genes, 12 isolates cry11 genes, and 13 isolates cry30 genes. Of the tested isolates, 42 produced no reaction product with 26 pairs of primers and also exhibited no toxicity against 8 insect species tested. The isolate Z2-34 harbored a novel cry30 gene, exhibited insecticidal activity against Aedes albopictus of Dipterans. The accession number of the novel genes in this study is AY916046. Isolation and identification of B. thuringiensis and cry gene are important for investigating the diversity of B. thuringiensis resources and cloning new cry gene.

Homology Modeling of Mosquitocidal Cry30Ca2 of Bacillus thuringiensis and Its Molecular Docking with N-acetylgalactosamine

Abstract Objective To investigate the theoretical model of the three-dimensional structure of mosquitocida Cry3OCa2 and its molecular docking with N-acetylgalactosamine. Methods The theoretical model of Cry30Ca2 was the Cry4Ba. Docking studies were performed N-acetylgalactosamine on the putative receptor. predicted by homology modeling on the structure of to investigate the interaction of Cry3OCa2 with Results Cry3OCa2 toxin is a rather compact molecule composed of three distinct domains and has approximate overall dimensions of 95 by 75 by 60A. Domain I is a helix bundle, Domain Ⅱ consists of three antiparallel β-sheets, Domain Ⅲ is composed of two β-sheets that adopt a 13-sandwich fold. Residue 32111e in loop1, residues 342Gin 343Thr and 345Gin in loop2, residue 393Tyr in loop3 of Cry3OCa2 are responsible for the interactions with GalNAc via 7 hydrogen bonds, 6 of them were related to the oxygen atoms of hydroxyls of the ligand, and one to the nitrogen of the ligand. Conclusion The 3D structure of Cry3OCa2 resembles the previously reported Cry toxin structures but shows still some distinctions. Several residues in the loops of the apex of domain Ⅱ are responsible for the interactions with N-acetylgalactosamine.

Complete genome sequence of Bacillus thuringiensis Bt185, a potential soil insect biocontrol agent

Bacillus thuringiensis Bt185 and its insecticidal spectrum-expanded engineering strains are considered as potential biocontrol agents to soil insect Holotrichia parallela,Holotrichia oblita or Anomala corpulenta.Here we reported the complete genome of strain Bt185,it harbors eight plasmids,and plasmid p BT1850294 carries three cry8 genes.

Differentiation Between Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus cereus by 16S rDNA-PCR and ERIC-PCR

16S rDNA and ERIC （Enterobacteia Repetitive Intergenic Consensus Sequences） based on PCR method were tested for the effectiveness of the differentiation of B. thuringiensis and B. cereus. 16S rDNA-PCR primers were designed based on the sequence difference in variable regions of B. cereus 16S rDNA and B. thuringiensis 16S rDNA, 16S rDNA-PCR showed no obvious difference between B. cereus and B. thuringiensis. The only difference was that one 1600-bp amplificon could be obtained from all the three B. Cereus strains, and none amplificon from any B. thuringiensis strains. ERIC was optimized based on previous reports. The genonlic DNA was used for the template of ER1C-PCR, and the following DNA fingerprints were analyzed by the agarose gel electrophoresis. The results showed that DNA fingerprint of three B. thuringiensis strains had a unique amplicon less than 100-bp, while DNA fingerprint of three B. cereus＂ strains had none. Moreover, DNA fingerprint of B. cereus showed a 700-bp amplicon, but didn＇t have any DNA fingerprints ofB. thuringiensis genome. Therefore, ERIC-PCR technique should be able to be used for the differentiation of B. thuringiensis and B. cereus.

