Development of Bacillus thuringiensis CryIC Resistance by Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Altered gene expression in Choristoneura fumiferana and Manduca sexta in response to sublethal intoxication by Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab toxin

In order to understand how lepidopteran insects react physiologically to Bacillus thuringiensis crystal toxin ingestion, transcriptional profiling of Choristoneura fumiferana larvae exposed to sublethal doses of Cry1Ab protoxin were monitored using a C. fumiferana-specific cDNA microarray derived from a protoxin-specific subtractive library. Differential gene expression occurred primarily between 2 and 5 h postingestion. Metabolic enzymes such as lipases and proteases were generally repressed, whereas genes involved in detoxification, immune system regulation or general stress response were upregulated. A similar protoxin-specific transcriptional pattern was also observed with Manduca sexta larvae, using three upregulated genes (serpin, cytochrome P450 and carboxyl/cholinesterase) and one downregulated gene (beta-glucosidase), suggesting that a susceptible larval response to Cry toxin exposure might be universal among lepidopterous insects.

Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ca-resistant Spodoptera exigua lacks expression of one of four Aminopeptidase N genes

Background

Insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis bind to receptors on midgut epithelial cells of susceptible insect larvae. Aminopeptidases N (APNs) from several insect species have been shown to be putative receptors for these toxins. Here we report the cloning and expression analysis of four APN cDNAs from Spodoptera exigua.

Results

Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) was used to construct cDNA libraries of genes that are up-and down-regulated in the midgut of last instar larvae of beet armyworm, S. exigua exposed to B. thuringiensis Cry1Ca toxin. Among the clones from the SSH libraries, cDNA fragments coding for two different APNs were obtained (APN2 and APN4). A similar procedure was employed to compare mRNA differences between susceptible and Cry1Ca resistant S. exigua. Among the clones from this last comparison, cDNA fragments belonging to a third APN (APN1) were detected. Using sequences obtained from the three APN cDNA fragments and degenerate primers for a fourth APN (APN3), the full length sequences of four S. exigua APN cDNAs were obtained. Northern blot analysis of expression of the four APNs showed complete absence of APN1 expression in the resistant insects, while the other three APNs showed similar expression levels in the resistant and susceptible insects.

Conclusion

We have cloned and characterized four different midgut APN cDNAs from S. exigua. Expression analysis revealed the lack of expression of one of these APNs in the larvae of a Cry1Ca-resistant colony. Combined with previous evidence that shows the importance of APN in the mode of action of B. thuringiensis toxins, these results suggest that the lack of APN1 expression plays a role in the resistance to Cry1Ca in this S. exigua colony.

Mutations in the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ca toxin demonstrate the role of domains II and III in specificity towards Spodoptera exigua larvae

Several mutants of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ca toxin affected with regard to specific activity towards Spodoptera exigua were studied. Alanine was used to replace single residues in loops 2 and 3 of domain II (mutant pPB19) and to replace residues 541-544 in domain III (mutant pPB20). Additionally, a Cry1Ca mutant combining all mutations was constructed (mutant pPB21). Toxicity assays showed a marked decrease in toxicity against S. exigua for all mutants, while they retained their activity against Manduca sexta, confirming the importance of these residues in determining insect specificity. Parameters for binding to the specific receptors in BBMV (brush border membrane vesicles) of S. exigua were determined for all toxins. Compared with Cry1Ca, the affinity of mutant pPB19 was slightly affected (2-fold lower), whereas the affinity of the mutants with an altered domain III (pPB20 and pPB21) was approx. 8-fold lower. Activation of Cry1Ca protoxin by incubation with S. exigua or M. sexta BBMV revealed the transient formation of an oligomeric form of Cry1Ca. The presence of this oligomeric form was tested in the activation of the different Cry1Ca mutants, and we found that those mutated in domain II (pPB19 and pPB21) could not generate the oligomeric form when activated by S. exigua BBMV. In contrast, when oligomerization was tested using BBMV prepared from M. sexta, all of the Cry1Ca mutants showed the formation of a similar oligomeric form as did the wild-type toxin. Our results show how modification of insect specificity can be achieved by manipulation of different parts of the toxin structure involved in different steps of the mode of action of B. thuringiensis toxins.

Many roads to resistance: how invertebrates adapt to Bt toxins

The Cry family of Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal and nematicidal proteins constitutes a valuable source of environmentally benign compounds for the control of insect pests and disease agents. An understanding of Cry toxin resistance at a molecular level will be critical to the long-term utility of this technology; it may also shed light on basic mechanisms used by other bacterial toxins that target specific organisms or cell types. Selection and cross-resistance studies have confirmed that genetic adaptation can elicit varying patterns of Cry toxin resistance, which has been associated with deficient protoxin activation by host proteases, and defective Cry toxin-binding cell surface molecules, such as cadherins, aminopeptidases and glycolipids. Recent work also suggests Cry toxin resistance may be induced in invertebrates as an active immune response. The use of model invertebrates, such as Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster, as well as advances in insect genomics, are likely to accelerate efforts to clone Cry toxin resistance genes and come to a detailed and broad understanding of Cry toxin resistance.

