scholarly journals Toxicity and Binding Studies of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac, Cry1F, Cry1C, and Cry2A Proteins in the Soybean Pests Anticarsia gemmatalis and Chrysodeixis (Pseudoplusia) includens

2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yolanda Bel ◽  
Joel J. Sheets ◽  
Sek Yee Tan ◽  
Kenneth E. Narva ◽  
Baltasar Escriche

ABSTRACT Anticarsia gemmatalis (velvetbean caterpillar) and Chrysodeixis includens (soybean looper, formerly named Pseudoplusia includens) are two important defoliating insects of soybeans. Both lepidopteran pests are controlled mainly with synthetic insecticides. Alternative control strategies, such as biopesticides based on the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins or transgenic plants expressing Bt toxins, can be used and are increasingly being adopted. Studies on the insect susceptibilities and modes of action of the different Bt toxins are crucial to determine management strategies to control the pests and to delay outbreaks of insect resistance. In the present study, the susceptibilities of both soybean pests to the Bt toxins Cry1Ac, Cry1Fa, Cry1Ca, and Cry2Aa have been investigated. Bioassays performed in first-instar larvae showed that both insects are susceptible to all these toxins. Competition-binding studies carried out with Cry1Ac and Cry1Fa 125-iodine labeled proteins demonstrated the presence of specific binding sites for both of them on the midgut brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) of both A. gemmatalis and C. includens. Competition-binding experiments and specific-binding inhibition studies performed with selected sugars and lectins indicated that Cry1Ac and Cry1Fa share some, but not all, binding sites in the midguts of both insects. Also, the Cry1Ac- or Cry1Fa-binding sites were not shared with Cry1Ca or Cry2Aa in either soybean pest. This study contributes to the knowledge of Bt toxicity and midgut toxin binding sites in A. gemmatalis and C. includens and sheds light on the cross-resistance potential of Cry1Ac, Cry1Fa, Cry1Ca, and Cry2Aa Bt proteins as candidate proteins for Bt-pyramided crops. IMPORTANCE In the present study, the toxicity and the mode of action of the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins Cry1Ac, Cry1Fa, Cry1Ca, and Cry2Aa in Anticarsia gemmatalis and Chrysodeixis includens (important defoliating pests of soybeans) have been investigated. These studies are crucial for determining management strategies for pest control. Bioassays showed that both insects were susceptible to the toxins. Competition-binding studies demonstrated the presence of Cry1Fa- and Cry1Ac-specific binding sites in the midguts of both pests. These results, together with the results from binding inhibition studies performed with sugars and lectins, indicated that Cry1Ac and Cry1Fa share some, but not all, binding sites, and that they were not shared with Cry1Ca or Cry2Aa in either soybean pest. This study contributes to the knowledge of Bt toxicity in A. gemmatalis and C. includens and sheds light on the cross-resistance potential of Cry1Ac, Cry1Fa, Cry1Ca, and Cry2Aa Bt proteins as candidate proteins for Bt-pyramided crops.

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yolanda Bel ◽  
Marc Zack ◽  
Ken Narva ◽  
Baltasar Escriche

AbstractAnticarsia gemmatalis (velvetbean caterpillar) and Chrysodeixis includens (soybean looper) are two important defoliation pests of soybeans. In the present study, we have investigated the susceptibility and brush border membrane-binding properties of both species to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ea toxin. Bioassays performed in first-instar larvae demonstrated potent activity against both soybean pests in terms of mortality or practical mortality. Competition-binding studies carried out with 125Iodine-labelled Cry1Ea, demonstrated the presence of specific binding sites on the midgut brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) of both insect species. Heterologous competition-binding experiments indicated that Cry1Ea does not share binding sites with Cry1Ac or Cry1Fa in either soybean pest. This study contributes to the knowledge of Cry1Ea toxicity and midgut binding sites in A. gemmatalis and C. includens and sheds light on the cross-resistance potential of Cry1Ea with other Bt proteins aimed at controlling lepidopteran pests in soybeans.


