Strategies to improve the insecticidal activity of Cry toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis.

Bacillus thuringiensis Cry toxins have been widely used in the control of insect pests either as spray products or expressed in transgenic crops. These proteins are pore-forming toxins with a complex mechanism of action that involves the sequential interaction with several toxin-receptors. Cry toxins are specific against susceptible larvae and although they are often highly effective, some insect pests are not affected by them or show low susceptibility. In addition, the development of resistance threatens their effectiveness, so strategies to cope with all these problems are necessary. In this review we will discuss and compare the different strategies that have been used to improve insecticidal activity of Cry toxins. The activity of Cry toxins can be enhanced by using additional proteins in the bioassay like serine protease inhibitors, chitinases, Cyt toxins, or a fragment of cadherin receptor containing a toxin-binding site. On the other hand, different modifications performed in the toxin gene such as site-directed mutagenesis, introduction of cleavage sites in specific regions of the protein, and deletion of small fragments from the amino-terminal region lead to improved toxicity or overcome resistance, representing interesting alternatives for insect pest control.

Regulation of extracellular ATP of human erythrocytes treated with α-hemolysin. Effects of cell volume, morphology, rheology and hemolysis.

Alpha-hemolysin (HlyA) of uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli irreversibly binds to human erythrocytes (RBCs) and triggers activation of ATP release and metabolic changes ultimately leading to hemolysis. We studied the regulation of extracellular ATP (ATPe) of RBCs exposed to HlyA. Luminometry was used to assess ATP release and ATPe hydrolysis, whereas changes in cell volume and morphology were determined by electrical impedance, ektacytometry and aggregometry. Exposure of RBCs to HlyA induced a strong increase of [ATPe] (3-36-fold) and hemolysis (1-44-fold), partially compensated by [ATPe] hydrolysis by ectoATPases and intracellular ATPases released by dead cells. Carbenoxolone, a pannexin 1 inhibitor, partially inhibited ATP release (43-67%). The un-acylated toxin ProHlyA and the deletion analog HlyA∆914-936 were unable to induce ATP release or hemolysis. For HlyA treated RBCs, a data driven mathematical model showed that simultaneous lytic and non-lytic release mainly governed ATPe kinetics, while ATPe hydrolysis became important after prolonged toxin exposure. HlyA induced a 1.5-fold swelling, while blocking this swelling reduced ATP release by 77%. Blocking ATPe activation of purinergic P2X receptors reduced swelling by 60-80%. HlyA-RBCs showed an acute 1.3-2.2-fold increase of Ca2+i, increased crenation and externalization of phosphatidylserine. Perfusion of HlyA-RBCs through adhesion platforms showed strong adhesion to activated HMEC cells, followed by rapid detachment. HlyA exposed RBCs exhibited increased sphericity under osmotic stress, reduced elongation under shear stress, and very low aggregation in viscous media. Overall results showed that HlyA-RBCs displayed activated ATP release, high but weak adhesivity, low deformability and aggregability and high sphericity.

The pre-pore from Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab toxin is necessary to induce insect death in Manduca sexta.

The insecticidal Cry toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria are pore-forming toxins that lyse midgut epithelial cells in insects. We have previously proposed that they form pre-pore oligomeric intermediates before membrane insertion. For formation of these oligomers coiled-coil structures are important, and helix alpha-3 from Cry toxins could form coiled-coils. Our data shows that different mutations in helix alpha-3 are affected in pore formation and toxicity. Mutants affected in toxicity bind Bt-R(1) receptor with a similar K(D) as the wild type toxin but do not form oligomers nor induce pore formation in planar lipid bilayers, indicating that the pre-pore oligomer is an obligate intermediate in the intoxication of Cry1Ab toxin and that interaction of monomeric Cry1Ab with Bt-R(1) is not enough to kill susceptible larvae.

Role of receptor interaction in the mode of action of insecticidal Cry and Cyt toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis.

Cry toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis are used for insect control. Their primary action is to lyse midgut epithelial cells. In this review we will summarize recent findings on the Cry toxin-receptor interaction and the role of receptor recognition in their mode of action. Cry toxins interact sequentially with multiple receptors. In lepidopteran insects, Cry1A monomeric toxins interact with the first receptor and this interaction triggers oligomerization of the toxins. The oligomer then interacts with second receptor inducing insertion into membrane microdomains and larval death. In the case of mosquitocidal toxins, Cry and Cyt toxins play a part. These toxins have a synergistic effect and Cyt1Aa overcomes Cry toxin resistance. Recently, it was proposed that Cyt1Aa synergizes or suppresses resistance to Cry toxins by functioning as a membrane-bound receptor for Cry toxin.