Protein proteinase inhibitor genes in combat against insects, pests, and pathogens: natural and engineered phytoprotection

The continual need to increase food production necessitates the development and application of novel biotechnologies to enable the provision of improved crop varieties in a timely and cost-effective way. A milestone in this field was the introduction of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) entomotoxic proteins into plants. Despite the success of this technology, there is need for development of alternative strategies of phytoprotection. Biotechnology offers sustainable solutions to the problem of pests, pathogens, and plant parasitic nematodes in the form of other insecticidal protein genes. A variety of genes, besides (Bt) toxins that are now available for genetic engineering for pest resistance are genes for vegetative insecticidal proteins, proteinase inhibitors, alpha-amylase inhibitors, and plant lectins. This review presents a comprehensive summary of research efforts that focus on the potential use and advantages of using proteinase inhibitor genes to engineer insect- and pest-resistance. Crop protection by means of PI genes is an important component of Integrated Pest Management programmes.

GalNAc pretreatment inhibits trapping ofBacillus thuringiensisCry1Ac on the peritrophic membrane ofBombyx mori

Bombyx mori (ShunreixShogetsu) is sensitive to Cry1Aa and resistant to Cry1Ac, both insecticidal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis. Cry1Aa passed through the peritrophic membrane (PM) much faster (0.37 microg/mm2 PM/h) than Cry1Ac (0.05 microg/mm2 PM/h) during the initial observation period. Both Cry1Aa and Cry1Ac bound to the PM but only the binding of Cry1Ac was specifically inhibited by N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc). When Cry1Ac was pretreated with GalNAc, Cry1Ac permeated the PM much faster. These results suggested that Cry1Ac bound a PM protein via GalNAc on a sugar side chain. The role of the PM on Cry1Ac resistance of B. mori was briefly discussed.

Comparative analysis of proteinase activities of Bacillus thuringiensis-resistant and -susceptible Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Proteinase activities were compared in soluble and membrane fractions of guts obtained from larvae of Bacillus thuringiensis-resistant and -susceptible Ostrinia nubilalis. Overall, serine proteinases from soluble fractions of the susceptible strain were more active than those of the resistant strain. The soluble trypsin-like proteinase activity of the resistant strain was approximately half that of the susceptible strain. The number and relative molecular masses of soluble and membrane serine proteinases were different. However, there were no significant differences in the activities of serine proteinases and aminopeptidases extracted from midgut membranes of the two strains. Cry1Ab protoxin hydrolysis by soluble proteinase extracts of the resistant strain was reduced approximately 20-30% relative to that of the susceptible strain. Reduced protoxin processing due to decreased activities of Bt protoxin activation proteinases may be associated with resistance to Bt toxin in this resistant strain of O. nubilalis.

The Role of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1C and Cry1E Separate Structural Domains in the Interaction with Spodoptera littoralis Gut Epithelial Cells

The Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxins Cry1C and Cry1E share toxicity against several important lepidopteran species. Their combined use to delay development of resistance in target insects depends on their differential interaction with the gut epithelial cells. The three structural domains and combinations of two consecutive domains of Cry1C and Cry1E were separately expressed in Escherichia coli, and their interactions with the brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) of Cry1E-tolerant and -susceptible Spodoptera littoralis larvae were studied. About 80% reduction in binding of Cry1E and each of its separate domains to BBMV of Cry1E-tolerant larvae was observed, whereas Cry1C was toxic to all larvae and bound equally to BBMV derived from both Cry1E-tolerant and -susceptible larvae. These results suggest differential interactions of the two toxins with BBMV encompassing all three domains. Comparable binding assays performed with fluorescent Cry1C and Cry1C domain II showed that Cry1C has higher Bmax and lower Kd than Cry1C domain II and further supported the existence of toxin multisite interactions. Competitive binding assays were used to estimate the sequence of interaction events. Cry1C domain II could compete with domain III binding, whereas domain III did not interfere with domain II binding, indicating sequential interactions of domain III and then domain II with the same membrane site. No competition between domain II of Cry1C and Cry1E was observed, confirming the existence of different domain II binding sites for the two toxins. Taken together, all three domains specifically interact with the epithelial cell membrane. The folding of the three-domain toxin probably dictates the sequence of interaction events.

The mode of action of the Bacillus thuringiensis vegetative insecticidal protein Vip3A differs from that of Cry1Ab delta-endotoxin

The Vip3A protein, secreted by Bacillus spp. during the vegetative stage of growth, represents a new family of insecticidal proteins. In our investigation of the mode of action of Vip3A, the 88-kDa Vip3A full-length toxin (Vip3A-F) was proteolytically activated to an approximately 62-kDa core toxin either by trypsin (Vip3A-T) or lepidopteran gut juice extracts (Vip3A-G). Biotinylated Vip3A-G demonstrated competitive binding to lepidopteran midgut brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV). Furthermore, in ligand blotting experiments with BBMV from the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (Linnaeus), activated Cry1Ab bound to 120-kDa aminopeptidase N (APN)-like and 250-kDa cadherin-like molecules, whereas Vip3A-G bound to 80-kDa and 100-kDa molecules which are distinct from the known Cry1Ab receptors. In addition, separate blotting experiments with Vip3A-G did not show binding to isolated Cry1A receptors, such as M. sexta APN protein, or a cadherin Cry1Ab ecto-binding domain. In voltage clamping assays with dissected midgut from the susceptible insect, M. sexta, Vip3A-G clearly formed pores, whereas Vip3A-F was incapable of pore formation. In the same assay, Vip3A-G was incapable of forming pores with larvae of the nonsusceptible insect, monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus). In planar lipid bilayers, both Vip3A-G and Vip3A-T formed stable ion channels in the absence of any receptors, supporting pore formation as an inherent property of Vip3A. Both Cry1Ab and Vip3A channels were voltage independent and highly cation selective; however, they differed considerably in their principal conductance state and cation specificity. The mode of action of Vip3A supports its use as a novel insecticidal agent.

