Molecular characterization of a novel vegetative insecticidal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis effective against sap-sucking insect pest

Several isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) were screened for the vegetative insecticidal protein (Vip) effective against sap-sucking insect pests. Screening results were based on LC(50) values against cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii), one of the dangerous pests of various crop plants including cotton. Among the isolates, the Bt#BREF24 showed promising results, and upon purification the aphidicidal protein was recognized as a binary toxin. One of the components of this binary toxin was identified by peptide sequencing to be a homolog of Vip2A that has been reported previously in other Bacillus spp. Vip2 belongs to the binary toxin group Vip1-Vip2, and is responsible for the enzymatic activity; and Vip1 is the translocation and receptor binding protein. The two genes encoding the corresponding proteins of the binary toxin, designated as vip2Ae and vip1Ae, were cloned from the Bt#BREF24, sequenced, and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. Aphid feeding assay with the recombinant proteins confirmed that these proteins are indeed the two components of the binary toxins, and the presence of both partners is essential for the activity. Aphid specificity of the binary toxin was further verified by ligand blotting experiment, which identified an ~50 kDa receptor in the brush border membrane vesicles of the cotton aphids only, but not in the lepidopteran insects. Our finding holds a promise of its use in future as a candidate gene for developing transgenic crop plants tolerant against sap-sucking insect pests.     

Characterization of Chimeric Bacillus thuringiensis Vip3 Toxins

Bacillus thuringiensis vegetative insecticidal proteins (Vip) are potential alternatives for B. thuringiensis endotoxins that are currently utilized in commercial transgenic insect-resistant crops. Screening a large number of B. thuringiensis isolates resulted in the cloning of vip3Ac1. Vip3Ac1 showed high insecticidal activity against the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda and the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa zea but very low activity against the silkworm Bombyx mori. The host specificity of this Vip3 toxin was altered by sequence swapping with a previously identified toxin, Vip3Aa1. While both Vip3Aa1 and Vip3Ac1 showed no detectable toxicity against the European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis, the chimeric protein Vip3AcAa, consisting of the N-terminal region of Vip3Ac1 and the C-terminal region of Vip3Aa1, became insecticidal to the European corn borer. In addition, the chimeric Vip3AcAa had increased toxicity to the fall armyworm. Furthermore, both Vip3Ac1 and Vip3AcAa are highly insecticidal to a strain of cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) that is highly resistant to the B. thuringiensis endotoxin Cry1Ac, thus experimentally showing for the first time the lack of cross-resistance between B. thuringiensis Cry1A proteins and Vip3A toxins. The results in this study demonstrated that vip3Ac1 and its chimeric vip3 genes can be excellent candidates for engineering a new generation of transgenic plants for insect pest control.     

Screening and identification of vip genes in Bacillus thuringiensis strains

Aims:  To identify known vip genes and to detect potentially novel vip genes in a collection of 507 strains of Bacillus thuringiensis .
Methods and Results:  Following a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) strategy, four restriction patterns were found within the vip1 family: vip1Aa1 , vip1Ba1 / vip1Ba2 and vip1Ca . In the screening of vip2 genes, patterns similar to those of vip2Aa1 , vip2Ba1 / vip2Ba2 and vip2Ac1 genes were observed. Patterns for vip3Aa1 , vip3Ae2 and vip3Af1 were found among vip3 genes. Two new patterns revealed novel vip1 and vip3A genes. The observed frequency of genes belonging to vip1 and vip2 families was around 10%, whereas 48·9% of the strains showed amplification of vip3 genes. A tendency of vip and cry genes to occur together has been observed in this collection of B. thuringiensis strains.
Conclusions:  Ten different patterns of vip genes belonging to the three vip families and two novel vip genes have been identified in this study.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  This is the first time that vip1 and vip2 genes have been identified by PCR-RFLP. Furthermore, the results show that the strategy used in this study can lead to the classification of known vip genes as well as the identification of novel vip genes.     

