Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis is highly toxic to the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei Ferr. (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

A native collection of Bacillus thuringiensis strains was screened, once a reliable bioassay technique to assess the toxicity against the coffee berry borer (CBB) first-instar larvae was developed. A first round of bioassays with 170 strains indicated that the great majority of them showed no or very little insecticidal activity and that very few showed significant levels of toxicity. Interestingly, only those strains that had previously been associated with mosquitocidal activity were also toxic to CBB. Qualitative bioassays (using one high dose) were carried out only with those native mosquitocidal strains, corroborating their significant toxicity towards the CBB first-instar larvae. Most of these strains belong to serovar israelensis. In a second approach, strains from the Institut Pasteur type collection, whose mosquitocidal activity had been previously demonstrated, were also subjected to bioassays. Only those strains that showed a comparable protein content in their parasporal crystals to the israelensis type strain also showed high levels of toxicity towards CBB. Finally, an accurate LC(50) was estimated, using purified parasporal crystals from B. thuringiensis serovar israelensis type strain, at 219.5 ng cm(-2) of diet. All the statistical requirements for a reliable estimator were fulfilled. This is the first report of B. thuringiensis serovar israelensis being active against a coleopteran species.     

Haemolytic activity associated with parasporal inclusion proteins of mosquito-specific Bacillus thuringiensis soil isolates: A comparative neutralization study

Abstract Solubilized parasporal inclusions of the three mosquito-specific Bacillus thuringiensis isolates belonging to three different H serovars, co-isolated from a single soil microhabitat, showed haemolytic activity towards mammalian erythrocytes. Neutralization tests with antibodies against whole inclusion proteins resulted in crossed neutralization of haemolytic activity among the isolates and the type strain of B. thuringiensis serovar kyushuensis , indicating that the three soil isolates produce toxins related to the CytB toxin. No cross-neutralization occurred between the type strain of B. thuringiensis serovar israelensis and the three soil isolates.     

Treatment of an Aedes aegypti colony with the Cry11Aa toxin for 54 generations results in the development of resistance

To study the potential for the emergence of resistance in Aedes aegypti populations, a wild colony was subjected to selective pressure with Cry11Aa, one of four endotoxins that compose the Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis toxin. This bacterium is the base component of the most important biopesticide used in the control of mosquitoes worldwide. After 54 generations of selection, significant resistance levels were observed. At the beginning of the selection experiment, the half lethal concentration was 26.3 ng/mL and had risen to 345.6 ng/mL by generation 54. The highest rate of resistance, 13.1, was detected in the 54th generation. Because digestive proteases play a key role in the processing and activation of B. thuringiensis toxin, we analysed the involvement of insect gut proteases in resistance to the Cry11Aa B. thuringiensis serovar israelensis toxin. The protease activity from larval gut extracts from the Cry11Aa resistant population was lower than that of the B. thuringiensisserovar israelensis susceptible colony. We suggest that differences in protoxin proteolysis could contribute to the resistance of this Ae. aegypti colony.     

A new black fly isolate of Bacillus thuringiensis autoagglutinating strain highly toxic to Simulium pertinax (Kollar) (Diptera, Simuliidae) larvae

Formulations containing the entomopathogenic Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis strain IPS-82 has been widely applied for mosquito control around the world. Strain IPS-82 is highly active against Aedes aegypti but less active against other well-known vectors such as Culex quinquefasciatus and Simulium spp. larvae. Eighteen strains of B. thuringiensis were isolated from Simulium pertinax larvae naturally occurring in rivers of Southeast Brazil with one demonstrating special toxic effects. Simulated field tests against S. pertinax larvae showed that the native Brazilian autoagglutinating B. thuringiensis (LFB-FIOCRUZ 1035) has an LC50 at least 25 times lower than the standard IPS-82 strain. The same bacterial preparation was also tested against Ae. aegypti larvae in laboratory trials and the LC50 values obtained with LFB-FIOCRUZ 1035 were at least three times lower than the one for the IPS 82 strain. The results indicate that this strain is more toxic than the standard B. thuringiensis serovar israelensis (H14) in the two Dipteran species tested. It is noteworthy that differences between LC50 values were more pronounced in S. pertinax larvae, the source of the original isolation.     

Identification and characterization of a previously undescribed cyt gene in Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis.