Resistance to the Cry1Ac delta-endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis in the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Three laboratory strains of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) were established by mating of field-collected insects with an existing insecticide-susceptible laboratory strain. These strains were cultured on artificial diet containing the Cry1Ac protoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis using three different protocols. When no response to selection was detected after 7-11 generations of selection, the three strains were combined by controlled mating to preserve genetic diversity. The composite strain (BX) was selected on the basis of growth rate on artificial diet containing Cry1Ac crystals. Resistance to Cry1Ac was first detected after 16 generations of continuous selection. The resistance ratio (RR) peaked approximately 300-fold at generation 21, after which it declined to oscillate between 57- and 111-fold. First-instar H. armigera from generation 25 (RR = 63) were able to complete their larval development on transgenic cotton expressing Cry1Ac and produce fertile adults. There appeared to be a fitness cost associated with resistance on cotton and on artificial diet. The BX strain was not resistant to the commercial Bt spray formulations DiPel and XenTari, which contain multiple insecticidal crystal proteins, but was resistant to the MVP formulation, which only contains Cry1Ac. The strain was also resistant to Cry1Ab but not to Cry2Aa or Cry2Ab. Toxin binding assays showed that the resistant insects lacked the high affinity binding site that was detected in early generations of the strain. Genetic analysis confirmed that resistance in the BX strain of H. armigera is incompletely recessive.

Combined analysis of supernatant-based feeding bioassays and PCR as a first-tier screening strategy for Vip -derived activities in Bacillus thuringiensis strains effective against tropical fall armyworm

AIMS

To assess whether feeding bioassays using culture-supernatant proteins could be combined with PCR into a first-tier screening strategy for Vip3A-like genes efficient against tropical Spodoptera frugiperda.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Out of 12 Bacillus thuringiensis strains studied, the total protein concentrated from the culture supernatant of only the strain HD125 yielded a significantly increased armyworm mortality and an intense band of the predicted size for VIP3A protein in SDS-PAGE. However, PCR and sequencing data indicated Vip-like genes are ubiquitous in tropical B. thuringiensis isolates. Interestingly, the HD125 strain was also the only one displaying a single-band amplification pattern and the highest sequence identity to the reported Vip3A(a) gene.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest the insecticidal effectiveness of putative VIPs in B. thuringiensis isolates can be preliminarily estimated by the use of supernatant-derived total protein in feeding experiments, though only in a limited manner.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

A simple and cost-effective first-tier screening strategy for VIP-derived activities in B. thuringiensis collections can be developed by combining PCR and feeding bioassays. Moreover, the employed primers showed to be useful as a tool for strains differentiation at DNA level, and for characterization and isolation of Vip-like genes in tropical B. thuringiensis germplasm.

Control of resistant pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) by transgenic cotton that produces Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry2Ab

Crops genetically engineered to produce Bacillus thuringiensis toxins for insect control can reduce use of conventional insecticides, but insect resistance could limit the success of this technology. The first generation of transgenic cotton with B. thuringiensis produces a single toxin, Cry1Ac, that is highly effective against susceptible larvae of pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella), a major cotton pest. To counter potential problems with resistance, second-generation transgenic cotton that produces B. thuringiensis toxin Cry2Ab alone or in combination with Cry1Ac has been developed. In greenhouse bioassays, a pink bollworm strain selected in the laboratory for resistance to Cry1Ac survived equally well on transgenic cotton with Cry1Ac and on cotton without Cry1Ac. In contrast, Cry1Ac-resistant pink bollworm had little or no survival on second-generation transgenic cotton with Cry2Ab alone or with Cry1Ac plus Cry2Ab. Artificial diet bioassays showed that resistance to Cry1Ac did not confer strong cross-resistance to Cry2Aa. Strains with >90% larval survival on diet with 10 microg of Cry1Ac per ml showed 0% survival on diet with 3.2 or 10 microg of Cry2Aa per ml. However, the average survival of larvae fed a diet with 1 microg of Cry2Aa per ml was higher for Cry1Ac-resistant strains (2 to 10%) than for susceptible strains (0%). If plants with Cry1Ac plus Cry2Ab are deployed while genes that confer resistance to each of these toxins are rare, and if the inheritance of resistance to both toxins is recessive, the efficacy of transgenic cotton might be greatly extended.

Biochemistry and genetics of insect resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a valuable source of insecticidal proteins for use in conventional sprayable formulations and in transgenic crops, and it is the most promising alternative to synthetic insecticides. However, evolution of resistance in insect populations is a serious threat to this technology. So far, only one insect species has evolved significant levels of resistance in the field, but laboratory selection experiments have shown the high potential of other species to evolve resistance against Bt. We have reviewed the current knowledge on the biochemical mechanisms and genetics of resistance to Bt products and insecticidal crystal proteins. The understanding of the biochemical and genetic basis of resistance to Bt can help design appropriate management tactics to delay or reduce the evolution of resistance in insect populations.

Mannose phosphate isomerase isoenzymes in Plutella xylostella support common genetic bases of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis toxins in Llpidopteran species

A strong correlation between two mannose phosphate isomerase (MPI) isoenzymes and resistance to Cry1A toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis has been found in a Plutella xylostella population. MPI linkage to Cry1A resistance had previously been reported for a Heliothis virescens population. The fact that the two populations share similar biochemical, genetic, and cross-resistance profiles of resistance suggests the occurrence of homologous resistance loci in both species.

