Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal toxins: gene structure and mode of action

Thanks to the techniques of recombinant DNA, there is now abundant sequence information on several endotoxin genes of Bacillus thuringiensis. The task of correlating this sequence information with the economically important aspects of the toxins such as insect specificity, LD(50) and speed of kill is now under worldwide investigation. Progress has also been made on understanding the mechanism of action of the toxins and on identifying the parts of the protoxin which are important in toxicity. Taken together, the mechanistic data and the sequence information allow the first attempts at rational design of mutant endotoxin genes and greatly facilitate the transfer of those genes to other organisms such as plants. More information is still needed, however, as to the nature of the binding site of the toxin and on the three-dimensional structure of the activated toxins.     

苏云金芽孢杆菌杀虫晶体蛋白超量表达的机制

杀虫晶体蛋白是苏云金芽孢杆菌主要杀虫成分,进一步提高杀虫晶体蛋白的表达量是苏云金芽杆菌高效工程菌构建的主要途径。本文讨论了ｃｒｙ基因启动子活性、ｍＲＮＡ稳定性、不同ｃｒｙ基因间的协同表达发及伴了孢晶体的形成等几个方面在转录水平或转录后水平上对杀虫晶体蛋白表达的影响。     

Interaction between functional domains of Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal proteins.

Interactions among the three structural domains of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1 toxins were investigated by functional analysis of chimeric proteins. Hybrid genes were prepared by exchanging the regions coding for either domain I or domain III among Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1C, and Cry1E. The activity of the purified trypsin-activated chimeric toxins was evaluated by testing their effects on the viability and plasma membrane permeability of Sf9 cells. Among the parental toxins, only Cry1C was active against these cells and only chimeras possessing domain II from Cry1C were functional. Combination of domain I from Cry1E with domains II and III from Cry1C, however, resulted in an inactive toxin, indicating that domain II from an active toxin is necessary, but not sufficient, for activity. Pores formed by chimeric toxins in which domain I was from Cry1Ab or Cry1Ac were slightly smaller than those formed by toxins in which domain I was from Cry1C. The properties of the pores formed by the chimeras are therefore likely to result from an interaction between domain I and domain II or III. Domain III appears to modulate the activity of the chimeric toxins: combination of domain III from Cry1Ab with domains I and II of Cry1C gave a protein which was more strongly active than Cry1C.     

苏云金杆菌杀虫蛋白的多样性

苏云金杆菌是生物防治中应用最为广泛的一种杀虫剂,其杀虫蛋白具有广泛的多样性。本文就苏云金杆菌杀虫蛋白的基因、基因分布、杀虫蛋白结构以及作用机制的多样性进行了概述。     

Biochemistry and genetics of insect resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal proteins

Abstract Current knowledge of biochemical mechanisms of insect resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis is reviewed. Available information on resistance inheritance and on patterns of cross-resistance is included. Modification of the binding sites for B. thuringiensis insecticidal crystal proteins has been found in different populations of three insect species. This resistance mechanism seems to be inherited as a single recessive or partially recessive major gene, and the resistance levels reached are high. Altered proteolytic processing of B. thuringiensis crystal proteins has been suggested to be involved in one case of resistance. From the available data it seems that binding site modification is the most significant resistance mechanism under field conditions.     

Activated insecticidal crystal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis serovars killed adult house flies

Insecticidal crystal proteins (ICP) from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar kurstaki HD-1 and HD-73 were activated by immobilized trypsin or chymotrypsin. The activated toxins (10 μ g or more) as well as unactivated ICP killed adult house flies but not larvae. Bacillus thuringiensis strain son diego did not kill house flies. In this experimental system, the average life span of the adult house fly was 8 days and the activated toxins reduced it to 2 days. The unactivated insecticidal crystal protein also reduced it to 4 days at the same concentration as the activated toxin.     