Mosquitocidal Bacillus thuringiensis strains show as a common feature the presence of toxic proteins with cytolytic and hemolytic activities, Cyt1Aa1 being the characteristic cytolytic toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis. We have detected the presence of another cyt gene in this subspecies, highly homologous to cyt2An1, coding for the 29-kDa cytolytic toxin from B. thuringiensis subsp. kyushuensis. This gene, designated cyt2Ba1, maps upstream of cry4B coding for the 130-kDa crystal toxin, on the 72-MDa plasmid of strain 4Q2-72. Sequence analysis revealed, as a remarkable feature, a 5' mRNA stabilizing region similar to those described for some cry genes. PCR amplification and Southern analysis confirmed the presence of this gene in other mosquitocidal subspecies. Interestingly, anticoleopteran B. thuringiensis subsp. tenebrionis belonging to the morrisoni serovar also showed this gene. On the other hand, negative results were obtained with the anti-lepidopteran strains B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1 and subsp. aizawai HD-137. Western analysis failed to reveal Cyt2A-related polypeptides in B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis 4Q2-72. However, B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis 1884 and B. thuringiensis subsp. tenebrionis did show cross-reactive products, although in very small amounts.     

Fingerprinting of Bacillus thuringiensis type strains and isolates by using Bacillus cereus group-specific repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence-based PCR analysis

A total of 119 Bacillus thuringiensis strains (83 type strains and 26 native isolates), as well as five B. cereus group species, were analyzed by repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence-based PCR analysis (Rep-PCR) fingerprinting. Primers Bc-REP-1 and Bc-REP-2 were specifically designed according to an extragenic 26-bp repeated sequence found in the six B. cereus group genomes reported. A total of 47 polymorphic bands were detected, and the patterns varied from 5 to 13 bands in number and from 0.2 to 3.8 kb in size. Virtually each type strain showed a distinctive B. cereus (Bc)-Rep-PCR pattern, except for B. thuringiensis serovars dakota (H serotype 15 [H15]) and sotto (H4a,4b), as well as serovars amagiensis (H29) and seoulensis (H35), which shared the same patterns. As expected, serovar entomocidus (H6) and its biovar subtoxicus showed an identical pattern; similarly, serovars sumiyoshiensis (H3a,3d) and fukuokaensis (H3a,3d,3e), which share two antigenic determinants, also showed identical Bc-Rep-PCR patterns. Interestingly, serovars israelensis (H14) and malaysiensis (H36), which share several phenotypic attributes, also showed identical Bc-Rep-PCR patterns. Native, coleopteran-active strains, including the self-agglutinated LBIT-74 strain, showed Bc-Rep-PCR patterns identical or very similar to that of the tenebrionis strain. Likewise, native mosquitocidal strains (including some self-agglutinated strains) also showed patterns identical or very similar to that of the serovar israelensis IPS-82 strain. Additionally, native beta-exotoxin-producing strains from serovar thuringiensis showed patterns identical to that of the B. thuringiensis type strain. The B. cereus group-specific Bc-Rep-PCR fingerprinting technique was shown to be highly discriminative, fast, easy, and able to identify B. thuringiensis serotypes, including nonflagellar and self-agglutinated strains.     

Improvement of Bacillus sphaericus toxicity against dipteran larvae by integration, via homologous recombination, of the Cry11A toxin gene from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis.

Integrative plasmids were constructed to enable integration of foreign DNA into the chromosome of Bacillus sphaericus 2297 by in vivo recombination. Integration of the aphA3 kanamycin resistance gene by a two-step procedure demonstrated that this strategy was applicable with antibiotic resistance selection. Hybridization experiments evidenced two copies of the operon encoding the binary toxin from B. sphaericus in the recipient strain. The Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis cry11Aal gene (referred to as cry11A), encoding a delta-endotoxin with toxicity against Culex, Aedes, and Anopheles larvae, was integrated either by a single crossover event [strain 2297 (::pHT5601), harboring the entire recombinant plasmid] or by two successive crossover events [strain 2297 (::cry11A)]. The level of the Cry11A production in B. sphaericus was high; two crystalline inclusions were produced in strain 2297 (::pHT5601). Synthesis of the Cry11A toxin conferred toxicity to the recombinant strains against Aedes aegypti larvae, for which the parental strain was not toxic. Interestingly, the level of larvicidal activity of strain 2297 (::pHT5601) against Anopheles stephensi was as high as that of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis and suggested synergy between the B. thuringiensis and B. sphaericus toxins. The toxicities of parental and recombinant B. sphaericus strains against Culex quinquefasciatus were similar, but the recombinant strains killed the larvae more rapidly. The production of the Cry11A toxin in B. sphaericus also partially restored toxicity for C. quinquefasciatus larvae from a population resistant to B. sphaericus 1593. In vivo recombination therefore appears to be a promising approach to the creation of new B. sphaericus strains for vector control.     