Overexpression of the Bt cry2Aa2 operon in chloroplasts leads to formation of insecticidal crystals

In nuclear transgenic plants, expression of multiple genes requires introduction of individual genes and time-consuming subsequent backcrosses to reconstitute multi-subunit proteins or pathways, a problem that is compounded by variable expression levels. In order to accomplish expression of multiple genes in a single transformation event, we have introduced several genes into the chromoplast genome. We confirmed stable integration of the cry2Aa2 operon by PCR and Southern blot analyses in T(0) and T(1) transgenic plants. Foreign protein accumulated at 45.3% of the total soluble protein in mature leaves and remained stable even in old bleached leaves (46.1%), thereby increasing the efficacy and safety of transgenic plants throughout the growing season. This represents the highest level of foreign gene expression reported in transgenic plants to date. Insects that are normally difficult to control (10-day old cotton bollworm, beet armyworm) were killed 100% after consuming transgenic leaves. Electron micrographs showed the presence of the insecticidal protein folded into cuboidal crystals. Formation of crystals of foreign proteins (due to hyperexpression and folding by the putative chaperonin, ORF 2) provides a simple method of purification by centrifugation and enhances stability by protection from cellular proteases. Demonstration of expression of an operon in transgenic plants paves the way to engineering new pathways in plants in a single transformation event.

Cross-resistance of pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) to Bacillus thuringiensis toxins

Two strains of pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) selected in the laboratory for resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry1Ac had substantial cross-resistance to Cry1Aa and Cry1Ab but not to Cry1Bb, Cry1Ca, Cry1Da, Cry1Ea, Cry1Ja, Cry2Aa, Cry9Ca, H04, or H205. The narrow spectrum of resistance and the cross-resistance to activated toxin Cry1Ab suggest that reduced binding of toxin to midgut target sites could be an important mechanism of resistance.

Development and characterization of diamondback moth resistance to transgenic broccoli expressing high levels of Cry1C

A field-collected colony of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, had 31-fold resistance to Cry1C protoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis. After 24 generations of selection with Cry1C protoxin and transgenic broccoli expressing a Cry1C protein, the resistance that developed was high enough that neonates of the resistant strain could complete their entire life cycle on transgenic broccoli expressing high levels of Cry1C. After 26 generations of selection, the resistance ratios of this strain to Cry1C protoxin were 12,400- and 63,100-fold, respectively, for the neonates and second instars by a leaf dip assay. The resistance remained stable until generation 38 (G38) under continuous selection but decreased to 235-fold at G38 when selection ceased at G28. The Cry1C resistance in this strain was seen to be inherited as an autosomal and incompletely recessive factor or factors when evaluated using a leaf dip assay and recessive when evaluated using Cry1C transgenic broccoli. Saturable binding of (125)I-Cry1C was found with brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) from both susceptible and Cry1C-resistant strains. Significant differences in Cry1C binding to BBMV from the two strains were detected. BBMV from the resistant strain had about sevenfold-lower affinity for Cry1C and threefold-higher binding site concentration than BBMV from the susceptible strain. The overall Cry1C binding affinity was just 2.5-fold higher for BBMV from the susceptible strain than it was for BBMV from the resistant strain. These results suggest that reduced binding is not the major mechanism of resistance to Cry1C.

Dias JMC, Ribeiro BM. Characterization ofBacillus thuringiensissubsp.kurstakistrain S93 effective against the fall armywormSpodoptera frugiperda)

A Brazilian strain of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki, designated S93, was analyzed regarding its cry gene and protein contents and activity against the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda, Smith 1797). Bioassays using lyophilized powders of S93 or HD-1 and third instar larvae of S. frugiperda showed a 12.3-fold lower LC50for the S93 strain when compared with the standard HD-1 strain. The spore-crystal mixture, analyzed by SDS-PAGE, showed two major polypeptides of 130 and 65 kDa, corresponding to Cry1 and Cry2 toxins, respectively. Western blot analysis showed that these proteins were immunologically related to the Cry1A protein from B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-73. The polymerase chain reaction technique (PCR) using total DNA from the S93 strain and specific primers showed the presence of cry1Aa, cry1Ab, and cry1Ac genes, and a cry1A-type gene was localized in a plasmid of about 44 MDa. A cry1Ab gene was isolated from a S93 plasmid DNA library and completely sequenced. Computer analysis showed that the gene sequence (GenBank acession number AF059670) is identical to cry1Ab1 and has 91.6 and 85.9% identity with cry1Aa1 and cry1Ac1 genes, respectively. The deduced amino-acid sequence showed a high degree of similarity with the amino-acid sequences of the Cry1Ab1 (100%), Cry1Aa1 (93.8%), and Cry1Ac1 (90.6%) proteins.Key words: Bacillus thuringiensis, Spodoptera frugiperda, biological control, crystal protein, cry genes.

