致病杆菌属和光杆状菌属细菌杀虫毒素蛋白

致病杆菌属和光杆状菌属细菌是一类分别与斯氏线虫属和异小杆属线虫共生的昆虫病原细菌 ,属肠杆菌科 ,此类细菌产生的杀虫毒素蛋白是近年来发现的一类高效、杀虫谱广的新型杀虫蛋白。此类毒素蛋白对多种昆虫具有注射和口服毒性 ,在同一菌株中有多个杀虫基因 ,各杀虫蛋白基因之间具有协同毒力效应 ,杀虫蛋白基因在大肠杆菌和植物中表达的毒素蛋白对多种害虫具有口服毒性。     

嗜线虫致病杆菌HB310菌株杀虫蛋白的纯化及活性鉴定

嗜线虫致病杆菌Xenorhabdus nematophila HB310是从河北省土壤中筛选出的一株昆虫病原线虫体内分离纯化获得的共生菌,该菌的发酵液对多种昆虫有较高的杀虫活性。利用85％饱和度的硫酸铵盐析分别获得胞内蛋白提取物和上清液中胞外蛋白提取物,生测结果表明这两种蛋白提取物中都含有胃毒素和血腔毒素。通过制备型非变性凝胶电泳对蛋白提取物进行分离和纯化,得到了3种有杀虫活性的毒素蛋白（毒素Ⅰ、毒素Ⅱ和毒素Ⅲ）,胞内的毒素蛋白与分泌到胞外上清液中的毒素蛋白是同种蛋白。毒素Ⅰ和毒素Ⅱ对棉铃虫初孵幼虫有明显的胃毒活性,但没有血腔毒性;毒素Ⅲ对大蜡螟幼虫有很强的血腔毒性,LD₅₀为0.18 μg/头。SDS-PAGE图谱显示毒素Ⅰ和毒素Ⅱ是由多个多肽组成的复合蛋白,而毒素Ⅲ只分离出一条多肽。毒素Ⅱ在50℃处理10 min,其杀虫活性没有显著变化;70℃处理10 min对毒素Ⅲ杀虫活性没有显著影响。     

苏云金芽孢杆菌杀虫晶体蛋白毒性片段的结构域在毒杀昆虫中的作用

苏云金芽孢杆菌 (Bacillusthuringiensis)杀虫晶体蛋白的毒性片段包含三个不同的结构域。通过对毒性片段编码基因的定点诱变和体外重组 ,已经对结构域的功能有了较清晰的认识。一般认为结构域Ⅰ参与孔道的形成 ,结构域Ⅱ决定毒素与受体的特异性结合 ,结构域Ⅲ主要调节毒素的活性。本文根据国外研究 ,从毒素蛋白质结构的不同组织层次 ,阐述了这些区域的结构与其功能的关系。     

苏云金芽孢杆菌杀虫晶体蛋白毒性片段的结构域在毒杀昆虫中的作用

苏云金芽孢杆菌 (Bacillusthuringiensis)杀虫晶体蛋白的毒性片段包含三个不同的结构域。通过对毒性片段编码基因的定点诱变和体外重组 ,已经对结构域的功能有了较清晰的认识。一般认为结构域Ⅰ参与孔道的形成 ,结构域Ⅱ决定毒素与受体的特异性结合 ,结构域Ⅲ主要调节毒素的活性。本文根据国外研究 ,从毒素蛋白质结构的不同组织层次 ,阐述了这些区域的结构与其功能的关系。     

苏云金芽孢杆菌杀虫晶体蛋白毒性片段的结构域在毒杀昆虫中的作用

苏云金芽孢杆菌（Bacillus thuringiensis)杀虫晶体蛋白的毒性片段包含三个不同的结构域。通过对毒性片段编码基因的定点诱变和体外重组,已经对结构域的功能有了较清晰的认识。一般认为结构域Ⅰ参与孔道的形成,结构域Ⅱ决定毒素与受体的特异性结合,结合域Ⅲ主要调节毒素的活性。本文根据国外研究,从毒素蛋白质结构的不同组织层次、阐述了这些区域的结构与其功能的关系。     

Cry毒素杀虫活性分子改造方法研究进展

苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis,Bt)产生的Cry毒素为防治害虫提供了一种宝贵的资源。但昆虫中肠蛋白酶的活化作用在不同的昆虫中对Cry毒素的杀虫活性有限制性。分析了几种不同的策略来增加Cry毒素对靶标昆虫的毒性,包括结构域Ⅲ交换、结构域Ⅱ和结构域Ⅲ的突变以及其他突变。此外,还详细阐述了噬菌体展示技术进行毒素优化的方法,毒素优化能够增加Cry毒素对亲本Cry毒素敏感度较低的害虫的杀虫活性,以期为Cry毒素的分子改造和应用提供参考。     