Characterization of Vegetative Insecticidal Protein vip Genes of Bacillus thuringiensis from Sichuan Basin in China

Vegetative insecticidal proteins (Vip), the second generation of insecticides, are produced during the vegetative growth stage of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). To perform a systematic study of vip genes in Bt strains from different ecological regions of Sichuan Basin, 1,789 soil samples were collected from this basin, which is situated in the western region of China. The basin has a complicated geomorphology and contains mountains, forests, highlands, hursts, and plains. A total of 2,134 Bt strains have been screened from the 1,789 soil samples. According to the results, three vip-type genes were found in this basin, namely the vip1, vip2, and vip3-type genes. Strains containing vip3-type genes were the most abundant in our collection (67.4%), followed by vip2-type genes (14.6%) and vip1-type genes (8.1%). The three types of vip genes were distributed in most of the regions, but E Mei Mountain and the Ba Lang Mountains only contained vip3 genes in environments with high elevation, low temperature, insufficient oxygen, and abundant snow. Moreover, five novel vip3 genes were found, and these Vip proteins were toxic for Chilo suppressalis. All the results mentioned above suggest that Sichuan Basin is a rich resource for vip genes.     

Binding sites for Bacillus thuringiensis Cry2Ae toxin on heliothine brush border membrane vesicles are not shared with Cry1A, Cry1F, or Vip3A toxin

The use of combinations of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins with diverse modes of action for insect pest control has been proposed as the most efficient strategy to increase target range and delay the onset of insect resistance. Considering that most cases of cross-resistance to Bt toxins in laboratory-selected insect colonies are due to alteration of common toxin binding sites, independent modes of action can be defined as toxins sharing limited or no binding sites in brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) prepared from the target insect larvae. In this paper, we report on the specific binding of Cry2Ae toxin to binding sites on BBMV from larvae of the three most commercially relevant heliothine species, Heliothis virescens, Helicoverpa zea, and Helicoverpa armigera. Using chromatographic purification under reducing conditions before labeling, we detected specific binding of radiolabeled Cry2Ae, which allowed us to perform competition assays using Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1Fa, Vip3A, Cry2Ae, and Cry2Ab toxins as competitors. In these assays, Cry2Ae binding sites were shared with Cry2Ab but not with the tested Cry1 or Vip3A toxins. Our data support the use of Cry2Ae toxin in combination with Cry1 or Vip3A toxins in strategies to increase target range and delay the onset of heliothine resistance.     

Characterization of a novel vip3-type gene from Bacillus thuringiensis and evidence of its presence on a large plasmid

A novel vip3-type gene named vip3LB has been isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis strain BUPM95. The corresponding secreted vegetative insecticidal protein was active against the lepidopteran insect Ephestia kuehniella. The vip3LB gene was shown, for the first time, to be carried by the large plasmid containing the cry1Ia genes of B. thuringiensis. The nucleotide sequence predicted a protein of 789 amino acids residues with a calculated molecular mass of 88.5kDa. Both nucleotide and amino acid sequences similarity analysis revealed that vip3LB is a new vip3-type gene, presenting several differences with the other vip3-type genes. Heterologous expression of the vip3LB under the control of the strong promoter P(BAD) was performed in Escherichia coli and the produced protein conferred insecticidal activity against Ephestia kuehniella. This novel vegetative insecticidal protein Vip3LB could be a very useful biological control agent.     

`Cloning of <Emphasis Type="Italic">vip1/vip2</Emphasis> genes and expression of Vip1Ca/Vip2Ac proteins in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis>

Forty-one Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) standard reference strains and 118 Bt local isolates were screened for vip1/vip2 genes by PCR amplification, with only three strains (HD201, HD109 and HD12) producing the desired bands. Southern blot showed that vip1/vip2 genes were located on a 10 Kb EcoRV fragment of their total DNAs. Furthermore, the vip1Ca/vip2Ac genes were cloned from a partial genomic library of HD201. Sequence homologous analysis revealed that vip2Ac gene was highly conserved and encoded a protein possibly having ADP-ribosyltransferase activity, and that vip1Ca gene was of low homology, especially at its 3-terminus. Western blot showed that Vip1Ca and Vip2Ac proteins could be detected from middle logarithmic phase to the stationary phase in Bt HD201. However, bioassays of HD201 supernatants exhibited no activity against Culex quinquefasciatus, Spodoptera exigua, S. litura, Helicoverpa amigera and Tenebrio molitor larvae. Whether Vip1Ca and Vip2Ac proteins have any toxicity to other susceptible targets still needs to be investigated.     