Integrative model for binding of Bacillus thuringiensis toxins in susceptible and resistant larvae of the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella)

Insecticidal crystal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis in sprays and transgenic crops are extremely useful for environmentally sound pest management, but their long-term efficacy is threatened by evolution of resistance by target pests. The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) is the first insect to evolve resistance to B. thuringiensis in open-field populations. The only known mechanism of resistance to B. thuringiensis in the diamondback moth is reduced binding of toxin to midgut binding sites. In the present work we analyzed competitive binding of B. thuringiensis toxins Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, and Cry1F to brush border membrane vesicles from larval midguts in a susceptible strain and in resistant strains from the Philippines, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania. Based on the results, we propose a model for binding of B. thuringiensis crystal proteins in susceptible larvae with two binding sites for Cry1Aa, one of which is shared with Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, and Cry1F. Our results show that the common binding site is altered in each of the three resistant strains. In the strain from the Philippines, the alteration reduced binding of Cry1Ab but did not affect binding of the other crystal proteins. In the resistant strains from Hawaii and Pennsylvania, the alteration affected binding of Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, and Cry1F. Previously reported evidence that a single mutation can confer resistance to Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, and Cry1F corresponds to expectations based on the binding model. However, the following two other observations do not: the mutation in the Philippines strain affected binding of only Cry1Ab, and one mutation was sufficient for resistance to Cry1Aa. The imperfect correspondence between the model and observations suggests that reduced binding is not the only mechanism of resistance in the diamondback moth and that some, but not all, patterns of resistance and cross-resistance can be predicted correctly from the results of competitive binding analyses of susceptible strains.

Overexpression of the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry2Aa2 protein in chloroplasts confers resistance to plants against susceptible and Bt-resistant insects

Evolving levels of resistance in insects to the bioinsecticide Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) can be dramatically reduced through the genetic engineering of chloroplasts in plants. When transgenic tobacco leaves expressing Cry2Aa2 protoxin in chloroplasts were fed to susceptible, Cry1A-resistant (20,000- to 40,000-fold) and Cry2Aa2-resistant (330- to 393-fold) tobacco budworm Heliothis virescens, cotton bollworm Helicoverpa zea, and the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua, 100% mortality was observed against all insect species and strains. Cry2Aa2 was chosen for this study because of its toxicity to many economically important insect pests, relatively low levels of cross-resistance against Cry1A-resistant insects, and its expression as a protoxin instead of a toxin because of its relatively small size (65 kDa). Southern blot analysis confirmed stable integration of cry2Aa2 into all of the chloroplast genomes (5, 000-10,000 copies per cell) of transgenic plants. Transformed tobacco leaves expressed Cry2Aa2 protoxin at levels between 2% and 3% of total soluble protein, 20- to 30-fold higher levels than current commercial nuclear transgenic plants. These results suggest that plants expressing high levels of a nonhomologous Bt protein should be able to overcome or at the very least, significantly delay, broad spectrum Bt-resistance development in the field.

Toxicity, binding, and permeability analyses of four Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1 delta-endotoxins using brush border membrane vesicles of Spodoptera exigua and Spodoptera frugiperda

The binding and pore formation properties of four Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1 toxins were analyzed by using brush border membrane vesicles from Spodoptera exigua and Spodoptera frugiperda, and the results were compared to the results of toxicity bioassays. Cry1Fa was highly toxic and Cry1Ac was nontoxic to S. exigua and S. frugiperda larvae, while Cry1Ca was highly toxic to S. exigua and weakly toxic to S. frugiperda. In contrast, Cry1Bb was active against S. frugiperda but only marginally active against S. exigua. Bioassays performed with iodinated Cry1Bb, Cry1Fa, and Cry1Ca showed that the effects of iodination on toxin activity were different. The toxicities of I-labeled Cry1Bb and Cry1Fa against Spodoptera species were significantly less than the toxicities of the unlabeled toxins, while Cry1Ca retained its insecticidal activity when it was labeled with 125I. Binding assays showed that iodination prevented Cry1Fa from binding to Spodoptera brush border membrane vesicles. 125I-labeled Cry1Ac, Cry1Bb, and Cry1Ca bound with high-affinities to brush border membrane vesicles from S. exigua and S. frugiperda. Competition binding experiments performed with heterologous toxins revealed two major binding sites. Cry1Ac and Cry1Fa have a common binding site, and Cry1Bb, Cry1C, and Cry1Fa have a second common binding site. No obvious relationship between dissociation of bound toxins from brush border membrane vesicles and toxicity was detected. Cry1 toxins were also tested for the ability to alter the permeability of membrane vesicles, as measured by a light scattering assay. Cry1 proteins toxic to Spodoptera larvae permeabilized brush border membrane vesicles, but the extent of permeabilization did not necessarily correlate with in vivo toxicity.

A holistic approach for determining the entomopathogenic potential of Bacillus thuringiensis strains

The cry gene content of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. aizawai HD-133 was analyzed by a combination of high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and exclusive PCR. A total of six cry genes were detected in genomic DNA purified from HD-133, four from the cry1 family (cry1Aa, cry1Ab, cry1C, and cry1D) as well as a gene each from the cry2 (cry2B) and the cry1I families. To directly determine which genes were expressed and crystallized in the purified parasporal inclusions, solubilized and trypsinized HD-133 crystals were subjected to chromatographic separation by HPLC. Only three proteins, Cry1Ab, Cry1C, and Cry1D, were found, in a 60/37/3 ratio. Dot blot analysis of total mRNA purified from HD-133 showed that both the cry2B and cry1I genes, but not the cry1Aa gene, were transcribed. Cloning and sequencing of the cry1Aa gene revealed an inserted DNA sequence within the cry coding sequence, resulting in a disrupted reading frame. Taken together, our results show that combining crystal protein analysis with a genetic approach is a highly complementary and powerful way to assess the potential of B. thuringiensis isolates for new insecticidal genes and specificities. Furthermore, based on the number of cryptic genes found in HD-133, the total cry gene content of B. thuringiensis strains may be higher than previously thought.

