Nucleotide sequence of gene cryIIID encoding a novel coleopteran-active crystal protein from strain BTI109P of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki.

The nucleotide sequence of a novel insecticidal crystal protein(Cry)-encoding gene from a Bacillus thuringiensis serotype kurstaki isolate is described. The gene is related to the known coleopteran-active cryIII genes and encodes a CryIIID that is much more active against Colorado potato beetle than other CryIII.

Vacuum blotting : an inexpensive, flexible, qualitative blotting technique.

The first system we used to transfer proteins from polyacrylamide gels onto nitrocellulose was a capillary blotting system, based on the work of Renart et al. (1). Although we were very enthusiastic about the wide range of possible applications created by the protein blotting technique, we were unsatisfied with the slow and inefficient transfer. Electroblotting (2,3) seemed to be much more efficient, but at that time there were serious financial limitations in the department.

Blotting with plate electrodes.

Since its introduction by Towbin et al. (1), electro-blotting has become one of the most valuable analytical procedures in protein research. Conventionally, the gel and the immobilizing matrix are sandwiched between porous pads and inserted between two electrodes in a buffer tank. Electrodes of platinum wire are mounted in such a way that, with a minimum amount of material, they still generate a uniform electrical field in the center of the buffer chamber, with the minimum amount of material. On the other hand, transfer efficiency is largely dependent of the voltage gradient between the two electrodes. High voltages generate high currents and high temperatures, whereas reducing the distance between wire electrodes seriously disturbs the electrical field (2). Plate electrodes yield essentially homogeneous electrical fields, even when they are moved close together. Vaessen et al. (3) were the first to experiment with plate electrodes. Kyhse-Andersen (4) introduced horizontal semidry blotting in which the transfer takes place in a stack of buffer-saturated filter papers, inserted between two graphite plates.

Susceptibility of the coffee leaf miner (Perileucoptera spp.) to bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxins: A model for transgenic perennial crops resistant to endocarpic insects

Binding of several Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxins was studied on histological midgut sections of larvae of coffee leaf miner Perileucoptera coffeella from Brazil and Perileucoptera sp from Madagascar. CryIA(a), CryIA(b), CryIA(c), CryIB, CryIE, and CryIIA were tested for binding, and only CryIA(c), CryIB, and CryIE yielded a positive response. The toxins bound to the whole midgut, and the result was identical on both insect populations. The same toxins, to the number of which CryIC was added, were tested on larvae of P. coffeella. CryIA(c) and CryIB were toxic with an LC50 of 1.47 &mgr;g/ml and 21.93 &mgr;g/ml, respectively. CryIE was not toxic to P. coffeella. CryIA(c) and CryIB were tested for synergistic activity and were shown to act by cumulative effect when delivered to the insect larvae as a mixture.

Influence of procaine HCl on larval development, adult lifespan and acid phosphatase activity in Musca domestica L.

By treating larvae of Musca domestica L. with 4 x 10(-4%) procaine HCl we could shorten larval development, decrease larval mortality and increase number of adult offspring. A high concentration of procaine HCl (0.4%) caused a prolongation of the larval development, a lower pupal weight and a decreased number of adult offspring, which are, in our opinion, indications of a toxic effect. The effects of procaine HCl on ageing and acid phosphatase activity are not so clear. The distribution of subpopulations in a population and the correlation with acid phosphatase activity during adult lifespan are discussed.

Two Different Bacillus thuringiensis Delta-Endotoxin Receptors in the Midgut Brush Border Membrane of the European Corn Borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

