苏云金芽胞杆菌G03 spoIVF操纵子敲除对芽胞和晶体形成的影响

spoIVF是一个普遍存在于芽胞杆菌中的操纵子。在枯草芽胞杆菌中,它编码的两个蛋白是芽胞形成所必需的。采用基因重组技术敲除了苏云金芽胞杆菌G03菌株中的spoIVF操纵子,构建了spoIVF缺失株G03(spoIVF-)。研究表明:该突变株丧失了形成芽胞和晶体的能力。lacZ基因与cry1Aa基因的启动子融合表达分析发现:突变株中的cry1Aa基因的活性严重降低。利用载体pSTK携带spoIVF操纵子在突变株中的表达,使突变株部分恢复了产胞和形成杀虫晶体蛋白的能力。这说明spoIVF操纵子是所必需的,同时该操纵子还影响σE因子控制的cry1Aa基因表达。     

苏云金芽胞杆菌CTC菌株的S-层蛋白可以形成伴胞晶体

苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis)CTC菌株产生卵圆形伴胞晶体,晶体蛋白分子量为100kD;透射电子显微镜观察结果表明该菌株有S—层结构,而且在母细胞内可以形成伴胞晶体和S—层的初体结构;其蛋白基因导入苏云金芽胞杆菌无晶体突变株BMB171后,扫描电子显微镜观察结果表明转化子能形成晶体,而其形状与CTC菌株的相同;转化子晶体蛋白的分子量大小也与CTC菌株的相同,为100kD。以上实验结果结合以前晶体蛋白N—末端测序和基因核苦酸序列,表明苏云金芽胞杆菌CTC菌株的S—层蛋白可以形成伴胞晶体。     

苏云金芽胞杆菌重组工程菌研究进展

苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis,Bt)可以产生对多种农业害虫有毒性的晶体蛋白(Insecticidal crystal protein,ICP),是目前世界上使用范围最广、应用最成功的杀虫微生物.已经发现苏云金芽胞杆菌可以对包括鳞翅目、鞘翅目、直翅目等在内的9个目500多种昆虫具有杀虫活性①,同时对某些螨类、吸虫、鞭毛虫及动植物线虫也有一定的活性.     

苏云金杆菌Bt4.0718不同时期比较转录组揭示芽胞和杀虫伴胞晶体形成机制

【目的】苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis, Bt)在形成芽胞的过程中产生大量杀虫晶体蛋白(insecticidal crystal proteins, ICPs),是目前应用最广泛、最安全的微生物杀虫剂的主要菌株资源。本研究旨在比较Bt 3个重要时期的转录组,进一步探究芽胞和杀虫伴胞晶体的形成机制,为高效工程菌的构建奠定理论基础。【方法】选取高毒力Bt4.0718菌株营养生长中期(T1-10h)、芽胞形成前期(T2-20 h)、芽胞形成后期(T3-32 h)进行比较转录组分析,对代表性差异基因进行实时荧光定量PCR(real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, qRT-PCR)验证、特定功能基因的敲除和表型分析验证。【结果】差异表达基因数量分别为2 147个(T2/T1)、1 861个(T3/T1)、1 708个(T3/T2)。T1时期,培养基中营养相对丰富,主要为芽胞和杀虫伴胞晶体形成做准备。芽胞形成重要调控基因kinA/D、spo0A/F、sigE高水平转录对菌体的生长发育具有重要作用,Cry1Ac、碳源、能源贮藏物聚...     

两株苏云金芽胞杆菌晶体与芽胞形成过程的细胞学对比分析

苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bt)中绝大多数杀虫晶体蛋白(ICPs)的表达依赖于芽胞形成,为了从细胞水平研究晶体与芽胞形成之间的关系,本文选用Bt 4.0718与工程菌BtΔleuB为研究对象,利用FM4-64对不同生长阶段的菌体细胞染色,并用激光共聚焦扫描显微镜进行了对比观察和分析。结果显示,Bt 4.0718芽胞的发育依次经历了不对称隔膜和内吞形态学阶段后,能顺利进入下一个发育阶段,直至完成芽胞发育过程后母细胞凋亡裂解;而BtΔleuB细胞进入不对称隔膜期的时间明显延迟,且芽胞发育被阻滞于内吞阶段,伴胞晶体形成最早于不对称隔膜期可见,并且晶体体积继续增大直至细胞死亡。qRT-PCR结果显示,σ~E、spoIIR和spoIIGA的高水平转录是维持BtΔleuB细胞中ICPs正常表达的关键因素。本研究结果对进一步揭示晶体与芽胞形成之间的关系及构建性状优良Bt工程菌具有一定的参考价值。     