Cyt1Aa protein of bacillus thuringiensis is toxic to the cottonwood leaf beetle, chrysomela scripta, and suppresses high levels of resistance to Cry3Aa

The insecticidal activity of Bacillus thuringiensis is due primarily to Cry and Cyt proteins. Cry proteins are typically toxic to lepidopterous, coleopterous, or dipterous insects, whereas the known toxicity of Cyt proteins is limited to dipterans. We report here that a Cyt protein, Cyt1Aa, is also highly toxic to the cottonwood leaf beetle, Chrysomela scripta, with a median lethal concentration of 2.5 ng/mm2 of leaf surface for second-instar larvae. Additionally, we show that Cyt1Aa suppresses resistance to Cry3Aa greater than 5, 000-fold in C. scripta, a level only partially overcome by Cry1Ba due to cross-resistance. Studies of the histopathology of C. scripta larvae treated with Cyt1Aa revealed disruption and sloughing of midgut epithelial cells, indicating that its mechanism of action against C. scripta is similar to that observed in mosquito and blackfly larvae. These novel properties suggest that Cyt proteins may have an even broader spectrum of activity against insects and, owing to their different mechanism of action in comparison to Cry proteins, might be useful in managing resistance to Cry3 and possibly other Cry toxins used in microbial insecticides and transgenic plants.

Variable cross-resistance to Cry11B from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. jegathesan in Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) resistant to single or multiple toxins of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis

A novel mosquitocidal bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. jegathesan, and one of its toxins, Cry11B, in a recombinant B. thuringiensis strain were evaluated for cross-resistance with strains of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus that are resistant to single and multiple toxins of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis. The levels of cross-resistance (resistance ratios [RR]) at concentrations which caused 95% mortality (LC95) between B. thuringiensis subsp. jegathesan and the different B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis-resistant mosquito strains were low, ranging from 2.3 to 5.1. However, the levels of cross-resistance to Cry11B were much higher and were directly related to the complexity of the B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis Cry toxin mixtures used to select the resistant mosquito strains. The LC95 RR obtained with the mosquito strains were as follows: 53.1 against Cq4D, which was resistant to Cry11A; 80.7 against Cq4AB, which was resistant to Cry4A plus Cry4B; and 347 against Cq4ABD, which was resistant to Cry4A plus Cry4B plus Cry11A. Combining Cyt1A with Cry11B at a 1:3 ratio had little effect on suppressing Cry11A resistance in Cq4D but resulted in synergism factors of 4.8 and 11.2 against strains Cq4AB and Cq4ABD, respectively; this procedure eliminated cross-resistance in the former mosquito strain and reduced it markedly in the latter strain. The high levels of activity of B. thuringiensis subsp. jegathesan and B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis, both of which contain a complex mixture of Cry and Cyt proteins, against Cry4- and Cry11-resistant mosquitoes suggest that novel bacterial strains with multiple Cry and Cyt proteins may be useful in managing resistance to bacterial insecticides in mosquito populations.

Insect resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis: uniform or diverse

Resistance to the insecticidal proteins produced by the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been documented in more than a dozen species of insect. Nearly all of these cases have been produced primarily by selection in the laboratory, but one pest, the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella ), has evolved resistance in open-field populations. Insect resistance to Bt has immediate and widespread significance because of increasing reliance on Bt toxins in genetically engineered crops and conventional sprays. Furthermore, intense interest in Bt provides an opportunity to examine the extent to which evolutionary pathways to resistance vary among and within species of insect. One mode of resistance to Bt is characterized by more than 500-fold resistance to at least one Cry1A toxin, recessive inheritance, little or no cross-resistance to Cry1C, and reduced binding of at least one Cry1A toxin. Analysis of resistance to Bt in the diamondback moth and two other species of moth suggests that although this particular mode of resistance may be the most common, it is not the only means by which insects can attain resistance to Bt.

Bacillus thuringiensis and its pesticidal crystal proteins

During the past decade the pesticidal bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis has been the subject of intensive research. These efforts have yielded considerable data about the complex relationships between the structure, mechanism of action, and genetics of the organism's pesticidal crystal proteins, and a coherent picture of these relationships is beginning to emerge. Other studies have focused on the ecological role of the B. thuringiensis crystal proteins, their performance in agricultural and other natural settings, and the evolution of resistance mechanisms in target pests. Armed with this knowledge base and with the tools of modern biotechnology, researchers are now reporting promising results in engineering more-useful toxins and formulations, in creating transgenic plants that express pesticidal activity, and in constructing integrated management strategies to insure that these products are utilized with maximum efficiency and benefit.