Binding of three Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal proteins (ICPs) to the midgut epithelium of Ostrinia nubilalis larvae was characterized by performing binding experiments with both isolated brush border membrane vesicles and gut tissue sections. Our results demonstrate that two independent ICP receptors are present in the brush border of O. nubilalis gut epithelium. From competition binding experiments performed with I-labeled and native ICPs it was concluded that CryIA(b) and CryIA(c) are recognized by the same receptor. An 11-fold-higher binding affinity of CryIA(b) for this receptor correlated with a 10-fold-higher toxicity of this ICP compared with CryIA(c). The CryIB toxin did not compete for the binding site of CryIA(b) and CryIA(c). Immunological detection of ingested B. thuringiensis ICPs on gut sections of O. nubilalis larvae revealed binding only along the epithelial brush border membrane. CryID and CryIE, two ICPs that are not toxic to O. nubilalis, were not bound to the apical microvilli of gut epithelial cells. In vitro binding experiments performed with native and biotinylated ICPs on tissue sections confirmed the correlation between ICP binding and toxicity. Moreover, by performing heterologous competition experiments with biotinylated and native ICPs, it was confirmed that the CryIB receptor is different from the receptor for CryIA(b) and CryIA(c). Retention of activated crystal proteins by the peritrophic membrane was not correlated with toxicity. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that CryIA(b), CryIA(c), and CryIB toxins interact in vitro with the epithelial microvilli of Malpighian tubules. In addition, CryIA(c) toxin also adheres to the basement membrane of the midgut epithelium.

Biotinylation of Bacillus thuringiensis Insecticidal Crystal Proteins.

Biotinylation of Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal proteins (ICPs) was evaluated for its potential use in an alternative ICP screening method and in the characterization of ICP receptors. In vivo biological activity of CryIA(b), as inferred from bioassays with Manduca sexta and Ostrinia nubilalis and from histopathological effects on O. nubilalis midgut cells induced by force feeding, was not affected by biotinylation at moderate biotinylation ratios. A competitive radioreceptor assay showed that there was only a minor reduction in binding affinity of biotin-labeled CryIA(b) for M. sexta brush border membrane vesicles. On midgut tissue sections, the binding pattern along the midgut epithelium and the staining intensity of biotinylated ICPs detected with streptavidin-enzyme conjugate were virtually identical to the binding pattern and staining intensity of native CryIA(b) detected with antibodies. The specificity of biotinylated ICP binding to larval midgut tissue was demonstrated by performing homologous competition experiments. The relationship between different ICP receptor types in Plutella xylostella, as inferred from radioligand binding studies, was confirmed by the results of heterologous competition experiments performed with biotinylated and native ICPs.

Interactions of Bacillus thuringiensis crystal proteins with the midgut epithelial cells of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Binding of different Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal proteins (ICPs) to the midgut epithelium of Spodoptera frugiperda larvae was characterized by binding experiments with midgut tissue sections and isolated brush border membrane vesicles. Our results show that ICPs interact with the microvilli of epithelial cells of S. frugiperda in two different ways. The first is typical of highly toxic proteins (like CryIC and CryID); this interaction is saturable and specific. In contrast, some nontoxic proteins (like CryIAb) interact nonspecifically with the microvilli, since the binding of this toxin is not affected by the presence of high concentrations of homologous competitor. The CryIC toxin binds to two brush border proteins of 40 and 44 kDa and the CryIAb toxin binds to a single protein of 150 kDa. Immunological detection of ingested B. thuringiensis ICPs on gut sections of S. frugiperda larvae revealed that CryIC and CryID toxins bound along the epithelial brush border microvilli membrane. Binding of the nontoxic protein CryIAb was also observed in the epithelial brush border membrane of fed larvae, but it was extremely weak, implying that this type of interaction occurs also in vivo although it is not related to toxicity.

The C-terminal domain of the toxic fragment of a Bacillus thuringiensis crystal protein determines receptor binding.

The insecticidal crystal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis show a high degree of specificity. In vitro binding studies with several crystal proteins demonstrated a correlation between toxicity and binding to receptors of larval midgut epithelial cells. In order to study the domain-function relationships of the toxic fragment, hybrid crystal proteins based on CryIA(b) and CryIC were constructed. Two out of 11 hybrid proteins constructed exhibited insecticidal activity. Both dispalyed an insecticidal spectrum similar to that of the parental crystal protein from which the C-terminal part of the toxic fragment originated. In addition, in vitro binding studies directly demonstrated the involvement of the C-terminal part of the toxic fragment in receptor binding. These results demonstrate that the C-terminal part of the toxic fragment determines specific receptor binding, which in turn determines, to a large extent, the insect specificity.

Resistance to the Bacillus thuringiensis bioinsecticide in a field population of Plutella xylostella is due to a change in a midgut membrane receptor.