2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (11) ◽  
pp. 6863-6869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali H. Sayyed ◽  
Roxani Gatsi ◽  
M. Sales Ibiza-Palacios ◽  
Baltasar Escriche ◽  
Denis J. Wright ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT A field collected population of Plutella xylostella (SERD4) was selected in the laboratory with Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxins Cry1Ac (Cry1Ac-SEL) and Cry1Ab (Cry1Ab-SEL). Both subpopulations showed similar phenotypes: high resistance to the Cry1A toxins and little cross-resistance to Cry1Ca or Cry1D. A previous analysis of the Cry1Ac-SEL showed incompletely dominant resistance to Cry1Ac with more than one factor, at least one of which was sex influenced. In the present study reciprocal mass crosses between Cry1Ab-SEL and a laboratory susceptible population (ROTH) provided evidence that Cry1Ab resistance was also inherited as incompletely dominant trait with more than one factor, and at least one of the factors was sex influenced. Analysis of single pair mating indicated that Cry1Ab-SEL was still heterogeneous for Cry1Ab resistance genes, showing genes with different degrees of dominance. Binding studies showed a large reduction of specific binding of Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac to midgut membrane vesicles of the Cry1Ab-SEL subpopulation. Cry1Ab-SEL was found to be more susceptible to trypsin-activated Cry1Ab toxin than protoxin, although no defect in toxin activation was found. Present and previous results indicate a common basis of resistance to both Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac in selected subpopulations and suggest that a similar set of resistance genes are responsible for resistance to Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac and are selected whichever toxin was used. The possibility of an incompletely dominant trait of resistant to these toxins should be taken into account when considering refuge resistance management strategies.


2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (10) ◽  
pp. 3182-3188 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Gouffon ◽  
A. Van Vliet ◽  
J. Van Rie ◽  
S. Jansens ◽  
J. L. Jurat-Fuentes

ABSTRACTThe use of combinations ofBacillus thuringiensis(Bt) toxins with diverse modes of action for insect pest control has been proposed as the most efficient strategy to increase target range and delay the onset of insect resistance. Considering that most cases of cross-resistance to Bt toxins in laboratory-selected insect colonies are due to alteration of common toxin binding sites, independent modes of action can be defined as toxins sharing limited or no binding sites in brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) prepared from the target insect larvae. In this paper, we report on the specific binding of Cry2Ae toxin to binding sites on BBMV from larvae of the three most commercially relevant heliothine species,Heliothis virescens,Helicoverpa zea, andHelicoverpa armigera. Using chromatographic purification under reducing conditions before labeling, we detected specific binding of radiolabeled Cry2Ae, which allowed us to perform competition assays using Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1Fa, Vip3A, Cry2Ae, and Cry2Ab toxins as competitors. In these assays, Cry2Ae binding sites were shared with Cry2Ab but not with the tested Cry1 or Vip3A toxins. Our data support the use of Cry2Ae toxin in combination with Cry1 or Vip3A toxins in strategies to increase target range and delay the onset of heliothine resistance.


2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (8) ◽  
pp. 4090-4094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvador Herrero ◽  
Marisé Borja ◽  
Juan Ferré

ABSTRACT Despite the fact that around 200 cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis have already been cloned, only a few Cry proteins are toxic towards a given pest. A crucial step in the mode of action of Cry proteins is binding to specific sites in the midgut of susceptible insects. Binding studies in insects that have developed cross-resistance discourage the combined use of Cry proteins sharing the same binding site. If resistance management strategies are to be implemented, the arsenal of Cry proteins suitable to control a given pest may be not so vast as it might seem at first. The present study evaluates the potential of B. thuringiensis for the control of a new pest, the geranium bronze (Cacyreus marshalli Butler), a butterfly that is threatening the popularity of geraniums in Spain. Eleven of the most common Cry proteins from the three lepidopteran-active Cry families (Cry1, Cry2, and Cry9) were tested against the geranium bronze for their toxicity and binding site relationships. Using 125I-labeled Cry1A proteins we found that, of the seven most active Cry proteins, six competed for binding to the same site. For the long-term control of the geranium bronze with B. thuringiensis-based insecticides it would be advisable to combine any of the Cry proteins sharing the binding site (preferably Cry1Ab, since it is the most toxic) with those not competing for the same site. Cry1Ba would be the best choice of these proteins, since it is significantly more toxic than the others not binding to the common site.


2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian R. Pickett ◽  
Asim Gulzar ◽  
Juan Ferré ◽  
Denis J. Wright