Synergism between Bacillus thuringiensis Spores and Toxins against Resistant and Susceptible Diamondback Moths (Plutella xylostella)

We studied the effects of combinations of Bacillus thuringiensis spores and toxins on the mortality of diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) larvae in leaf residue bioassays. Spores of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki increased the toxicity of crystals of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki to both resistant and susceptible larvae. For B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki, resistance ratios were 1,200 for a spore-crystal mixture and 56,000 for crystals without spores. Treatment of a spore-crystal formulation of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki with the antibiotic streptomycin to inhibit spore germination reduced toxicity to resistant larvae but not to susceptible larvae. In contrast, analogous experiments with B. thuringiensis subsp. aizawai revealed no significant effects of adding spores to crystals or of treating a spore-crystal formulation with streptomycin. Synergism occurred between Cry2A and B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki spores against susceptible larvae and between Cry1C and B. thuringiensis subsp. aizawai spores against resistant and susceptible larvae. The results show that B. thuringiensis toxins combined with spores can be toxic even though the toxins and spores have little or no independent toxicity. Results reported here and previously suggest that, for diamondback moth larvae, the extent of synergism between spores and toxins of B. thuringiensis depends on the strain of insect, the type of spore, the set of toxins, the presence of other materials such as formulation ingredients, and the concentrations of spores and toxins.

Toxicity and binding properties of the Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin Cry1C to cultured insect cells

A better understanding of the mode of action of Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxins is needed to develop strategies which may prevent or slow down selection for resistance. We studied the effect of Cry1C on several different cultured insect cell lines by means of toxicity assays, ligand blotting, and toxin binding studies. A clear difference in sensitivity toward Cry1C between the insect cell lines was observed. Spodoptera frugiperda cell line Sf9 was most sensitive, whereas Spodoptera exigua cell lines SeUCR and SelZD2109 showed intermediate sensitivity. Mamestra brassicae (Mb0503) and Drosophila melanogaster (Dm1) cells were the least sensitive as compared to Sf9 cells. Ligand blot analysis of SDS-PAGE size-separated proteins showed that Cry1C specifically binds to a 40-kDa protein in Sf9, SeUCR, and SelZD2109 cells. Cry1Ab does not bind to this protein. The Cry1C-binding protein was not observed in Mb0503 and Dm1 cells, suggesting that the presence of the 40-kDa Cry1C-binding protein is correlated with sensitivity toward Cry1C.

Proteinase-mediated insect resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis toxins

Two Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-resistant strains of the Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella, lack a major gut proteinase that activates Bt protoxins. The absence of this enzyme is genetically linked to larval survival on Bt-treated diets. When considered with previous data supporting the existence of receptor-mediated insect resistance to Bt, these results provide evidence that insect adaptation to these toxins occurs through multiple physiological mechanisms, which complicate efforts to prevent or manage resistance to Bt toxins in insect control programs.

Inheritance of Resistance to the Bacillus thuringiensis Toxin Cry1C in the Diamondback Moth

Laboratory selection increased resistance to the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry1C in a strain of diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella). The selected strain was derived from a field population that had evolved high levels of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki and moderate resistance to Cry1C. Relative to the responses of a susceptible strain of diamondback moth, the resistance to Cry1C of the selected strain increased to 62-fold after six generations of selection. The realized heritability of resistance was 0.10. Analysis of F(inf1) hybrid progeny from reciprocal crosses between the selected strain and a susceptible strain showed that resistance to Cry1C was autosomally inherited. The dominance of resistance to Cry1C depended on the concentration; inheritance was increasingly dominant as the concentration decreased. Responses of progeny from single-pair families showed that resistance to Cry1C and resistance to Cry1Ab were inherited independently, which enhances opportunities for managing resistance. However, compared with projections based on previously reported recessive inheritance of resistance to Cry1A toxins, the potentially dominant inheritance of resistance to Cry1C observed here could accelerate evolution of resistance.

Determination of Binding of Bacillus thuringiensis (delta)-Endotoxin Receptors to Rice Stem Borer Midguts

Insecticidal activity and receptor binding properties of Bacillus thuringiensis toxins to yellow and striped rice stem borers (Sciropophaga incertulas and Chilo suppresalis, respectively) were investigated. Yellow stem borer (YSB) was susceptible to Cry1Aa, Cry1Ac, Cry2A, and Cry1C toxins with similar toxicities. To striped stem borer (SSB), Cry1Ac, Cry2A, and Cry1C were more toxic than Cry1Aa toxin. Binding assays were performed with (sup125)I-labeled toxins (Cry1Aa, Cry1Ac, Cry2A, and Cry1C) and brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) prepared from YSB and SSB midguts. Both Cry1Aa and Cry1Ac toxins showed saturable, high-affinity binding to YSB BBMV. Cry2A and Cry1C toxins bound to YSB BBMV with relatively low binding affinity but with high binding site concentration. To SSB, both Cry1Aa and Cry1Ac exhibited high binding affinity, although these toxins are less toxic than Cry1C and Cry2A. Cry1C and Cry2A toxins bound to SSB BBMV with relatively low binding affinity but with high binding site concentration. Heterologous competition binding assays were performed to investigate the binding site cross-reactivity. The results showed that Cry1Aa and Cry1Ac recognize the same binding site, which is different from the Cry2A or Cry1C binding site in YSB and SSB. These data suggest that development of multitoxin systems in transgenic rice with toxin combinations which recognize different binding sites may be useful in implementing deployment strategies that decrease the rate of pest adaptation to B. thuringiensis toxin-expressing rice varieties.

Binding of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac Toxin to Aminopeptidase in Susceptible and Resistant Diamondback Moths (Plutella xylostella)

Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac toxin bound to a 120-kDa protein isolated from the brush border membranes of both susceptible and resistant larvae of Plutella xylostella, the diamondback moth. The 120-kDa protein was purified by Cry1Ac toxin affinity chromatography. Like Cry1Ac-binding aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) from other insects, this protein was eluted from the affinity column with 200 mM N-acetylgalactosamine. The purified protein had aminopeptidase activity and bound Cry1Ac toxin on ligand blots. Purified aminopeptidase was recognized by antibodies to the cross-reacting determinant found on phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C-solubilized proteins. The results show that the presence of Cry1Ac-binding aminopeptidase in the brush border membrane is not sufficient to confer susceptibility to Cry1Ac. Furthermore, the results do not support the hypothesis that resistance to Cry1Ac was caused by lack of a Cry1Ac-binding aminopeptidase.