A novel phage genome integrated into a plasmid in Bacillus thuringiensis strain AF101

Bacillus thuringiensis strain AF101 possesses a single plasmid (pAF101) with a molecular size of 42 MDa (69 kb). During plasmid curing experiments in strain AF101, we found that a phage (J7W-1) was induced by ethidium bromide treatment. Moreover, the phage genome (48 kb) hybridized only with pAF101 on a Southern blot of the DNA of a cleared lysate prepared from strain AF101. Comparison of the restriction patterns of pAF101 and J7W-1 phage DNA revealed that pAF101 contains not only the entire phage DNA but also a plasmid-specific DNA region. These results indicate that the J7W-1 genome has been stably integrated into pAF101 in strain AF101. Integration of the J7W-1 genome into a plasmid was also observed after phage infection of the type strain of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis.     

Transfer of the toxin protein genes of Bacillus sphaericus into Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis and their expression

The genes encoding the toxic determinants of Bacillus sphaericus have been expressed in a nontoxic and a toxic strain of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis. In both cases, the B. sphaericus toxin proteins were produced at a high level during sporulation of B. thuringiensis and accumulated as crystalline structures. B. thuringiensis transformants expressing B. sphaericus and B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis toxins did not show a significant enhancement of toxicity against Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi, and Culex pipiens larvae.     

Transfer of the toxin protein genes of Bacillus sphaericus into Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis and their expression.

The genes encoding the toxic determinants of Bacillus sphaericus have been expressed in a nontoxic and a toxic strain of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis. In both cases, the B. sphaericus toxin proteins were produced at a high level during sporulation of B. thuringiensis and accumulated as crystalline structures. B. thuringiensis transformants expressing B. sphaericus and B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis toxins did not show a significant enhancement of toxicity against Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi, and Culex pipiens larvae.     

Pulsed field gel electrophoresis of chromosomal DNA reveals a clonal population structure to Bacillus thuringiensis that relates in general to crystal protein gene content

Seventy strains of Bacillus thuringiensis representing 21 serovars were allocated to 38 genomic groups using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of restriction enzyme-digested DNA. There was a broad correlation between PFGE type and serotype for serovars darmstadiensis, israelensis, kenyae, kumamotoensis, kurstaki, sotto, thuringiensis, and tolworthi, although some serovars included atypical strains. Serovars canadensis and entomocidus were heterogeneous. Detection of crystal protein genes by polymerase chain reaction indicated an approximate correlation between PFGE type and cry gene complement. For example, cry1 products were amplified from DNA from PFGE type 17 strains of serovar aizawai and from PFGE type 23 strains of serovar tolworthi but not from a PFGE 18 strain of aizawai nor from a PFGE type 24 strain of tolworthi. These data suggest a clonal population structure to B. thuringiensis with some consistency of Cry-plasmid composition within PFGE types.     

Biochemical and immunological characterization of the cloned crystal toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis

The protein components of the cloned crystal toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. Using an antiserum to the solubilized B. thuringiensis var. israelensis crystal protein as a probe, immunological homology between the crystal protein components of B. thuringiensis var. israelensis and those of the recombinant B. megaterium strain VB131 was tested. The results from this study indicate that the crystal inclusion of the recombinant strain contains only the 130 kilodalton protein and not the 68 or the 28 kilodalton proteins of the crystal toxin of B. thuringiensis var. israelensis and that the 130 kilodalton protein is primarily responsible for the mosquitocidal activity of this organism.     

The parasporal inclusion of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. shandongiensis: characterization and screening for insecticidal activity.

The parasporal body of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. shandongiensis was characterized in terms of its structure, protein composition, and toxicological properties against several types of insects. The crystals of B. thuringiensis shandongiensis appear to consist of a major protein of 144 kDa present in an spherical inclusion, as determined by transmission electron microscopy, titration curve analysis, and SDS-PAGE of the solubilized crystals. A second protein of ca. 60 kDa is present in trace amounts and appears to be associated with a small bar-shaped inclusion. The 144-kDa protein has been characterized by isoelectric point determination, N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis, amino acid analysis, and immunological cross reactivity. Its N-terminal amino acid sequence differed from that of other B. thuringiensis crystal proteins. The 144-kDa protein was not immunologically related to the crystal proteins of two toxic serovars (B. thuringiensis israelensis and B. thuringiensis kurstaki HD-1) and one nontoxic serovar (B. thuringiensis indiana), as shown in immunoblots probed with antiserum raised against the 144-kDa B. thuringiensis shandongiensis protein, the B. thuringiensis israelensis crystal proteins, and the trypsin resistant fragment of B. thuringiensis kurstaki P1 proteins. In contrast to most B. thuringiensis serovars, B. thuringiensis shandongiensis crystals did not dissolve at pH 12. Solubilization was achieved in sodium bicarbonate at pH 8.3 and in the presence of 25 mM dithiothreitol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Recombinant strain of Bacillus thuringiensis producing Cyt1A,Cry11B,and the Bacillus sphaericus binary toxin

A novel recombinant Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis strain that produces the B. sphaericus binary toxin, Cyt1Aa, and Cry11Ba is described. The toxicity of this strain (50% lethal concentration [LC(50)] = 1.7 ng/ml) against fourth-instar Culex quinquefasciatus was higher than that of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis IPS-82 (LC(50) = 7.9 ng/ml) or B. sphaericus 2362 (LC(50) = 12.6 ng/ml).     