苏云金芽孢杆菌vip3A基因的检测及保守性分析

Vip3A蛋白是苏云金芽孢杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis,Bt)在营养期分泌的一类新型杀虫蛋白。用PCR方法从114个Bl菌株和41个Bl标准菌株中筛选到39株即约25％的菌株含有vip3A基因。利用所制备的Vip3A蛋白的多克隆抗体对以上含有vip3A基因的Bt菌株进行Western印迹分析,发现多数PCR反应为阳性的菌株都产生89kD大小的蛋白,其中有4株没有Vip3A蛋白的表达。从以上菌株中挑选2个对夜蛾科害虫具有较高和较低毒力的菌株,即S101和6ll,并分别进行vip3A基因的克隆和测序,再与GenBank上所登录的其它6个全长vip3A基因和2个已报道的但未登录GenBank的vip3A基因进行核苷酸和氨基酸序列比较,结果表明,vip3A是一个极其保守的基因。将以上所克隆的2个却3A基因即vip3A—S101和vip3A-611分别插入表达载体pQE30构建了表达质粒pOTP-S101和pOTP-6ll,转化到大肠杆菌M15,经lmmol／L IPTG诱导后均表达89kD大小的Vip3A蛋白。蛋白可溶性试验表明,Vip3A-S101和Vip3A-611分别有48％和35％的蛋白是可溶的。将Vip3A-S101和Vip3A-6ll蛋白和已报道的Vip3A—S184蛋白对初孵斜纹夜蛾(Spodoptera litura)幼虫进行生物测定,结果表明,3个Vip3A蛋白对斜纹夜蛾幼虫毒力没有显著性差异,这说明了Vip3A个别氨基酸的变化对蛋白的杀虫活性没有影响。     

Identification of vip3A-type genes from Bacillus thuringiensis strains and characterization of a novel vip3A-type gene

AIMS: To search for novel Vip3A proteins for controlling insect pests. METHODS AND RESULTS: A pair of universal primers was designed based on the conserved regions of five vip3A genes. Amplified products were digested with the HindIII and EcoR enzymes so as to confirm different restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns used to identify vip3A-type genes. The vip3A gene types of 606 Bacillus thuringiensis strains were screened and three patterns of RFLP were successfully identified. Two novel vip3A genes were found and one of these, vip3Aa19, was further characterized and its product was confirmed toxic to Spodoptera exigua, Helicoverpa armigera and Plutella xylostella larvae. Partial sequences of another novel vip3A-type gene were obtained that shared 83% homology with that of the vip3Af1 gene. CONCLUSIONS: A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-RFLP system we developed could be used for identifying novel vip3A-genes from B. thuringiensis strains. A novel Vip3A protein was found to have a broader insecticidal spectrum. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The reported method is a powerful tool to find novel Vip3A proteins from large-scale B. thuringiensis strains. The novel Vip3A protein may be used to control insect pests or resistant insect pests by constructing genetically engineered strains or transgenic plants.     

Expression of vip1/vip2 genes in Escherichia coli and Bacillus thuringiensis and the analysis of their signal peptides

AIMS: To determine the expression time courses and high expression level of Vip2A(c) and Vip1A(c) in Bacillus thuringiensis, and survey their insecticidal toxicity and insecticidal spectrum. METHODS AND RESULTS: A kind of new vegetative insecticidal toxin genes encoded by a single operon from B. thuringiensis had been cloned and sequenced. The individual genes, 5-terminus truncated genes and the operon were respectively expressed in Escherichia coli. Only N-terminus deleted Vip2A(c) and Vip1A(c) proteins could be purified by Ni-NTA agarose, while others were processed and their N-terminal signal peptides were cleaved. The individual genes and the operon were also expressed in B. thuringiensis. Both proteins were mostly secreted into the cell supernatants. The expression level of Vip1A(c) was influenced because of the interruption of vip2A(c) gene on the operon. Bioassays showed that neither separate protein nor both performed any toxicity against tested lepidopteran and coleopteran insects. CONCLUSIONS: Vip2A(c) and Vip1A(c) have similar secretion mechanism in E. coli and B. thuringiensis. Vip1A(c) remained its high expression level only when being expressed with vip2A(c) gene as an operon in B. thuringiensis. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Expression of vip2A(c) and vip1A(c) genes in E. coli and B. thuringiensis were investigated. This would help to make clear the secretion mechanism of VIP proteins and study the function of ADP-ribosyltransferase Vip2.     