The biochemical mechanism for resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis crystal proteins was studied in a field population of diamondback moths (Plutella xylostella) with a reduced susceptibility to the bioinsecticidal spray. The toxicity and binding characteristics of three crystal proteins [CryIA(b), CryIB, and CryIC] were compared between the field population and a laboratory strain. The field population proved resistant (greater than 200-fold compared with the laboratory strain) to CryIA(b), one of the crystal proteins in the insecticidal formulation. Binding studies showed that the two strains differ in a membrane receptor that recognizes CryIA(b). This crystal protein did not bind to the brush-border membrane of the midgut epithelial cells of the field population, either because of strongly reduced binding affinity or because of the complete absence of the receptor molecule. Both strains proved fully susceptible to the CryIB and CryIC crystal proteins, which were not present in the B. thuringiensis formulation used in the field. Characteristics of CryIB and CryIC binding to brush-border membranes of midgut epithelial cells were virtually identical in the laboratory and the field population.

Novel Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal protein with a silent activity against coleopteran larvae.

A novel Bacillus thuringiensis crystal protein with a silent activity against the Colorado potato beetle is described. The crystal proteins are produced as bipyramidal crystals. These crystals contain a protein of 129 kDa with a trypsin-resistant core fragment of 72 kDa. Neither a spore-crystal mixture nor in vitro-solubilized crystals are toxic to any of several Lepidoptera and Coleoptera species tested. In contrast, a trypsin-treated solution containing the 72-kDa tryptic core fragment of the protoxin is highly toxic to Colorado potato beetle larvae. The crystal protein-encoding gene was cloned and sequenced. The inferred amino acid sequence of the putative toxic fragment has 37, 32, and 33% homology to the CryIIIA, CryIIIB, and CryIIID toxins, respectively. Interestingly, the 501 C-terminal amino acids show 41 to 48% amino acid identity with corresponding C-terminal amino acid sequences of other crystal proteins. Because of the toxicity of the fragment to the Colorado potato beetle and because of the distinct similarities of the toxic fragment with the other CryIII proteins, this gene was given a new subclass name (cryIIIC) within the CryIII class of coleopteran-active crystal proteins. CryIIIC represents the first example of a crystal protein with a silent activity towards coleopteran insect larvae. Natural CryIIIC crystals are not toxic. Toxicity is revealed only after an in vitro solubilization and activation step.

Amino acid sequence of Sp23, a structural protein of the spermatophore of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor.

In this paper we present the amino acid sequence of Sp23, a structural protein of the spermatophore of the mealworm beetle (Tenebrio molitor). This is the first report of the primary structure of a spermatophorin. The protein is rich in proline (24%), relatively rich in tyrosine (9%) and glutamine (10%), and does not contain sulfur-containing amino acids. In the carboxyl-terminal half of the protein a peptide motif is repeated which is similar to a repetitive motif in a group of dipteran chorion proteins.

Cloning and characterization of Manduca sexta and Plutella xylostella midgut aminopeptidase N enzymes related to Bacillus thuringiensis toxin-binding proteins.