A proteomic analysis approach to study insecticidal crystal proteins from different strains of Bacillus thuringiensis

We obtained and compared a new cry2Ac6 gene from Bacillus wuhanensis 140, and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) subsp. kurstaki 4.0718 and B.t. kurstaki XL004 that share a similar genetic background but occupy different ecological niches. Using a proteomic approach and function-based activity profiling, we systemically identified the insecticidal crystal proteins (ICPs) from the three Bt species, which were found to be mainly distributed at pH 4–7 on two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) gels by PDQuest software. The proteins that exhibited a significant difference in expression were excised, digested in-gel and identified by MALDI-TOF-MS. Thirty-three differently expressed proteins were identified from the three Bt strains. The Cry2Ac6, Cry1Ab16, CryIG, CryH2, CryI, CryINA67-1 and CryI⁺ crystal protein mixture from B.t. wuhanensis 140, Cry1Ac, Cry2Aa and endotoxin delta1 from B.t. kurstaki 4.0718 were further analyzed by bioinformatics analysis. Two common proteins were founded in three strains, the heat shock proteins (HSP60) and the translation elongation factor Tu, which help with protein refolding and prevent protein degradation. The different enzymes of metabolism, including glutamate racemase, chemotaxis protein histidine kinase and related kinases pyruvate dehydrogenase complex E1orE3 were identified. Some protein spots could not be identified. The results indicate that each Bt strain has unique ICPs as well as some common proteins related to ICPs formation, and that the virulence of Bt strains is closely related to the expression of specific ICPs.     

苏云金芽孢杆菌及其杀虫晶体蛋白 作用机制的研究进展

综合叙述了苏云金芽胞杆菌Bacillus thuringiensis和杀虫晶体蛋白的作用机制及在不同水平上解释这些机制的一些流行模型和有关亚分子结构的作用。     

Why Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal toxins are so effective: unique features of their mode of action

The spore-forming bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis produces intracellular inclusions comprised of protoxins active on several orders of insects. These highly effective and specific toxins have great potential in agriculture and for the control of disease-related insect vectors. Inclusions ingested by larvae are solubilized and converted to active toxins in the midgut. There are two major classes, the cytolytic toxins and the delta-endotoxins. The former are produced by B. thuringiensis subspecies active on Diptera. The latter, which will be the focus of this review, are more prevalent and active on at least three orders of insects. They have a three-domain structure with extensive functional interactions among the domains. The initial reversible binding to receptors on larval midgut cells is largely dependent upon domains II and III. Subsequent steps involve toxin insertion into the membrane and aggregation, leading to the formation of gated, cation-selective channels. The channels are comprised of certain amphipathic helices in domain I, but the three processes of insertion, aggregation and the formation of functional channels are probably dependent upon all three domains. Lethality is believed to be due to destruction of the transmembrane potential, with the subsequent osmotic lysis of cells lining the midgut. In this review, the mode of action of these delta-endotoxins will be discussed with emphasis on unique features.     

The Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal toxin binds biotin-containing proteins.

Brush border membrane vesicles from larvae of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, contain protein bands of 85 and 120 kDa which react directly with streptavidin conjugated to alkaline phosphatase. The binding could be prevented either by including 10 microM biotin in the reaction mixture or by prior incubation of the brush border membrane vesicles with an activated 60- to 65-kDa toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis HD-73. The ability of B. thuringiensis toxins to recognize biotin-containing proteins was confirmed by their binding to pyruvate carboxylase, a biotin-containing enzyme, as well as to biotinylated ovalbumin and biotinylated bovine serum albumin but not to their nonbiotinylated counterparts. Activated HD-73 toxin also inhibited the enzymatic activity of pyruvate carboxylase. The biotin binding site is likely contained in domain III of the toxin. Two highly conserved regions within domain III are similar in sequence to the biotin binding sites of avidin, streptavidin, and a biotin-specific monoclonal antibody. In particular, block 4 of the B. thuringiensis toxin contains the YAS biotin-specific motif. On the basis of its N-terminal amino acid sequence, the 120-kDa biotin-containing protein is totally distinct from the 120-kDa aminopeptidase N reported to be a receptor for Cry1Ac toxin.     