Therapeutic investigations of novel indoxyl-based indolines: A drug target validation and Structure-Activity Relationship of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors with cardiovascular regulation and thrombolytic potential.

A family of 12 members of Naphthalene-2-ol-indolin-2-one-thiocarbamides (5a-l) with pharmacological potentials of cardiovascular modulator were efficiently synthesized and evaluated. These compounds show inhibitory activity on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), which is a principal constituent of the renin-angiotensin system and causative source for hypertension (HTN) (elevated blood pressure) and congestive heart failure (CHF), a parameter that was tested in this report. Prior to this, to get more insight into the binding mode and inhibition of human ACE C-domain (PDB ID: 2XY9) and N-domain (PDB ID: 3NXQ) compounds 5a-l was docked into the active site of them. The established inhibitory constant (Ki) (range 40-500 nM) and least binding affinities (-18.52 to -30.57 kcal/mol) indicated the therapeutic selectivity of compounds 5a-l towards ACE C-domain inhibition over ACE N-domain. The cytotoxicity effect of most potent compounds among 5a-l were tested in normal breast cells and MCF-7 cell lines. Simultaneously, H2O2 induced antioxidant and DNA damage assessment was executed. Eventually, a thrombolytic activity followed by a human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stabilization study to ensure the relaxation of blood and stabilization of RBC was executed. Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) study discloses the potential of 5c, 5h, and 5k as cardiovascular protective therapeutic agents among 5a-l.

Role of toxin activation on binding and pore formation activity of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry3 toxins in membranes of Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say).

Binding and pore formation constitute key steps in the mode of action of Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxins. In this work, we present a comparative analysis of toxin-binding capacities of proteolytically processed Cry3A, Cry3B and Cry3C toxins to brush border membranes (BBMV) of the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (CPB), a major potato coleopteran-insect pest. Competition experiments showed that the three Cry3 proteolytically activated toxins share a common binding site. Also heterologous competition experiments showed that Cry3Aa and Cry3Ca toxins have an extra binding site that is not shared with Cry3Ba toxin. The pore formation activity of the three different Cry3 toxins is analysed. High pore-formation activities were observed in Cry3 toxins obtained by proteolytical activation with CPB BBMV in contrast to toxins activated with either trypsin or chymotrypsin proteases. The pore-formation activity correlated with the formation of soluble oligomeric structures. Our data support that, similarly to the Cry1A toxins, the Cry3 oligomer is formed after receptor binding and before membrane insertion, forming a pre-pore structure that is insertion-competent.

Oligomerization triggers binding of a Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab pore-forming toxin to aminopeptidase N receptor leading to insertion into membrane microdomains.

Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A toxins, in contrast to other pore-forming toxins, bind two putative receptor molecules, aminopeptidase N (APN) and cadherin-like proteins. Here we show that Cry1Ab toxin binding to these two receptors depends on the toxins' oligomeric structure. Toxin monomeric structure binds to Bt-R1, a cadherin-like protein, that induces proteolytic processing and oligomerization of the toxin (Gomez, I., Sanchez, J., Miranda, R., Bravo A., Soberon, M., FEBS Lett. (2002) 513, 242-246), while the oligomeric structure binds APN, which drives the toxin into the detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) microdomains causing pore formation. Cleavage of APN by phospholipase C prevented the location of Cry1Ab oligomer and Bt-R1 in the DRM microdomains and also attenuates toxin insertion into membranes despite the presence of Bt-R1. Immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that initial Cry1Ab toxin binding to Bt-R1 is followed by binding to APN. Also, immunoprecipitation of Cry1Ab toxin-binding proteins using pure oligomeric or monomeric structures showed that APN was more efficiently detected in samples immunoprecipitated with the oligomeric structure, while Bt-R1 was preferentially detected in samples immunoprecipitated with the monomeric Cry1Ab. These data agrees with the 200-fold higher apparent affinity of the oligomer than that of the monomer to an APN enriched protein extract. Our data suggest that the two receptors interact sequentially with different structural species of the toxin leading to its efficient membrane insertion.

Site directed mutants of Noxiustoxin reveal specific interactions with potassium channels.

Several site directed mutations were introduced into a synthetic Noxiustoxin (NTX) gene. Alanine scanning of the nonapeptide at the N-terminal segment of NTX (threonine 1 (T1) to serine 9 (S9)) was constructed and the recombinant products were obtained in pure form. Additionally, lysine 28 (K28) was changed to arginine (R) or glutamic acid (E), cysteine 29 was changed to alanine, and residues 37-39 (Tyr-Asn-Asn) of the carboxyl end were deleted. The recombinant mutants were tested for their ability to displace 125I-NTX from rat brain synaptosome membranes, as well as for their efficiency in blocking the activity of Kv1.1 K+ channels expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The main results indicate that residues K6, T8 at the amino end, and K28 and the tripeptide YNN at the carboxyl end are involved in specific interactions of NTX with rat brain and/or Kv1.1 K+ channels.