苏云金芽孢杆菌杀虫晶体蛋白毒性片段的结构域在毒杀昆虫中的作用

苏云金芽孢杆菌（Bacillus thuringiensis)杀虫晶体蛋白的毒性片段包含三个不同的结构域,通过对毒性片段编码基因的定点诱变和体外重组,已经对结构域的功能有了较清晰的认识,一般认为结构域Ⅰ参与孔道的形成,结构域Ⅱ决定毒素与受体的特异性结合,结构域Ⅲ主要调节毒素的活性。本文根据国外研究,从毒素蛋白质结构的不同组织层次,阐述了这些区域的结构与其功能的关系。     

增强Bt Cry毒素杀虫作用的重要途径:增效因子的利用及晶体蛋白的遗传改良

Bt Cry毒素广泛应用于害虫防治,但存在杀虫谱窄、活性低、靶标害虫易产生抗性等缺点.为了弥补这些不足,采取适当措施增强Cry毒素的杀虫作用十分必要.本文围绕Cry毒素的作用机理,论述了利用丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂、几丁质酶、增效蛋白、钙粘蛋白片段和Cyt毒素等增效因子提高Cry毒素的杀虫活性,延缓昆虫抗性的研究进展;探讨了利用基因定点突变、蛋白融合和杂交以及晶体蛋白末端小片段的去除等分子技术手段对毒素蛋白进行遗传改良,改善Cry毒素的杀虫性能,扩大其杀虫范围.     

蓖麻碱的提取、纯化、改性及其杀虫活性研究

蓖麻饼中含有生物碱等毒性物质,主要杀虫活性物质为蓖麻毒蛋白和蓖麻碱,蓖麻碱是蓖麻中的主要毒素之一,具有一定的生物活性。本文研究了蓖麻碱的提取、纯化,以及将所得蓖麻碱再进一步进行改性,探讨改性方法。采用红外光谱方法对蓖麻碱改性前后变化进行对比;并对提取、纯化以及改性过程中的各个环节的物质进行杀虫实验,对实验结果进行观察。结果表明,蓖麻碱的主要杀虫活性基团为氰基。     

“7216”杀虫菌的毒性试验

“7216”杀虫菌是天门县微生物研究所分离筛选的一株产晶体毒素的芽孢杆菌,定名为苏芸金杆菌天门变种[Bacillus: huringiensis var.Tienmensis(7216)]。为对安全生产和使用提供依据,我们进行了该菌的毒性试验,现将结果简报如下。一、方法试验內容分急性、亚急性和慢性毒性试验。     

高毒力昆虫病原线虫共生细菌菌株的筛选及其杀虫活性的检测

昆虫病原线虫共生细菌是寄生在昆虫病原线虫肠道的一种细菌,二者互惠共生。实验采用6个不同种的菌株为筛选材料。共生细菌菌株的培养液经85%饱和度的(NH₄)_2SO4盐析,浓缩冻干得到杀虫粗提物。以粗提物注射大蜡螟Galleria mellonella、饲喂玉米螟Ostrinia furnacalis和棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera,发现Xenorhabdus nematophilus D43、X.bovienii A54、Photorhabdus luminescens HZL和CB-8等4个菌株发酵液的粗提物对昆虫有高的血腔毒性,菌株A54对昆虫又有高的胃毒效果。由此确立A54为高毒力的菌株,其杀虫活性表现为：注射大蜡螟48 h的死亡率为80%,96 h为93.3%;粗提物饲喂玉米螟,72 h死亡率为53.3%,120 h死亡率为100%;饲喂棉铃虫,72 h死亡率为80.1%,120 h死亡率为90%。杀虫粗提物经DEAE-52柱层析分离,得到一个穿透峰和三个盐的梯度洗脱峰,其中穿透峰对昆虫有很好的胃毒效果,但没有血腔毒性;三个盐峰均有很高的血腔毒性,但没有胃毒作用。穿透峰样品饲喂2龄、3龄棉铃虫也有很好的杀虫活性,96 h 2龄棉铃虫的死亡率为65%,3龄棉铃虫的死亡率为30%;处理96 h的棉铃虫同处理前相比体重下降,未死棉铃虫体重明显低于对照。     

Photorhabdus luminescens W-14 insecticidal activity consists of at least two similar but distinct proteins. Purification and characterization of toxin A and toxin B

