Bacillus thuringiensis: from biodiversity to biotechnology |
| |
Authors: | D L Prieto-Samsónov R I Vázquez-Padrón C Ayra-Pardo J González-Cabrera G A de la Riva |
| |
Affiliation: | (1) Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Plant Division, Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), PO Box 6162, 10600 Havana, Cuba, CU |
| |
Abstract: | Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive bacterium, widely used in agriculture as a biological pesticide. The biocidal activity mainly resides in a parasporal protein inclusion body, or crystal. The inclusion is composed of one or more types of δ-endotoxins (Cry and Cyt proteins). Cry proteins are selectively toxic to different species from several invertebrate phyla: arthropods (mainly insects), nematodes, flatworms and protozoa. The mode of action of the insecticidal proteins is still a matter of investigation; generally, the active toxin is supposed to bind specific membrane receptors on the insect midgut brush-border epithelium, leading to intestinal cell lysis and subsequent insect death by starvation or septicemia. The toxin-encoding cry genes have been extensively studied and expressed in a large number of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. The expression of such genes in transgenic plants has provided a powerful alternative for crop protection. Received 25 February 1997/ Accepted in revised form 15 August 1997 |
| |
Keywords: | : delta-endotoxin insecticidal crystal protein ion-channel heterologous expression transgenic plants pesticide |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|