Penetration of a Single Domain of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ie-Domain I to a Lipid Membrane In vitro

Domain I of the activated Crystal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis has a seven a-helix bundle structure, which is responsible for membrane channel formation in its insecticidal mechanism. Crylle is toxic to Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis （Guen6e）, and plays important roles in insect biological control. The domain I from Crylle has been expressed and purified in its normal conformation, as embedded in the full length homologous toxin structure. The membrane insertion ability of this single domain was compared with the full length homologous toxin using a monolayer insertion experiment. The results indicated that the Crylle-domain I had the ability to insert into the lipid monolayer, and this ability is greater than that of the IE648 toxin. However, the state of insertion is not stable and remains for only a short period of time. The Crylle-domain I plays no role in receptor binding as it had a nonspecific binding with the brush border membrane vesicles of the Asian corn borer.

Evaluation of Cuban Bacillus thuringiensis(Berliner,1911)(Bacillales:Bacillacea)isolates with larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti(Linnaeus,1762)(Diptera:Culicidae)

Objective:To evaluate 11 Cuban native Bacillus(B.)thuringiensis isolates in order to select one with the best larvicidal activity against Aedes(Ae.)aegypti and low cytotoxicity.Methods:The cry and cyt genes of the isolates(A21,A51,L95,L910,M29,R84,R85,R87,R89,U81 and X48)were amplified by PCR.The influence of organic matter and NaCl on the larvicidal activity was tested by bioassays.Cytotoxicity was assayed on peritoneal macrophages of BALB/c mice.Results:The cyt1(Aa,Ab,Ba),cyt2,cry4aA,cry4Ba,cry11(Aa,Ba,Bb)and cry10 genes were identified in all native Cuban isolates.The larvicidal activity(LC_(90))of seven isolates was affected by the presence of organic matter in the water,while A21,A51,L910,R84,U81 and X48 had better LC_(50),LC_(90),LC_(95) than the 266/29-Ⅶ-98 control strain.The LC_(50) of two isolates was affected by the presence of NaCl and A21,A51,R85 isolate had better larvicidal activity than the 266/29-Ⅶ-98 control strain.In terms of toxicity against macrophages,the extracts of nine isolates were less cytotoxic than the control strains.Conclusions:Native isolate A21 had the main virulence factors against Ae.aegypti larvae,displayed a good larvicidal activity in presence of different factors related with Ae.aegypti breeding sites,and had low citotoxicity against macrophages.These results can contribute to the improvement of existing biological control strategies and the development of new biolarvicides.

Identification of similar transcriptional regulatory mechanisms in multiple cry genes in Bacillus thuringiensis HD12

Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies morrisoni strain HD12, whose genome harbors multiple insecticidal protein-encoding genes, includes eight cry genes, as indicated by genome sequencing. This strain produces crystals that are toxic to lepidopteran species. These crystal inclusions were purified by sucrose gradients and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis （SDS-PAGE）, followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and found to contain five proteins （Cry1Da, Cry1Ae, Cry1Bb, Cry1Fb, and CrylJa）. The transcriptional activities of the cry1Da, cry1Ae, cry1Bb, cry1Fb, and cry11Ja promoters indicated that transcription of crylDa is controlled by SigE; however, the other four cry genes were found to be controlled by both SigE and SigK. The activities of the crylJa and crylFb promoters were the strongest among the five genes studied. These promoters were therefore used to direct the expression of the Cry1Ac- and Cry2Ab-encoding genes concurrently in a single strain. Our findings indicate that promoters with the same transcriptional profile may be used to direct the expression of different cry genes in one strain. Our results are expected to be valuable for the construction of strains with efficient expression of multiple cry genes in order to overcome current limitations associated with the application of B. thuringiensis-based insecticides.