We report the purification, cloning and characterization of an aminopeptidase N from the midgut epithelium of Manduca sexta that binds Cry1Ab5, an insecticidal crystal protein [ICP] from Bacillus thuringiensis. Sequence information derived from this M. sexta aminopeptidase N was used for the cloning of an aminopeptidase N from the midgut brush-border membrane of Plutella xylostella, an insect species of which some populations acquired resistance against Cry1Ab5. Affinity chromatography on a Cry1Ab5 matrix was used to isolate a 120-kDa glycoprotein from the larval midgut of the lepidopteran M. sexta. On ligand blots the purified 120-kDa protein discriminates between the lepidopteran-specific Cry1Ab5 and the coleopteran-specific Cry3A delta-endotoxin. Internal amino acid sequences from the 120-kDa protein were used for the design of degenerate oligonucleotides. From a nested PCR with M. sexta midgut cDNA as template, a DNA fragment was obtained which shows similarity to prokaryotic and eukaryotic aminopeptidase N genes. This PCR fragment was used to screen cDNA libraries of larval midguts from M. sexta and P. xylostella. From the M. sexta midgut cDNA library a 2973-bp nucleotide sequence was cloned. The ORF of the sequence encodes a 942-residue aminopeptidase N (M. sexta Apn2) containing two hydrophobic regions. The NH2-terminal hydrophobic region corresponds to a secretory signal sequence and the COOH-terminal hydrophobic region is typical of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (glycosyl-PtdIns)-anchored proteins. Low-stringency hybridization of the P. xylostella midgut cDNA library with M. sexta apn2 probes enabled the isolation of a 3118-bp sequence with an ORF encoding a 946-residue preproprotein. This aminopeptidase N (P. xylostella Apn1) displays 61% amino acid identity to M. sexta Apn2 and contains a COOH-terminal signal peptide for glycosyl-PtdIns anchor addition. Both M. sexta Apn2 and P. xylostella Apn1 contain four Cys residues, which are highly conserved among eukaryotic aminopeptidase N molecules. Treatment of Sf9 cells expressing the P. xylostella apn1 gene with PtdIns-specific phospholipase C demonstrated that P. xylostella Apn1 is attached to the insect cell membrane by a glycosyl-PtdIns anchor.

A Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal protein with a high activity against members of the family Noctuidae.

The full characterization of a novel insecticidal crystal protein, named Cry9Ca1 according to the revised nomenclature for Cry proteins, from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar tolworthi is reported. The crystal protein has 1,157 amino acids and a molecular mass of 129.8 kDa. It has the typical features of the Lepidoptera-active crystal proteins such as five conserved sequence blocks. Also, it is truncated upon trypsin digestion to a toxic fragment of 68.7 kDa by removal of 43 amino acids at the N terminus and the complete C-terminal half after conserved sequence block 5. The 68.7-kDa fragment is further degraded to a nontoxic 55-kDa fragment. The crystal protein has a fairly broad spectrum of activity against lepidopteran insects, including members of the families Pyralidae, Plutellidae, Sphingidae, and Noctuidae. A 50% lethal concentration of less than 100 ng/cm2 of diet agar was found for diamondback moth, European corn borer, cotton bollworm, and beet armyworm. It is the first insecticidal crystal protein with activity against cutworms. No activity was observed against some beetles, such as Colorado potato beetle. The protein recognizes a receptor different from that recognized by Cry1Ab5 in Ostrinia nubilalis and Plutella xylostella. In Spodoptera exigua and P. xylostella, it binds to a receptor which is also recognized by Cry1Cax but with a lower affinity. In these insects, Cry1Cax probably binds with a higher affinity to an additional receptor which is not recognized by Cry9Ca1. Elimination of a trypsin cleavage site which is responsible for the degradation to a nontoxic fragment did result in protease resistance but not in increased toxicity against O. nubilalis.

Toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis Spore and Crystal Protein to Resistant Diamondback Moth (Plutella xylostella).

A colony of Plutella xylostella from crucifer fields in Florida was used in mortality bioassays with HD-1 spore, CryIA(a), CryIA(b), CryIA(c), CryIB, CryIC, CryID, CryIE, or CryIIA. The data revealed high levels of field-evolved resistance to HD-1 spore and all CryIA protoxins and no resistance to CryIB, CryIC, or CryID. CryIE and CryIIA were essentially not toxic. When HD-1 spore was combined 1:1 with protoxin and fed to susceptible larvae, spore synergized the activity of CryIA and CryIC 5- to 8-fold and 1.7-fold, respectively, and did not synergize the mortality of CryIIA. When fed to Florida larvae, spore failed to synergize the activity of all three CryIA protoxins, synergized the activity of CryIC 5.3-fold, and did not synergize the mortality for CryIIA. Binding studies with CryIA(b), CryIB, and CryIC were performed to determine possible mechanisms of resistance. The two techniques used were (i) binding of biotinylated toxin to tissue sections of larval midguts and (ii) binding of biotinylated toxin to brush border membrane vesicles prepared from whole larvae. Both showed dramatically reduced binding of CryIA(b) in resistant larvae compared with that in susceptible larvae but no differences in binding of CryIB or CryIC.