Mechanism of action of Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal delta-endotoxin: interaction with phospholipid vesicles

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crystal delta-endotoxin from three subspecies and the product of a cloned crystal protein gene were activated in vitro and their interaction with phospholipid liposomes studied. Despite their diverse spectrum of activity, all these toxins were found to cause a rapid increase in the light scattering of liposome suspensions, which reflects a morphological change in the lipid bilayer. When liposomes loaded with radioactive markers were incubated with B. thuringiensis aizawai IC1 toxin, a relatively rapid release of more than 70% of the trapped markers occurred after an initial lag. Activated Bta IC1 and B. thuringiensis israelensis toxins were shown to bind to phospholipid vesicles. Two of the five conserved domains (D1-D5) detectable in the sequence of a range of Bt toxins are predicted to be highly hydrophobic. It is suggested that these, together with an additional conserved hydrophobic region showing structural homology and two predicted amphiphilic helices, play a major part in the interaction of these toxins with target membranes.     

Nucleotide sequence coding for the insecticidal fragment of the Bacillus thuringiensis crystal protein

The insecticidal crystal protein (ICP) gene, icp, from a 68-kb plasmid derived from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. sotto was cloned in Escherichia coli. The icp expression in E. coli cells was confirmed by both immunological and insect-toxicity assays of the cell extract. The entire icp gene resides in the 6.6-kb PstI fragment, which codes for a 144-kDal peptide identical to the intact ICP, as determined by its size and reaction with anti-ICP antibody. Deletion analysis further revealed that the 2.8-kb region within the 6.6-kb PstI fragment codes for ICP. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence indicated that a peptide of 934 amino acid residues truncated at the C-terminal end is encoded by this 2.8-kb fragment. A unique feature of this truncated ICP is the abundance of cysteine and lysine residues within its C-terminal region.     

Analysis of non-active engineered Bacillus thuringiensis crystal proteins

Abstract Crystal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis are known for their insecticidal specificity. This specificity is, to a large extent, determined by the interaction of the proteins with high-affinity binding sites on the epithelial membrane of the midgut of sensitive insects. In particular, domain II of the three domains of the toxic moiety has been implicated in specificity. To determine which sequences of the protein are involved in binding, loops of domain II which terminate in the molecular apex of CryIA(b) were replaced by the corresponding regions of CryIE, a protein with different binding characteristics and insect specificity. In contrast to expression of the wild-type genes, expression of the mutant alleles in Escherichia coli resulted in the formation of biologically inactive, insoluble aggregates. Although these aggregates could be solubilized in vitro using urea, in contrast to the wild-type CryIA(b), the mutant proteins did not correctly refold as is shown by their increased protease sensitivity and lack of biological activity. The results indicate that engineering CryI proteins, based on the CryIIIA structure, is likely to prove difficult, particularly since the conformation of CryIIIA and CryI proteins might differ in domain II.     

苏云金杆菌4.0718菌株杀虫晶体蛋白的双向电泳飞行时间质谱分析

根据苏云金杆菌4.0718菌株杀虫晶体蛋白的特性,对裂解液组成、上样量、聚焦时间等相关技术进行了比较研究和条件优化,首次获得苏云金杆菌杀虫晶体蛋白双向电泳图谱,并对部分蛋白质点进行胰酶酶解,基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱（matrixassisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry,MALDITOFMS）测定肽质量指纹图谱,Mascot软件查询SwissProt数据库,最终鉴定出苏云金杆菌4.0718菌株伴孢晶体中所含的Cry1Ac和Cry2Aa蛋白,其精确分子量分别为134160Da和71097Da。     

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.     

PCR analysis of the cryI insecticidal crystal family genes from Bacillus thuringiensis.

A method allowing rapid and accurate identification of different subgroups within the insecticidal crystal CryI protein-producing family of Bacillus thuringiensis strains was established by using PCR technology. Thirteen highly homologous primers specific to regions within genes encoding seven different subgroups of B. thuringiensis CryI proteins were described. Differentiation among these strains was determined on the basis of the electrophoretic patterns of PCR products. B. thuringiensis strains, isolated from soil samples, were analyzed by PCR technology. Small amounts of bacterial lysates were assayed in two reaction mixtures containing six to eight primers. This method can be applied to rapidly detect the subgroups of CryI proteins that correspond with toxicity to various lepidopteran insects.