苏云金芽胞杆菌CTC菌株的S-层蛋白可以形成伴胞晶体

苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis)CTC菌株产生卵圆形伴胞晶体,晶体蛋白分子量为100kD;透射电子显微镜观察结果表明该菌株有S层结构,而且在母细胞内可以形成伴胞晶体和S层的初体结构;其蛋白基因导入苏云金芽胞杆菌无晶体突变株BMB171后,扫描电子显微镜观察结果表明转化子能形成晶体,而其形状与CTC菌株的相同;转化子晶体蛋白的分子量大小也与CTC菌株的相同,为100kD。以上实验结果结合以前晶体蛋白N末端测序和基因核苷酸序列,表明苏云金芽胞杆菌CTC菌株的S层蛋白可以形成伴胞晶体。     

利用ERIC-PCR对苏云金芽胞杆菌与蜡状芽胞杆菌进行鉴定的研究

为了探索ERIC-PCR技术在苏云金芽胞杆菌和蜡状芽胞杆菌的鉴定及分型中的应用价值,本研究采用PCR方法初步检测苏云金芽胞杆菌杀虫晶体蛋白基因的组成,并对苏云金芽胞杆菌和蜡状芽胞杆菌的总DNA进行ERIC-PCR扩增,分析ERIC-PCR指纹图谱的特点并采用NTSYS2.10软件对其进行聚类。结果显示,各菌株的ERIC指纹图谱表现出不同程度的多态性,但图谱与菌株所含cry基因的类型存在一定的相关性。聚类分析结果显示,含有相同或相近cry基因类型的Bt菌株在进化树上趋向聚为一类,而不含cry基因的蜡状芽胞杆菌趋向于与不含cry基因的Bt菌株聚为一类或单独聚类。若在多种模式菌株的参考下,该方法可用于苏云金芽胞杆菌的初步鉴定和分型。     

苏云金芽胞杆菌抗癌晶体蛋白的研究进展

抗癌晶体蛋白(parasporins,PS)是由没有杀虫活性的苏云金芽胞杆菌产生的一种晶体蛋白,在经过蛋白酶酶解后产生的活性多肽对来自人类不同组织的癌细胞具有特异性细胞毒性,而对正常细胞具有较低毒性或不具有毒性,是一种具有很大潜力的微生物抗癌蛋白。就最近几年苏云金芽胞杆菌中已发现的抗癌晶体蛋白的种类、结构特征、细胞活性谱和杀虫机制进行简要概述。     

苏云金芽胞杆菌G03 spoIVF操纵子敲除对芽胞和晶体形成的影响

spoIVF是一个普遍存在于芽胞杆菌中的操纵子。在枯草芽胞杆菌中,它编码的两个蛋白是芽胞形成所必需的。采用基因重组技术敲除了苏云金芽胞杆菌G03菌株中的spoIVF操纵子,构建了spoIVF缺失株G03(spoIVF-)。研究表明:该突变株丧失了形成芽胞和晶体的能力。lacZ基因与cry1Aa基因的启动子融合表达分析发现:突变株中的cry1Aa基因的活性严重降低。利用载体pSTK携带spoIVF操纵子在突变株中的表达,使突变株部分恢复了产胞和形成杀虫晶体蛋白的能力。这说明spoIVF操纵子是所必需的,同时该操纵子还影响σ^E因子控制的cry1Aa基因表达。     

苏云金芽胞杆菌杀虫晶体蛋白的结构与功能研究进展

苏云金芽胞杆菌（Bacillus thuringiensis）杀虫晶体蛋白的毒性肽由三个典型的结构域组成.结构域Ⅰ位于肽链的N端,为一组由6～7个两亲的α螺旋围绕着一个疏水的α螺旋形成的α螺旋束,参与了细胞膜的穿孔;结构域Ⅱ位于肽链的中间,为三组以“希腊钥匙”（Greek key）拓扑结构连接在一起的反平行的β折叠片层,其顶端的突环参与了毒素与受体蛋白的结合;位于C端的结构域Ⅲ是由两组反平行的β折叠片层组成的夹心结构,以β果酱卷(jelly roll)拓扑结构排列,可能能够防止蛋白酶对毒素分子的过度降解.     