Polyhedrosis Virus in Bacillus thuringiensis

This study was conducted to build a recombinant strain with highly insecticidal activity and a wide host range by using the crylAc and p74 gene. Firstly, the p74 gene was amplified from the genosome ofAutographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus. The crylAc gene and the terminator gene of crylAc, named crylAct, were amplified from the plasmid of Bt 4.0718 strain. Three T vectors, named pTp74, pT1Ac, and pT1Act which held the aimed gene p74, cry1Ac, and crylAct, respectively, and two middle vectors, named pTp74Act and pTIAcp74 which held the aimed fusion gene p74-crylAct and cry lAc-p74, respectively, were built by using pMDI 8-T. Then pTiAcp74 and the shuttle plasmid were digested and linked and an expressing-vector pH1Acp74 was built. Finally, pH1Acp74 was transformed into the acrystalliferous strain XBU001 and the aimed recombinant strain XBU-H1Acp74 was obtained. The expression of Bt transformant XBU-H1Acp74 was analyzed by SDS-PAGE which showed XBU-H1Acp74 could produce 130 kDa CrylAc protein and 50 kDa P74 protein. The insecticidal activity of transformant against Spodoptera exigua was evaluated compared with the contrast strains HTX-42 （only crylAc gene was transformed into XBU001） after autolysis. The LCs0 of HTX-42 was higher than that of the XBU-H IAcp74＇s, which implied that P74 could increase the efficacy and range of Bt Cry toxins in insect control. The fusion gene of crylAc and p74 were constructed successfully which will be served as the foundation lbr constructing the fusion genes of Bt cry gene and other foreign genes.

Influence of Formate on Bioactivity Material-thuringiensin Synthesized by Bacillus thuringiensis YBT-032

The biological method to synthesize thuringiensin and the influence of formate on thuringiensin biosynthesis were investigated. Addition of 1.00 g/L formate to growth medium of bacillus thuringiensis YBT-032 resulted in significant enhancements in productions of citrate, α -ketoglutarate, intracellular adenine and thuringiensin. These results demonstrate that added formate attends metabolism of cell, facilitates carbon metabolic flux in tricarboxylic acid cycle and hexose monophosphate pathway. As a carbon source, formate facilitates cell growth, increases glucose consumption and enhances the ability of cell to synthesis adenine analogues, and subsequently thuringiensin. Thuringiensin production rate significantly enhanced from 6.44 to 8.46 mg·g^-1 · h and transformation ratio from glucose to thuringiensin increased by 43.30%.

Geographical Distribution of Bacillus thuringiensis Strains and vip3 Genes in Different Climatic Zones in China

Vegetative Insecticidal Proteins(VIPs), a large family of insecticidal proteins, are produced from Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt) during the vegetative growth stage. VIPs represent the second generation of bio-insecticides that confer a wider insecticidal spectrum and have stronger activity. This work compared the geographical distribution of Bt strains and their vip3 genes in different climatic zones in China, the tropical(Hainan Province), subtropical(Guangxi Province) and temperate zones(Heilongjiang Province). A total of 156 Bt strains were isolated from 841 soil samples in Hainan Province tropical region, 356 Bt strains from 1 420 soil samples in Guangxi Province and 167 Bt strains from 1 010 soil samples in different geographical regions in Heilongjiang Province. Twenty-two out of 156 strains from tropical Hainan Province and two out of 356 from subtropical Guangxi Province were found to express vip3 genes, while vip3 genes were not expressed from temperate zone in Heilongjiang Province. Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism(RFLP) was used to identify different types of vip3 genes that were within the same family and three fulllength vip3 genes were isolated. The genes cloned from Bacillus thuringiensis strain SL3 expressed in the transformed E. coli BL21 strain. Through SDS-PAGE, 88.6 ku insecticidal protein was expressed. The bioassays used two-instar larva of Lepidoptera insects(Spodoptera exigua and Agrotis ipsilon) were performed. The results of the bioassays showed that the protein strongly inhibited the body weight increasement on Spodoptera exigua and Agrotis ipsilon in a standard bioassay. Taken together, the results indicated that the distribution of Bt strains and vip3 genes had regional preference. Tropical and subtropical regions were the rich resources of Bt strains and vip3 genes compared with temperate region. These results would undoubtedly facilitate the studies of insecticidal proteins and expand the list of the pest-killing candidates to make fully use of the extremely rich microbial resources. The new vip3 genes isolated in the current study might also help resolve the emerging insecticidal resistance problems.