ABSTRACT Laboratory selection with Vip3Aa of a field-derived population of Heliothis virescens produced >2,040-fold resistance in 12 generations of selection. The Vip3Aa-selected (Vip-Sel)-resistant population showed little cross-resistance to Cry1Ab and no cross-resistance to Cry1Ac. Resistance was unstable after 15 generations without exposure to the toxin. F1 reciprocal crosses between Vip3Aa-unselected (Vip-Unsel) and Vip-Sel insects indicated a strong paternal influence on the inheritance of resistance. Resistance ranged from almost completely recessive (mean degree of dominance [h] = 0.04 if the resistant parent was female) to incompletely dominant (mean h = 0.53 if the resistant parent was male). Results from bioassays on the offspring from backcrosses of the F1 progeny with Vip-Sel insects indicated that resistance was due to more than one locus. The results described in this article provide useful information for the insecticide resistance management strategies designed to overcome the evolution of resistance to Vip3Aa in insect pests. IMPORTANCE Heliothis virescens is an important pest that has the ability to feed on many plant species. The extensive use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops or spray has already led to the evolution of insect resistance in the field for some species of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. The development of resistance in insect pests is the main threat to Bt crops. The effective resistance management strategies are very important to prolong the life of Bt plants. Lab selection is the key step to test the assumption and predictions of management strategies prior to field evaluation. Resistant insects offer useful information to determine the inheritance of resistance and the frequency of resistance alleles and to study the mechanism of resistance to insecticides.


2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 437-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
María A. Ibargutxi ◽  
Anna Estela ◽  
Juan Ferré ◽  
Primitivo Caballero

ABSTRACT Thirteen of the most common lepidopteran-specific Cry proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis have been tested for their efficacy against newly hatched larvae of two populations of the spiny bollworm, Earias insulana. At a concentration of 100 μg of toxin per milliliter of artificial diet, six Cry toxins (Cry1Ca, Cry1Ea, Cry1Fa, Cry1Ja, Cry2Aa, and Cry2Ab) were not toxic at all. Cry1Aa, Cry1Ja, and Cry2Aa did not cause mortality but caused significant inhibition of growth. The other Cry toxins (Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1Ba, Cry1Da, Cry1Ia, and Cry9Ca) were toxic to E. insulana larvae. The 50% lethal concentration values of these toxins ranged from 0.39 to 21.13 μg/ml (for Cry9Ca and Cry1Ia, respectively) for an E. insulana laboratory colony originating from Egypt and from 0.20 to 4.25 μg/ml (for Cry9Ca and Cry1Da, respectively) for a laboratory colony originating from Spain. The relative potencies of the toxins in the population from Egypt were highest for Cry9Ca and Cry1Ab, and they were both significantly more toxic than Cry1Ac and Cry1Ba, followed by Cry1Da and finally Cry1Ia. In the population from Spain, Cry9Ca was the most toxic, followed in decreasing order by Cry1Ac and Cry1Ba, and the least toxic was Cry1Da. Binding experiments were performed to test whether the toxic Cry proteins shared binding sites in this insect. 125I-labeled Cry1Ac and Cry1Ab and biotinylated Cry1Ba, Cry1Ia, and Cry9Ca showed specific binding to the brush border membrane vesicles from E. insulana. Competition binding experiments among these toxins showed that only Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac competed for the same binding sites, indicating a high possibility that this insect may develop cross-resistance to Cry1Ab upon exposure to Cry1Ac transgenic cotton but not to the other toxins tested.


2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (24) ◽  
pp. 7590-7597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Lira ◽  
Jeff Beringer ◽  
Stephanie Burton ◽  
Samantha Griffin ◽  
Joel Sheets ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBacillus thuringiensisis an important source of insect resistance traits in commercial crops. In an effort to prolongB. thuringiensistrait durability, insect resistance management programs often include combinations of insecticidal proteins that are not cross resistant or have demonstrable differences in their site of action as a means to mitigate the development of resistant insect populations. In this report, we describe the activity spectrum of a novelB. thuringiensisCry protein, Cry1Bh1, against several lepidopteran pests, including laboratory-selectedB. thuringiensis-resistant strains ofOstrinia nubilalisandHeliothis virescensand progeny of field-evolvedB. thuringiensis-resistant strains ofPlutella xylostellaandSpodoptera frugiperda. Cry1Bh1 is active against susceptible andB. thuringiensis-resistant colonies ofO. nubilalis,P. xylostella, andH. virescensin laboratory diet-based assays, implying a lack of cross-resistance in these insects. However, Cry1Bh1 is not active against susceptible or Cry1F-resistantS. frugiperda. Further, Cry1Bh1 does not compete with Cry1Fa or Cry1Ab forO. nubilalismidgut brush border membrane binding sites. Cry1Bh1-expressing corn, while not completely resistant to insect damage, provided significantly better leaf protection against Cry1Fa-resistantO. nubilalisthan did Cry1Fa-expressing hybrid corn. The lack of cross-resistance with Cry1Ab and Cry1Fa along with independent membrane binding sites inO. nubilalismakes Cry1Bh1 a candidate to further optimize for in-plant resistance to this pest.