土壤微生物PCR及分子杂交检测

ＰＣＲ技术在环境微生物的检测方面已得到越来越广泛的应用,Ｓｔｅｆａｎ等［１］利用ＰＣＲ技术检测土壤中的转基因细菌,后来用于检测土壤中不可培养的微生物［２］,跟踪环境中的特定细菌或ＤＮＡ［３］,揭示土壤生态系统的基因多样性［４］等。利用ＰＣＲ技术来检测…     

Pathogenicity of the Lesion Nematode,Pratylenchus brachyurus,on Six Soybean Cultivars

Pathogenicity tests of Pratylenchus brachyurus on selected greenhouse-grown soybean cultivars indicated the nematode reduced seed yield of ''Hood'' but not that of ''Custer'', ''Bragg'', ''Dyer'', or ''Pickett''. Root weights of all cultivars were reduced. Damage and numbers of nematodes within soybean roots growing at 13, 21, and 29 C were greater at higher temperatures. At 29 C, root pruning was prominent in ''Hood'' and ''Pickett'' but limited in ''Custer'' and ''Hill''. Root pruning was not observed at 13 C and only ''Pickett'' showed pruning at 21 C. Plant height and foliage weight were not affected. P. brachyurus had no effect on the emergence of ''Pickett'' or ''Bragg'' soybeans. Nematode counts from roots of ''Pickett'' at intervals after inoculation indicated that hatching of second generation second-stage larvae occurred about 15 days after egg laying. An average of 68% of the initial inoculum penetrated the roots within five days of inoculation, the highest observed was 81% in five days. Details of structural damage in penetrated tissues were studied in sectioned roots. In soybean roots infected by P. brachyurus and/or Rhizoctonia solani greater damage occurred with nematode and fungus combined than with either acting alone.     

Reduction of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac toxicity against Helicoverpa armigera by a soluble toxin-binding cadherin fragment

A cadherin-like protein has been identified as a putative receptor for Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1Ac toxin in Helicoverpa armigera and plays a key role in Bt insecticidal action. In this study, we produced a fragment from this H. armigera Cry1Ac toxin-binding cadherin that included the predicted toxin-binding region. Binding of Cry1Ac toxin to this cadherin fragment facilitated the formation of a 250-kDa toxin oligomer. The cadherin fragment was evaluated for its effect on Cry1Ac toxin-binding and toxicity by ligand blotting, binding assays, and bioassays. The results of ligand blotting and binding assays revealed that the binding of Cry1Ac to H. armigera midgut epithelial cells was reduced under denaturing or native conditions in vitro. Bioassay results indicated that toxicities from Cry1Ac protoxin or activated toxin were reduced in vivo by the H. armigera cadherin fragment. The addition of the cadherin fragment had no effect on Cry2Ab toxicity.     

Co-expression of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry4Ba and Cyt2Aa2 in Escherichia coli revealed high synergism against Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae

Cry4Ba is a delta-endotoxin produced by Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis and Cyt2Aa2 is a cytolytic delta-endotoxin produced by B. thuringiensis subsp. darmstadiensis. Cry4Ba produced in Escherichia coli was toxic to Aedes aegypti larvae (LC(50)=140 ng ml(-1)) but virtually inactive to Culex quinquefasciatus larvae. Cyt2Aa2 expressed in E. coli exhibited moderate activity against A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus larvae with LC(50) values of 350 and 250 ng ml(-1), respectively. Co-expression of both toxins in E. coli dramatically increased toxicity to both A. aegypti andC. quinquefasciatus larvae (LC(50)=7 and 20 ng ml(-1), respectively). This is the first report to demonstrate that Cry4Ba and Cyt2Aa2 have high synergistic activity against C. quinquefasciatus larvae.     