苏芸金杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis)对害虫防治的影响,侧重遗传操作

本文首先从苏芸金杆菌(B.thuringiensis,B.t)的科学和工业前景出发,并注重未来,特别是在遗传学方面。自从1911年发现苏芸金杆菌以来,它对科学和害虫防治工业产生了很大的影响。在50年代后期,由于苏芸金杆菌具有很大的好处而对工业产生了予期的影响。这包括它对人类和野生动物安全、并由于其在孢子形成时形成独特的毒素蛋白结晶,专门对重要的害虫有效且作用快。

Isolation,Identification of Bacillus Thuringiensis/Cereus and Its Enhancement on Protein Wastewater Treatment by Rhodobacter Sphaeroides

In order to enhance the degrading protein capability of purple non-sulfur bacteria(PNSB),an effective strain,L2,was used to co-culture with Rhodobacter sphaeroides ATCC17023.The effects of added strain on protein removal of R.sphaeroides were investigated.Results showed that strain L2,being identified as Bacillus thuringiensis/cereus,had a high potential for producing protease with a production of 295 U/m L.The optimal B.thuringiensis/cereus(40 μL) could significantly increase protein degradation of R.sphaeroides.Protein removal and biomass production were improved by 483% and 67%,respectively.R.sphaeroides/total biomass production was more than 95%.Theoretical analysis revealed that R.sphaeroides syntrophically interacted with B.thuringiensis/cereus.Protein degradation of B.thuringiensis/cereus provided small molecule substrates(VFAs) for R.sphaeroides growth and cells materials synthesis.

A Novel Bacillus thuringiensis Cry57 Protein Domain Swap Influence on Insecticidal Activity

Bacillus thuringiensis （Bt） is widely used in insecticides. Bt is a gram positive sporulation bacterium belonging to Bacillaceae family. It produces different insecticidal proteins like Cry toxin, Vip toxin, β-exotoxin and chitinase, etc. Bt insecticidal crystal proteins （ICPs） are not homologous to other known Vip protein and then act against lepidopteran, dipteran, coleopteran and nematodeslarvae via a unique process. In this experiment, modern high-throughput sequencing technique and sequencing were used and the whole genome sequence of BtLTS290 was obtained. The results compared to the database of GenBank showed that there was a cry57 gene in the genome sequence of BtLTS290. A novel cry57 gene was cloned and named cry57Ab1 （accession number is KF638650） by International Nomenclature Committee of Bt Endotoxin. cry57Ab1 gene could be expressed with the molecular weight of 90 ku. Cry57Ab1 protein had no obvious activity against Spodoptera exigua and Helicoverpa armigera. And Cry57Ab1 protein had a slight insecticidal activity against Ostrinia furnacalis and Plutella xylostella. Furthermore, the domain Ⅱof Cry57Ab1 and Cry1Bb were exchanged by overlapping extension PCR. SDS-PAGE showed that the molecular weight of Cry57Ab/1Bb/57Ab was about 90 ku. The insecticidal activity of Cry57Ab1 protein and Cry57Ab/1Bb/57Ab recombinant protein were determined. The results showed that the insecticidal activity of the recombinant protein to Spodoptera exigua and Helicoverpa armigera was very low, and the corrected mortality was less than 10%. The insecticidal activities against Ostrinia furnacalis and Plutella xylostella were reduced. The corrected mortality of Ostrinia furnacalis was 4.4%, and the corrected mortality rate for Plutella xylostella was 6.7%. Domain Ⅱof cry toxin played a key role on affecting host specifcity.