Vip3Aa tolerance response of Helicoverpa armigera populations from a Cry1Ac cotton planting region

Transgenic cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., that expresses the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1Ac toxin, holds great promise in controlling target insect pests. Evolution of resistance by target pests is the primary threat to the continued efficacy of Bt cotton. To thwart pest resistance evolution, a transgenic cotton culitvar that produces two different Bt toxins, cry1Ac and vip3A genes, was proposed as a successor of cry1Ac cotton. This article reports on levels of Vip3Aa tolerance in Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) populations from the Cry1Ac cotton planting region in China based on bioassays of the F1 generation of isofemale lines. In total, 80 isofemale families of H. armigera from Xiajin county of Shandong Province (an intensive Bt cotton planting area) and 93 families from Anci county of Hebei Province (a multiple-crop system including corn [Zea mays L.] , soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), and Bt cotton) were screened with a discriminating concentration of both Cry1Ac- and Vip3A-containing diets in 2009. From data on the relative average development rates and percentage of larval weight inhibition of F1 full-sib families tested simultaneously on Cry1Ac and Vip3Aa, results indicate that responses to Cry1Ac and Vip3Aa were not genetically correlated in field population ofH. armigera. This indicates that the threat of cross-resistance between Cry1Ac and Vip3A is low in field populations of H. armigera. Thus, the introduction of Vip3Aa/Cry1Ac-producing lines could delay resistance evolution in H. armigera in Bt cotton planting area of China.     

苏云金杆菌营养期杀虫蛋白的研究

营养期杀虫蛋白 (vegetativeinsecticidalproteins ,VIPs)是苏云金杆菌 (Bacillusthuringiensis,Bt)在对数生长中期分泌的一类新型杀虫毒蛋白。VIPs主要分为VIP1、VIP2和VIP3三种。VIP1和VIP2构成二元毒素 ,对鞘翅目叶甲科的昆虫具有杀虫特异性 ;而VIP3对鳞翅目昆虫具有较广谱的杀虫活性。VIP1和VIP2的杀虫作用机理还不清楚 ;VIP3通过诱发细胞凋亡 ,最终导致昆虫死亡 ,这种作用机理与Bt杀虫晶体蛋白的作用机理完全不同 ,这为筛选新的杀虫活性物质提供了新的思路。vip基因现已被应用于转基因杀虫植物的构建 ,得到高效抗虫的多价转基因玉米。此外 ,VIPs嵌合蛋白的构建、vip及其融合基因导入其它许多宿主微生物等方面的研究也具有诱人的潜在应用前景。     

Transgenic cotton co-expressing chimeric Vip3AcAa and Cry1Ac confers effective protection against Cry1Ac-resistant cotton bollworm

Wide planting of transgenic Bt cotton in China since 1997 to control cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) has increased yields and decreased insecticide use, but the evolution of resistance to Bt cotton by H. armigera remains a challenge. Toward developing a new generation of insect-resistant transgenic crops, a chimeric protein of Vip3Aa1 and Vip3Ac1, named Vip3AcAa, having a broader insecticidal spectrum, was specifically created previously in our laboratory. In this study, we investigated cross resistance and interactions between Vip3AcAa and Cry1Ac with three H. armigera strains, one that is susceptible and two that are Cry1Ac-resistant, to determine if Vip3AcAa is a good candidate for development the pyramid cotton with Cry1Ac toxin. Our results showed that evolution of insect resistance to Cry1Ac toxin did not influence the sensitivity of Cry1Ac-resistant strains to Vip3AcAa. For the strains examined, observed mortality was equivalent to the expected mortality for all the combinations of Vip3AcAa and Cry1Ac tested, reflecting independent activity between these two toxins. When this chimeric vip3AcAa gene and the cry1Ac gene were introduced into cotton, mortality rates of Cry1Ac resistant H. armigera larvae strains that fed on this new cotton increased significantly compared with larvae fed on non-Bt cotton and cotton producing only Cry1Ac. These results suggest that the Vip3AcAa protein is an excellent option for a “pyramid” strategy for pest resistance management in China.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Prays oleae</Emphasis> Midgut Putative Receptor of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis> Vegetative Insecticidal Protein Vip3LB Differs from that of Cry1Ac Toxin