Dual regulation of the T-type Ca(2+) current by serum albumin and beta-estradiol in mammalian spermatogenic cells.

This study provides evidence for a novel mechanism of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel regulation in mammalian spermatogenic cells by two agents that affect sperm capacitation and the acrosome reaction (AR). Patch-clamp experiments demonstrated that serum albumin induced an increase in Ca(2+) T current density in a concentration-dependent manner, and significant shifts in the voltage dependence of both steady-state activation and inactivation of the channels. These actions were not related to the ability of albumin to remove cholesterol from the membrane. In contrast, beta-estradiol significantly inhibited Ca(2+) channel activity in a concentration-dependent and essentially voltage-independent fashion. In mature sperm this dual regulation may influence capacitation and/or the AR.

Permeability changes of Manduca sexta midgut brush border membranes induced by oligomeric structures of different cry toxins.

The pore-formation activity of monomeric and oligomeric forms of different Cry1 toxins (from Cry1A to Cry1G) was analyzed by monitoring ionic permeability across Manduca sexta brush border membrane vesicles. The membrane vesicles were isolated from microvilli structures, showing a high enrichment of apical membrane markers and low intrinsic K(+) permeability. A fluorometric assay performed with 3,3'-dipropylthiodicarbocyanine fluorescent probe, sensitive to changes in membrane potential, was used. Previously, it was suggested that fluorescence determinations with this dye could be strongly influenced by the pH, osmolarity and ionic strength of the medium. Therefore, we evaluated these parameters in control experiments using the K(+)-selective ionophore valinomycin. We show here that under specific ionic conditions changes in fluorescence can be correlated with ionic permeability without effects on osmolarity or ionic strength of the medium. It is extremely important to attenuate the background response due to surface membrane potential and the participation of the endogenous permeability of the membrane vesicles. Under these conditions, we analyzed the pore-formation activity induced by monomeric and oligomeric structures of different Cry1 toxins. The Cry1 toxin samples containing oligomeric structures correlated with high pore activity, in contrast to monomeric samples that showed marginal pore-formation activity, supporting the hypothesis that oligomer formation is a necessary step in the mechanism of action of Cry toxins.

Inwardly rectifying K(+) channels in spermatogenic cells: functional expression and implication in sperm capacitation.

To fertilize, mammalian sperm must complete a maturational process called capacitation. It is thought that the membrane potential of sperm hyperpolarizes during capacitation, possibly due to the opening of K(+) channels, but electrophysiological evidence is lacking. In this report, using patch-clamp recordings obtained from isolated mouse spermatogenic cells we document the presence of a novel K(+)-selective inwardly rectifying current. Macroscopic current activated at membrane potentials below the equilibrium potential for K(+) and its magnitude was dependent on the external K(+) concentration. The channels selected K(+) over other monovalent cations. Current was virtually absent when external K(+) was replaced with Na(+) or N-methyl-D-glucamine. Addition of Cs(+) or Ba(2+) (IC(50) of approximately 15 microM) to the external solution effectively blocked K(+) current. Dialyzing the cells with a Mg(2+)-free solution did not affect channel activity. Cytosolic acidification reversibly inhibited the current. We verified that the resting membrane potential of mouse sperm changed from -52 +/- 6 to -66 +/- 9 mV during capacitation in vitro. Notably, application of 0.3-1 mM Ba(2+) during capacitation prevented this hyperpolarization and decreased the subsequent exocytotic response to zona pellucida. A mechanism is proposed whereby opening of inwardly rectifying K(+) channels may produce hyperpolarization under physiological conditions and contribute to the cellular changes that give rise to the capacitated state in mature sperm.

Beta-scorpion toxin 2 from Centruroides noxius blocks voltage-gated K+ channels in human lymphocytes.

Using the patch-clamp technique, we determined that beta-scorpion toxin 2 from Centruroides noxius Hoffmann decreased whole-cell n-type K+ currents in human peripheral blood lymphocytes, with a half blocking concentration of approx. 5 microM. Toxin-2-accelerated inactivation, however, did not influence the kinetics of activation of the K+ conductance. The percentage increase in K+ channel inactivation rate and the degree of drug-induced block was independent of membrane potential. K+ channel block by Toxin 2 was instantaneous, not removable by washing with drug free extracellular solution. However, 10 mg/ml BSA in the bath lifted the toxin-induced block almost instantaneously and completely. Flow cytometric membrane potential measurements with the oxonol dye showed that Toxin 2 depolarizes human lymphocytes in concert with its K+ channel blocking effect.