Insecticidal Activity of Crystals and Spores of Purified Bacillus thuringiensis 00-50-5 Strain against Trichoplusia ni Hubner

[ Objective] The paper was to study pathogenic mechanism and action mode of Bacillus thuringiensis （Bt） 00-50-5 strain against Trichoplusia ni Hub- ner. [Method] The crystals and spores of B. thuringiensis 00-50-5 strain were first isolated and purified, and their insecticidal activities against T. ni were com- pared. [ Result] Either the mixture of pure crystals and pure spores of 00-50-5 strain, or only pure crystals could kill T. n/larvae under the concentration of 100 p.g/mL after 48 h, and the mortality rate reached 100% ; pure spores could not kill the larvae. Determination results of median lethal concentration showed that in- secticidal activity of pure crystal of Bt 00-50-5 strain （LGs0 =0.32 p~/mL） was higher than the mixture of crystals and spores （LCs0 =0.48）, but the insecticidal acti^ty of pure spores was very low （LC50 〉 500.00）. Therefore, the crystals were primarily responsible for causing death of larvae. [ Conclusion] The paper provides theoretical basis for application of Bt 00-50-5 strain.

Introduction of Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)gene does not reduce potassium use efficiency of Bt transgenic cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Background:Potassium(K)deficiency has become a common field production problem following the widespread adoption of Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)transgenic cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.)worldwide.The purpose of this study was to clarify whether the introduction of Bt gene directly reduces the K-use efficiency of cotton to induce K deficiency.Results:The cotton variety,Jihe 321(wild type,WT)and its two Bt(Cry1Ac)-transgenic overexpression lines(OE-29317,OE-29312)were studied in field with low soil-test K+(47.8 mg·kg^(−1)).In the field with low soil-test K+,only OE-29317 had less biomass and K+accumulation than the WT at some growth stages.Both Bt lines produced similar or even greater seed cotton yield than WT in the field.When the Bt gene(~70%)in OE-29317 and OE-29312 plants was silenced by virus-induced gene silencing(VIGS),the VIGS-Bt plants did not produce more biomass than VIGSgreen fluorescent protein(control)plants.Conclusions:The introduction of Bt gene did not necessarily hinder the K use efficiency of the cotton lines under this study.

Comparative Analysis of Bacillus thuringiensis Vip3Aa57 and Vip3Aa62 Insecticidal Activities

Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)exhibits strong insecticidal activity and is harmless to non-target organisms such as human and animals.Bt becomes the most commonly used environment-friendly insecticidal microorganism.However,the insecticidal activities of different Bt strains variy significantly.Therefore,it is particularly important to compare the insecticidal activities of different strains and explore their insecticidal effector mechanisms to expand Bt insecticidal spectrum and enrich transgenic resources.Here,the insecticidal activities of Vip3Aa57 and Vip3Aa62 strains,carrying vegetative insecticidal protein-encoding genes that were inserted into the expression vector pET-21b and transformed into Escherichia coli Rosetta(DE3)strain,expressing 88 ku protein,were compared.Vip3Aa57 protein reportedly displayed body weight inhibition effect on Spodoptera exigua without affecting Heliothis armigera while Vip3Aa62 protein was known to have strong insecticidal activity against S.exigua(LC50=5.124 ng•mg^(-1)).A low H.armigera activity(LC50=870.1 ng•mg^(-1))was observed.The paraffin sectioning results showed that Vip3Aa57 protein affected S.exigua midgut cell morphology.The laser confocal microscopic imaging results showed that Vip3Aa57 bound to receptors in the midgut without damaging the midgut tissue morphology.This study would be conducive for making full use of Bt strains in the soil to compare the insecticidal activities of different Vip insecticidal genes.It could thus provide significant help in revealing the underlying insecticidal mechanisms of Vip3Aa insecticidal genes,developing new insecticidal proteins and delaying pest resistance problems.

Cytolytic Toxin and Related Genes in Bacillus thuringiensis

Bacillus thuringiensis is a ubiquitous gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium that forms parasporal crystal during the stationary phase of its growth cycle. These crystal proteins, including Cry and Cyt protein, are toxic to certain insects. Lately, some problems about Cyt classification, structural characteristic, action mechanism and resistance to Cyt toxin are becoming new hotspots. We review the progress of above problems in several foreign labs.