Vegetative insecticidal protein (Vip) is a class of insecticidal proteins produced by many Bacillus thuringiensis strains during their vegetative growth stage. The vip3LB gene of B. thuringiensis strain BUPM95, which encodes a protein active against the Lepidoptera olive tree pathogenic insect Prays oleae, was cloned into pET-14b vector and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The expressed Vip3LB protein, found in the E. coli cytoplasmic fraction, was purified and used to produce anti-Vip3LB antibodies. Using the midgut extract of P. oleae, the purified Vip3LB bound to a 65-kDa protein, whereas Cry1Ac toxin bound to a 210-kDa midgut putative receptor. This result justifies the importance of the biological pest control agent Vip3LB that could be used as another alternative particularly in case of resistance to Cry toxins.     

Screening of vip genes from a Spanish Bacillus thuringiensis collection and characterization of two Vip3 proteins highly toxic to five lepidopteran crop pests

A Spanish Bacillus thuringiensis strain collection was screened for the presence of vip genes. One hundred strains from a Canary Island collection were screened for vip1 and vip2 genes and 7% contained potentially novel vip1 and vip2-like genes, as indicated by the low degree of similarity with previously known vip1 and vip2 genes. Four hundred strains from a collection originating from the Spanish mainland were screened for vip3 genes and 14.5% of them contained potentially novel vip3-like genes. Reconstruction of the full-length vip sequences could only be achieved for two vip3 gene variants encoding 789 and 787 amino acid proteins that were designated as Vip3Aa45 and Vip3Ag4, respectively. These proteins showed 82% pairwise identity between them and differed from Vip3Aa1 in the putative signal peptide, two specific proteolytic processing sites and the 66-kDa insecticidal fragment. The purified proteins were tested against nine lepidopteran pest species and displayed toxicity, expressed as mean lethal concentration, for five of them. The two toxins were highly toxic for Lobesia botrana (∼1–2 μg/ml) and Spodoptera littoralis (∼20 ng/cm²), moderately toxic for Spodoptera exigua (∼100–300 ng/cm²), and varied greatly in their toxicity for Mamestra brassicae or Chrysodeixis chalcites, with high toxicity for Vip3Aa45 in M. brassicae (∼40 ng/cm²) and for Vip3Ag4 in C. chalcites (∼45 ng/cm²).     

Co-expression and Synergism Analysis of Vip3Aa29 and Cyt2Aa3 Insecticidal Proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis

Vegetative insecticidal protein (Vip3) from Bacillus thuringiensis shows high activity against lepidopteran insects. Cytolytic δ-endotoxin (Cyt) also has high toxicity to dipteran larvae and synergism with other crystal proteins (Cry), but synergism between Cyt and Vip3 proteins has not been tested. We analyzed for synergism between Cyt2Aa3 and Vip3Aa29. Both cyt2Aa3 and vip3Aa29 genes were co-expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21 carried on vector pCOLADuet-1. Vip3Aa29 showed insecticidal activity against Chilo suppressalis and Spodoptera exigua, with 50% lethal concentration (LC(50)) at 24.0 and 36.6 μg ml(-1), respectively. It could also inhibit Helicoverpa armigera growth, with 50% inhibition concentration at 22.6 μg ml(-1). While Cyt2Aa3 was toxic to Culex quinquefasciatus (LC(50): 0.53 μg ml(-1)) and Chironomus tepperi (LC(50): 36 μg ml(-1)), it did not inhibit C. suppressalis, S. exigua, and H. armigera. However, the co-expression of Cyt2Aa3 and Vip3Aa29 showed synergistic effect on C. suppressalis and S. exigua, and the individual activities were strengthened 3.35- and 4.34-fold, respectively. The co-expression had no synergism against C. tepperi and H. armigera, but exerted some antagonistic effect on Cx. quinquefasciatus. The synergism between Cyt2Aa and Vip3Aa was thus discovered for the first time, which confirmed that Cyt toxin can enhance the toxicity of other toxins against some non-target insects. By synergism analysis, the effectiveness of microbial insecticides can be verified.     