Cryptic endotoxic nature of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab insecticidal crystal protein

Cry1Ab is one of the most studied insecticidal proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis during sporulation. Structurally, this protoxin has been divided in two domains: the N-terminal toxin core and the C-terminal portion. Although many studies have addressed the biochemical characteristics of the active toxin that corresponds to the N-terminal portion, there are just few reports studying the importance of the C-terminal part of the protoxin. Herein, we show that Cry1Ab protoxin has a unique natural cryptic endotoxic property that is evident when their halves are expressed individually. This toxic effect of the separate protoxin domains was found against its original host B. thuringiensis, as well as to two other bacteria, Escherichia coli and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Interestingly, either the fusion of the C-terminal portion with the insecticidal domain-III or the whole N-terminal region reduced or neutralized such a toxic effect, while a non-Cry1A peptide such as maltose binding protein did not neutralize the toxic effect. Furthermore, the C-terminal domain, in addition to being essential for crystal formation and solubility, plays a crucial role in neutralizing the toxicity caused by a separate expression of the insecticidal domain much like a dot/anti-dot system.     

Comparative binding of Cry1Ab and Cry1F Bacillus thuringiensis toxins to brush border membrane proteins from Ostrinia nubilalis, Ostrinia furnacalis and Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) midgut tissue

The European (Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner) and Asian corn borers (Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée) are closely related and display similar sensitivity to Cry1 toxins. In this study, we compared the binding patterns of Cry1Ab and Cry1F toxins between both Ostrinia spp., as well as the expression of putative cadherin- and aminopeptidase-N (APN)-like protein receptors. Additionally, cDNA sequences of these putative toxin receptors from both Ostrinia species were compared. Ligand blots for both species indicated a similar binding pattern for Cry1Ab with the strongest immunoreactive band at 260 kDa in both species. In addition, similar expression of the putative cadherin- and APN-like protein receptors were observed at 260 and 135 kDa, respectively. A high degree of similarity (98% amino acid sequence identity) of cDNA sequences for both putative receptor sequences was observed. The Cry1F ligand blot revealed that O. furnacalis and O. nubilalis BBMV exhibited slightly different binding patterns, with strong binding to putative proteins at 150 and 140 kDa, respectively. Both proteins appeared to also bind Cry1Ab, although the signal intensity was much reduced with Cry1Ab. O. furnacalis showed an additional but weaker band at 210 kDa relative to the 150 kDa band. Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius), which was used as an outgroup species, exhibited different binding patterns than either Ostrinia species, with both Cry1Ab and Cry1F toxins binding to a 210 kDa protein. These results support the previous experiments indicating that O. nubilalis and O. furnacalis share similar patterns of susceptibility to Cry toxins.     

Antisera-mediated in vivo reduction of Cry1Ac toxicity in Helicoverpa armigera

A functional assessment of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin receptors in the midgut of lepidopteran insects will facilitate understanding of the toxin mode of action and provide effective strategies to counter the development of resistance. In this study, we produced anti-aminopeptidase (APN) and anti-cadherin sera with purified Cry1Ac toxin-binding APN or cadherin fragments from Heliocoverpa armigera. Antisera were evaluated for their effects on Cry1Ac toxicity through bioassays. Our results indicated that both the anti-APN and anti-cadherin sera reduced Cry1Ac toxicity in vivo, although cadherin antiserum reduced toxicity more than APN antiserum. These results suggest that both APN and cadherin are involved in Cry1Ac intoxication of H. armigera, evidence that the pore formation model may be representative of Cry1Ac toxin mode of action in this insect.     

Two Bacillus sphaericus binary toxins share the midgut receptor binding site: implications for resistance of Culex pipiens complex (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae

This work demonstrates that Bin1 and Bin2 toxins, produced by Bacillus sphaericus strains IAB59 and 2362, respectively, share a binding site in midgut brush border membranes (BBMF) from Culex pipiens complex larvae. However, a colony selected with strain IAB59, displaying a resistance ratio of only 42-fold to IAB59, but a 162,000-fold resistance to strain 2362, was found to miss receptors for Bin2 in the BBMF. This correlates with results showing that Bin1, produced in strain IAB59, failed to bind specifically to BBMF from other colony highly resistant to strain 2362. Data indicate the loss of the BBMF bound receptor as a general mechanism of resistance to binary toxins in mosquito.