Binding of Cyt1Aa and Cry11Aa toxins of Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis to brush border membrane vesicles of Tipula paludosa (Diptera: Nematocera) and subsequent pore formation

Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis (B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis) produces four insecticidal crystal proteins (ICPs) (Cry4A, Cry4B, Cry11A, and Cyt1A). Toxicity of recombinant B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis strains expressing only one of the toxins was determined with first instars of Tipula paludosa (Diptera: Nematocera). Cyt1A was the most toxic protein, whereas Cry4A, Cry4B, and Cry11A were virtually nontoxic. Synergistic effects were recorded when Cry4A and/or Cry4B was combined with Cyt1A but not with Cry11A. The binding and pore formation are key steps in the mode of action of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis ICPs. Binding and pore-forming activity of Cry11Aa, which is the most toxic protein against mosquitoes, and Cyt1Aa to brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) of T. paludosa were analyzed. Solubilization of Cry11Aa resulted in two fragments, with apparent molecular masses of 32 and 36 kDa. No binding of the 36-kDa fragment to T. paludosa BBMVs was detected, whereas the 32-kDa fragment bound to T. paludosa BBMVs. Only a partial reduction of binding of this fragment was observed in competition experiments, indicating a low specificity of the binding. In contrast to results for mosquitoes, the Cyt1Aa protein bound specifically to the BBMVs of T. paludosa, suggesting an insecticidal mechanism based on a receptor-mediated action, as described for Cry proteins. Cry11Aa and Cyt1Aa toxins were both able to produce pores in T. paludosa BBMVs. Protease treatment with trypsin and proteinase K, previously reported to activate Cry11Aa and Cyt1Aa toxins, respectively, had the opposite effect. A higher efficiency in pore formation was observed when Cyt1A was proteinase K treated, while the activity of trypsin-treated Cry11Aa was reduced. Results on binding and pore formation are consistent with results on ICP toxicity and synergistic effect with Cyt1Aa in T. paludosa.     

Cloning and expression of a novel toxin gene from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. jegathesan encoding a highly mosquitocidal protein.

A gene, designated cry11B, encoding a 81,293-Da crystal protein of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. jegathesan was cloned by using a gene-specific oligonucleotide probe. The sequence of the Cry11B protein, as deduced from the sequence of the cry11B gene, contains large regions of similarity with the Cry11A toxin (previously CryIVD) from B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis. The Cry11B protein was immunologically related to both Cry11A and Cry4A proteins. The cry11B gene was expressed in a nontoxic strain of B. thuringiensis, in which Cry11B was produced in large amounts during sporulation and accumulated as inclusions. Purified Cry11B inclusions were highly toxic for mosquito larvae of the species Aedes aegypti, Culex pipiens, and Anopheles stephensi. The activity of Cry11B toxin was higher than that of Cry11A and similar to that of the native crystals from B. thuringiensis subsp. jegathesan, which contain at least seven polypeptides.     

Diversity of Bacillus thuringiensis strains from Latin America with insecticidal activity against different mosquito species

The characterization of selected Bacillus thuringiensis strains isolated from different Latin America countries is presented. Characterization was based on their insecticidal activity against Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Anopheles albimanus larvae, scanning electron microscopy, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and plasmid profiles as well as PCR analysis using novel general and specific primers for cry and cyt genes encoding proteins active against mosquitoes (cyt1, cyt2, cry2, cry4A, cry4B, cry10, cry11, cry17, cry19, cry24, cry25, cry27, cry29, cry30, cry32, cry39, and cry40). Strains LBIT315, LBIT348, and IB604 showed threefold higher mosquitocidal activity against A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus larvae than B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis and displayed high similarities with the B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis used in this study with regard to protein and plasmid profiles and the presence of cry genes. Strain 147-8906 has activity against A. aegypti similar to that of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis but has different protein and plasmid profiles. This strain, harboring cry11, cry30, cyt1, and cyt2 genes, could be relevant for future resistance management interventions. Finally, the PCR screening strategy presented here led us to identify a putative novel cry11B gene.     

Resuscitation of a defective prophage in Salmonella cocultures

Widely studied Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strains ATCC 14028s and SL1344 harbor a cryptic ST64B prophage unable to produce infectious virions. We found that coculturing either strain with an isogenic sibling lacking the prophage leads to the appearance of active forms of the virus. Active phage originates from reversion of a +1 frameshift mutation at a monotonous G:C run in a presumptive tail assembly pseudogene.