Engineering Bacillus thuringiensis bioinsecticides with an indigenous site-specific recombination system

The cry genes of Bacillus thuringiensis encode a diverse group of crystal-forming proteins that exhibit insecticidal activity, particularly against the larvae of lepidopteran, coleopteran, and dipteran insects. The efficacy of B. thuringiensis-based biopesticides may be improved through the genetic manipulation of these genes. A gene transfer system has been developed for the introduction and maintenance of cloned insecticidal cry genes on small plasmids in B. thuringiensis. This vector system combines a B. thuringiensis plasmid replicon and an indigenous site-specific recombination system that allows for the selective removal of ancillary or foreign DNA from the recombinant bacterium after introduction of the Cry-encoding plasmid. The site-specific recombination system is useful for engineering strains with unique combinations of cry genes, resulting in new active ingredients with improved insecticidal properties.

Geographic variation in susceptibility of the spruce budworm,Choristoneura fumiferana(Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), toBacillus thuringiensisssp. kurstaki is limited

Geographic variation in susceptibility to the pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner ssp. kurstaki was assessed among five populations of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens), across Canada. Larvae or pupae were collected from Prince Edward Island, northern New Brunswick, central Ontario, northeastern Alberta, and northeastern British Columbia. The response of field populations to the 1980 industrial standard of the HD-1 strain of the pathogen was compared with the concurrent response of a laboratory colony as an internal standard. Equal slopes of the probit regression lines indicated homogeneity of variation in susceptibility among populations. LC50values ranged from 2.6 international units (IU) per sixth-instar larva for the most susceptible population to 8.3 IU per larva for the least susceptible. Although significant, the variation in population susceptibility was within the range of variation that is commonly observed among repeated bioassays against cohorts of a single population. We conclude that variation in susceptibility to B. thuringiensis among spruce budworm populations is low. The data provide a basis for monitoring changes in susceptibility of spruce budworm populations in response to increased use of this pathogen in forest-protection programs.

Cross-resistance of the diamondback moth indicates altered interactions with domain II of Bacillus thuringiensis toxins

We compared responses to six insecticidal crystal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis by a Cry1A-resistant strain (NO-QA) and a susceptible strain (LAB-P) of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. The resistant strain showed > 100-fold cross-resistance to Cry1J and to H04, a hybrid with domains I and II of Cry1Ab and domain III or Cry1C. Cross-resistance was sixfold to Cry1Bb and threefold to Cry1D. The potency of Cry1I did not differ significantly between the resistant and susceptible strains. Cry2B did not kill resistant or susceptible larvae. By combining these new data with previously published results, we classified responses to 14 insecticidal crystal proteins by strains NO-QA and LAB-P. NO-QA showed high levels of resistance to Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, and Cry1Ac and high levels of cross-resistance to Cry1F, Cry1J, and H04. Cross-resistance was low or nil to Cry1Ba, Cry1Bb, Cry1C, Cry1D, Cry1I, and Cry2A. Cry1E and Cry2B showed little or no toxicity to susceptible or resistant larvae. In dendrograms based on levels of amino acid sequence similarity among proteins, Cry1F and Cry1J clustered together with Cry1A proteins for domain II, but not for domain I or III. High levels of cross-resistance to Cry1Ab-Cry1C hybrid H04 show that although Cry1C is toxic to NO-QA, domain III or Cry1C is not sufficient to restore toxicity when it is combined with domains I and II of Cry1Ab. Thus, diamondback moth strain NO-QA cross-resistance extends beyond the Cry1A family of proteins to at least two other families that exhibit high levels of amino sequence similarity with Cry1A in domain II (Cry1F and Cry1J) and to a protein that is identical to Cry1Ab in domain II (H04). The results of this study imply that resistance to Cry1A alters interactions between the insect and domain II.

Identification of a Bacillus thuringiensis gene that positively regulates transcription of the phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C gene at the onset of the stationary phase

A transcriptional analysis of the phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (plcA) gene of Bacillus thuringiensis indicated that its transcription was activated at the onset of the stationary phase in B. thuringiensis but was not activated in B. subtilis. The B. thuringiensis gene encoding a transcriptional activator required for plcA expression was cloned by using a B. subtilis strain carrying a chromosomal plcA'-'lacZ fusion as a heterologous host for selection. This trans activator (designated PlcR) is a protein of a calculated molecular weight of 33,762 which appears to be distantly related to PreL and NprA, regulator proteins enhancing transcription of neutral protease genes during the stationary phase of a Lactobacillus sp. and B. stearothermophilus, respectively. plcR gene transcription was analyzed in B. thuringiensis and in B. subtilis. PlcR positively regulated its own transcription at the onset of the stationary phase. There is a highly conserved DNA sequence (17 bp) 34 nucleotides upstream from the plcR transcriptional start site and 49 nucleotides upstream from the plcA transcriptional start site. As PlcR positively regulates its own transcription and plcA transcription, this conserved DNA sequence may be the specific recognition target for PlcR activation.