Both the bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens alone and its symbiotic Photorhabdus-nematode complex are known to be highly pathogenic to insects. The nature of the insecticidal activity of Photorhabdus bacteria was investigated for its potential application as an insect control agent. It was found that in the fermentation broth of P. luminescens strain W-14, at least two proteins, toxin A and toxin B, independently contributed to the oral insecticidal activity against Southern corn rootworm. Purified toxin A and toxin B exhibited single bands on native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and two peptides of 208 and 63 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The native molecular weight of both the toxin A and toxin B was determined to be approximately 860 kDa, suggesting that they are tetrameric. NH2-terminal amino acid sequencing and Western analysis using monospecific antibodies to each toxin demonstrated that the two toxins were distinct but homologous. The oral potency (LD50) of toxin A and toxin B against Southern corn rootworm larvae was determined to be similar to that observed with highly potent Bt toxins against lepidopteran pests. In addition, it was found that the two peptides present in toxin B could be processed in vitro from a 281-kDa protoxin by endogenous P. luminescens proteases. Proteolytic processing was shown to enhance insecticidal activity.     

Specificity of Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxins. Importance of specific receptors on the brush border membrane of the mid-gut of target insects

To study the molecular basis of differences in the insecticidal spectrum of Bacillus thuringienesis delta-endotoxins, we have performed binding studies with three delta-endotoxins on membrane preparations from larval insect mid-gut. Conditions for a standard binding assay were established through a detailed study of the binding of 125I-labeled Bt2 toxin, a recombinant B. thuringiensis delta-endotoxin, to brush border membrane vesicles of Manduca sexta. The toxins tested (Bt2, Bt3 and Bt73 toxins) are about equally toxic to M. sexta but differ in their toxicity against Heliothis virescens. Equilibrium binding studies revealed saturable, high-affinity binding sites on brush border membrane vesicles of M. sexta and H. virescens. While the affinity of the three toxins was not significantly different on H. virescens vesicles, marked differences in binding site concentration were measured which reflected the differences in in vivo toxicity. Competition experiments revealed heterogeneity in binding sites. For H. virescens, a three-site model was proposed. In M. sexta, one population of binding sites is shared by all three toxins, while another is only recognized by Bt3 toxin. Several other toxins, non-toxic or much less toxic to M. sexta than Bt2 toxin, did not or only marginally displace binding of 125I-labeled Bt2 toxin in this insect. No saturable binding of this toxin was observed to membrane preparations from tissues of several non-susceptible organisms. Together, these data provide new evidence that binding to a specific receptor on the membrane of gut epithelial cells is an important determinant with respect to differences in insecticidal spectrum of B. thuringiensis insecticidal crystal proteins.     

Crystal structure of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry7Ca1 toxin active against Locusta migratoria manilensis

Insecticidal crystal (Cry) proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are widely used as environmentally friendly insecticides. As the only known Cry protein with insecticidal activity against Locusta migratoria manilensis, a locust subspecies that causes extensive destruction of crops, the Cry7Ca1 protein from Bt strain BTH‐13 identified in our previous study is of particular interest to locust prevention and control. However, the three‐dimensional structure of Cry7Ca1 toxin (the active form of the Cry7Ca1 protein) and the mechanisms of the Cry7Ca1 insecticidal specificity remain largely elusive. Here, we report a 2.3 Å crystal structure of the Cry7Ca1 toxin and carry out a systematic comparison of all available Cry toxins structures. A cluster of six loops in Cry toxin domain II, named Apex here, are the most variable structural elements and were documented to contribute in insecticidal specificity. The Cry7Ca1 toxin Apex loops are different from those of other Cry toxins in length, conformation, and sequence. Electrostatic potential analysis further revealed that Cry7Ca1 is the only structure‐available Cry toxin that does not have a high contrast of surface electrostatic potentials in the Apex. We further suggest that the L1/L2 loops in the center of the Cry7Ca1 Apex may be worthy of attention in future efforts to unravel the Cry7Ca1 insecticidal specificity as they exhibit unique features not found in the corresponding regions of other Cry toxins. Our work highlights the uniqueness of the Apex in the Cry7Ca1 toxin and may assist exploration of the insecticidal mechanism of the Cry7Ca1 against Locusta migratoria manilensis.     

Photorhabdus toxins: novel biological insecticides.

Following concerns over the potential for insect resistance to insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis toxins expressed in transgenic plants, there has been recent interest in novel biological insecticides. Over the past year there has been considerable progress in the cloning of several alternative toxin genes from the bacteria Photorhabdus luminescens and Xenorhabdus nematophilus. These genes encode large insecticidal toxin complexes with little homology to other known toxins.     