2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (24) ◽  
pp. 7545-7550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Hernández-Martínez ◽  
Natalia Mara Vera-Velasco ◽  
María Martínez-Solís ◽  
Marc Ghislain ◽  
Juan Ferré ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBacillus thuringiensisCry3Bb, Cry3Ca, and Cry7Aa have been reported to be toxic against larvae of the genusCylas, which are important pests of sweet potato worldwide and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. However, relatively little is known about the processing and binding interactions of these coleopteran-specific Cry proteins. The aim of the present study was to determine whether Cry3Bb, Cry3Ca, and Cry7Aa proteins have shared binding sites inCylas puncticollisto orient the pest resistance strategy by genetic transformation. Interestingly, processing of the 129-kDa Cry7Aa protoxin using commercial trypsin or chymotrypsin rendered two fragments of about 70 kDa and 65 kDa. N-terminal sequencing of the trypsin-activated Cry7Aa fragments revealed that processing occurs at Glu47for the 70-kDa form or Ile88for the 65-kDa form. Homologous binding assays showed specific binding of the two Cry3 proteins and the 65-kDa Cry7Aa fragment to brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) fromC. puncticollislarvae. The 70-kDa fragment did not bind to BBMV. Heterologous-competition assays showed that Cry3Bb, Cry3Ca, and Cry7Aa (65-kDa fragment) competed for the same binding sites. Hence, our results suggest that pest resistance mediated by the alteration of a shared Cry receptor binding site might render all three Cry toxins ineffective.


2017 ◽  
Vol 199 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiating Gao ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
Huan Liu ◽  
Zhen Yang ◽  
Qin Liu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In Vibrio species, AphB is essential to activate virulence cascades by sensing low-pH and anaerobiosis signals; however, its regulon remains largely unknown. Here, AphB is found to be a key virulence regulator in Vibrio alginolyticus, a pathogen for marine animals and humans. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput DNA sequencing (ChIP-seq) enabled the detection of 20 loci in the V. alginolyticus genome that contained AphB-binding peaks. An AphB-specific binding consensus was confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs), and the regulation of genes flanking such binding sites was demonstrated using quantitative real-time PCR analysis. AphB binds directly to its own promoter and positively controls its own expression in later growth stages. AphB also activates the expression of the exotoxin Asp by binding directly to the promoter regions of asp and the master quorum-sensing (QS) regulator luxR. DNase I footprinting analysis uncovered distinct AphB-binding sites (BBS) in these promoters. Furthermore, a BBS in the luxR promoter region overlaps that of LuxR-binding site I, which mediates the positive control of luxR promoter activity by AphB. This study provides new insights into the AphB regulon and reveals the mechanisms underlying AphB regulation of physiological adaptation and QS-controlled virulence in V. alginolyticus. IMPORTANCE In this work, AphB is determined to play essential roles in the expression of genes associated with QS, physiology, and virulence in V. alginolyticus, a pathogen for marine animals and humans. AphB was found to bind directly to 20 genes and control their expression by a 17-bp consensus binding sequence. Among the 20 genes, the aphB gene itself was identified to be positively autoregulated, and AphB also positively controlled asp and luxR expression. Taken together, these findings improve our understanding of the roles of AphB in controlling physiological adaptation and QS-controlled virulence gene expression.


1989 ◽  
Vol 256 (1) ◽  
pp. R224-R230 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Elfont ◽  
P. R. Sundaresan ◽  
C. D. Sladek

R224-R230, 1989.--[125I]iodocyanopindolol ([125I]ICYP) and [3H]rauwolscine were used to quantitate, respectively, the beta- and alpha 2-adrenergic receptors in freshly isolated bovine cerebral microvessels and in pericyte cultures derived from these microvessels. Morphological and immunocytochemical criteria distinguished the pericytes from endothelial cells. Competitive binding studies established the specificity of the radioligand binding. The maximal number of binding sites (Bmax) for [125I]ICYP in the pericytes constituted only 8% of that in the microvessels (3.5 +/- 1.3 vs. 44.4 +/- 6.6 fmol/mg protein). In contrast, the Bmax for [3H]rauwolscine in the pericytes was 50% of that in the microvessels (55.4 +/- 11.8 vs. 111.1 +/- 9.5 fmol/mg protein). The dissociation constants for both [125I]ICYP and [3H]rauwolscine were similar in the two preparations. No alpha 1-adrenergic receptors, as defined by the specific binding of [3H]prazosin, were identified either in the pericytes or microvessels. Overall, our results suggest that pericytes contribute minimally to the total beta-adrenoceptor number of cerebral microvessels, and thus the beta-adrenoceptors must be located predominantly on endothelial cells. However, the contribution of pericytes to the total alpha 2-adrenoceptor number of the microvessels may be substantial.


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