Novel Vip3-related protein from Bacillus thuringiensis

A novel vip3-related gene was identified in Bacillus thuringiensis. This novel gene is 2,406 bp long and codes for a 91-kDa protein (801 amino acids). This novel protein exhibits between 61 and 62% similarity with Vip3A proteins and is designated Vip3Ba1. Vip3Ba1 has several specific features. Differences between Vip3Ba1 and the Vip3A proteins are spread throughout the sequence but are more frequent in the C-terminal part from amino acid 456 onward. The regions containing the two proteolytic processing sites, which are highly conserved among the Vip3A toxins, are markedly different in Vip3Ba1. The pattern DCCEE (Asp Cys Cys Glu Glu) is repeated four times between position 463 and 483 in Vip3Ba1, generating the sequence 463-DCCEEDCCEEDCCEEDCCEE-483. This sequence, which is rich in negatively charged amino acids, also contains 73% of the cysteines present in Vip3Ba1. This repeated sequence is not present in Vip3A proteins. The Vip3Ba1protein was produced in Escherichia coli and tested against Ostrinia nubilalis and Plutella xylostella, and it generated significant growth delays but had no larvicidal effect, indicating that its host range might be different than that of Vip3A proteins.     

Brush border membrane binding properties of Bacillus thuringiensis Vip3A toxin to Heliothis virescens and Helicoverpa zea midguts

The binding properties of Vip3A, a new family of Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal toxins, have been examined in the major cotton pests, Heliothis virescens and Helicoverpa zea. Vip3A bound specifically to brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) prepared from both insect larval midguts. In order to examine the cross-resistance potential of Vip3A to the commercially available Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab2 toxins, the membrane binding site relationship among these toxins was investigated. Competition binding assays demonstrated that Vip3A does not inhibit the binding of either Cry1Ac or Cry2Ab2 and vice versa. BBMV protein blotting experiments showed that Vip3A does not bind to the known Cry1Ac receptors. These distinct binding properties and the unique protein sequence of Vip3A support its use as a novel insecticidal agent. This study indicates a very low cross-resistance potential between Vip3A and currently deployed Cry toxins and hence supports its use in an effective resistance management strategy in cotton.     

Vip3C, a Novel Class of Vegetative Insecticidal Proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis

Three vip3 genes were identified in two Bacillus thuringiensis Spanish collections. Sequence analysis revealed a novel Vip3 protein class (Vip3C). Preliminary bioassays of larvae from 10 different lepidopteran species indicated that Vip3Ca3 caused more than 70% mortality in four species after 10 days at 4 μg/cm(2).     

苏云金芽胞杆菌营养期杀虫蛋白Vip与Cry蛋白的协同作用

将构建的营养期杀虫蛋白基因vip3表达质粒pBMB2328和含杀虫晶体蛋白基因(crylAc10或crylCa)质粒同时电转化无质粒突变株BMB171并双抗筛选。经PCR特异引物扩增验证,分别得到含crylAc10和vip83、crylCa和vip83的双基因重组菌BMB2830-171和BMB2882-171。用单基因重组菌作对照,分别测定了营养期杀虫蛋白Vip83与杀虫晶体蛋白CrylAc10和Cry1Ca两组蛋白对3种重要鳞翅目害虫毒力。经统计分析,结果表明两组杀虫蛋白Vip83与CrylAc10和Vip83与CrylCa之间对棉铃虫均存在拮抗作用,对甜菜夜蛾协同作用不明显;但对小菜蛾前协同作用不明显,而后则有增效作用,其共毒系数为32．6。双基因的遗传稳定性检测表明这种正负协同关系具有一定的分子遗传稳定性,可为高效广谱工程菌的构建提供依据。