Potentiation and cellular phenotypes of the insecticidal Toxin complexes of Photorhabdus bacteria

The toxin complex (tc) genes of bacteria comprise a large and growing family whose mode of action remains obscure. In the insect pathogen Photorhabdus, tc genes encode high molecular weight insecticidal toxins with oral activity against caterpillar pests. One protein, TcdA, has recently been expressed in transgenic plants and shown to confer insect resistance. These toxins therefore represent alternatives to toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) for deployment in transgenic crops. Levels of TcdA expression in transgenic plants were, however, low and the full toxicity associated with the native toxin was not reconstituted. Here we show that increased activity of the toxin TcdA1 requires potentiation by either of two pairs of gene products, TcdB1 and TccC1 or TcdB2 and TccC3. Moreover, these same pairs of proteins can also cross-potentiate a second toxin, TcaA1B1. To elucidate the likely functional domains present in these large proteins, we expressed fragments of each 'toxin' or 'potentiator' gene within mammalian cells. Several domains produced abnormal cellular morphologies leading to cell death, while others showed specific phenotypes such as nuclear translocation. Our results prove that the Tc toxins are complex proteins with multiple functional domains. They also show that both toxin genes and their potentiator pairs will need to be expressed to reconstitute full activity in insect-resistant transgenic plants. Moreover, they suggest that the same potentiator pair will be able to cross-potentiate more than one toxin in a single plant.     

Role of tryptophan residues in toxicity of Cry1Ab toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis

Bacillus thuringiensis produces insecticidal proteins (Cry protoxins) during the sporulation phase as parasporal crystals. During intoxication, the Cry protoxins must change from insoluble crystals into membrane-inserted toxins which form ionic pores. The structural changes of Cry toxins during oligomerization and insertion into the membrane are still unknown. The Cry1Ab toxin has nine tryptophan residues; seven are located in domain I, the pore-forming domain, and two are located in domain II, which is involved in receptor recognition. Eight Trp residues are highly conserved within the whole family of three-domain Cry proteins, suggesting an essential role for these residues in the structural folding and function of the toxin. In this work, we analyzed the role of Trp residues in the structure and function of Cry1Ab toxin. We replaced the Trp residues with phenylalanine or cysteine using site-directed mutagenesis. Our results show that W65 and W316 are important for insecticidal activity of the toxin since their replacement by Phe reduced the toxicity against Manduca sexta. The presence of hydrophobic residue is important at positions 117, 219, 226, and 455 since replacement by Cys affected either the crystal formation or the insecticidal activity of the toxin in contrast to replacement by Phe in these positions. Additionally, some mutants in positions 219, 316, and 455 were also affected in binding to brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV). This is the first report that studies the role of Trp residues in the activity of Cry toxins.     

Role of Tryptophan Residues in Toxicity of Cry1Ab Toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis

Bacillus thuringiensis produces insecticidal proteins (Cry protoxins) during the sporulation phase as parasporal crystals. During intoxication, the Cry protoxins must change from insoluble crystals into membrane-inserted toxins which form ionic pores. The structural changes of Cry toxins during oligomerization and insertion into the membrane are still unknown. The Cry1Ab toxin has nine tryptophan residues; seven are located in domain I, the pore-forming domain, and two are located in domain II, which is involved in receptor recognition. Eight Trp residues are highly conserved within the whole family of three-domain Cry proteins, suggesting an essential role for these residues in the structural folding and function of the toxin. In this work, we analyzed the role of Trp residues in the structure and function of Cry1Ab toxin. We replaced the Trp residues with phenylalanine or cysteine using site-directed mutagenesis. Our results show that W65 and W316 are important for insecticidal activity of the toxin since their replacement by Phe reduced the toxicity against Manduca sexta. The presence of hydrophobic residue is important at positions 117, 219, 226, and 455 since replacement by Cys affected either the crystal formation or the insecticidal activity of the toxin in contrast to replacement by Phe in these positions. Additionally, some mutants in positions 219, 316, and 455 were also affected in binding to brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV). This is the first report that studies the role of Trp residues in the activity of Cry toxins.     

受体介导的鳞翅目昆虫对Bt毒素抗性机制进展

苏云金芽孢杆菌作为一种对人畜安全、环境友好型绿色杀虫剂在全球被广泛使用。Bt毒素与昆虫中肠上特定毒素受体结合并发挥作用,形成毒素穿孔导致昆虫死亡是其重要的杀虫机制之一,靶标害虫对Bt毒素产生抗性是制约转Bt作物长期有效种植和Bt毒素持续使用的重要因素。文中从鳞翅目昆虫中肠细胞Bt毒素重要受体的研究阐述昆虫对Bt的抗性机制,为Bt抗性机制的深入研究和对害虫的防控与治理提供了一定的理论参考。