scholarly journals Differential Effects of pH on the Pore-Forming Properties of Bacillus thuringiensis Insecticidal Crystal Toxins

2001 ◽  
Vol 67 (10) ◽  
pp. 4488-4494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Le Binh Tran ◽  
Vincent Vachon ◽  
Jean-Louis Schwartz ◽  
Raynald Laprade
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Brush Border Membrane ◽  
Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Insect Midgut ◽  
Tetramethylammonium Chloride ◽  
Effects Of Ph ◽  
Alkaline Conditions ◽  
Crystal Toxins ◽  
Ph Range ◽  
Reduced Activity

ABSTRACT The effect of pH on the pore-forming ability of two Bacillus thuringiensis toxins, Cry1Ac and Cry1C, was examined with midgut brush border membrane vesicles isolated from the tobacco hornworm,Manduca sexta, and a light-scattering assay. In the presence of Cry1Ac, membrane permeability remained high over the entire pH range tested (6.5 to 10.5) for KCl and tetramethylammonium chloride, but was much lower at pH 6.5 than at higher pHs for potassium gluconate, sucrose, and raffinose. On the other hand, the Cry1C-induced permeability to all substrates tested was much higher at pH 6.5, 7.5, and 8.5 than at pH 9.5 and 10.5. These results indicate that the pores formed by Cry1Ac are significantly smaller at pH 6.5 than under alkaline conditions, whereas the pore-forming ability of Cry1C decreases sharply above pH 8.5. The reduced activity of Cry1C at high pH correlates well with the fact that its toxicity for M. sexta is considerably weaker than that of Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, and Cry1Ac. However, Cry1E, despite having a toxicity comparable to that of Cry1C, formed channels as efficiently as the Cry1A toxins at pH 10.5. These results strongly suggest that although pH can influence toxin activity, additional factors also modulate toxin potency in the insect midgut.

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

2004 ◽  
Vol 384 (3) ◽  
pp. 507-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvador HERRERO ◽  
Joel GONZÁLEZ-CABRERA ◽  
Juan FERRÉ ◽  
Petra L. BAKKER ◽  
Ruud A. de MAAGD
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Spodoptera Exigua ◽  
Brush Border Membrane ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Oligomeric Form ◽  
Specific Receptors ◽  
Domain Iii

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.

scholarly journals Pore-forming properties of the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry9Ca in Manduca sexta brush border membrane vesicles

2010 ◽  
Vol 1798 (6) ◽  
pp. 1111-1118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Frédéric Brunet ◽  
Vincent Vachon ◽  
Marc Juteau ◽  
Jeroen Van Rie ◽  
Geneviève Larouche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Manduca Sexta ◽  
Brush Border ◽  
Brush Border Membrane ◽  
Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Brush Border Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Bacillus Thuringiensis Toxin

scholarly journals Rearrangement of N-Terminal α-Helices of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab Toxin Essential for Oligomer Assembly and Toxicity

Toxins ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 647
Author(s):  
Sabino Pacheco ◽  
Jean Piere Jesus Quiliche ◽  
Isabel Gómez ◽  
Jorge Sánchez ◽  
Mario Soberón ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Insect Midgut ◽  
Cry Proteins ◽  
Cry1ab Toxin ◽  
Domain I

Cry proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis are pore-forming toxins that disrupt the membrane integrity of insect midgut cells. The structure of such pore is unknown, but it has been shown that domain I is responsible for oligomerization, membrane insertion and pore formation activity. Specifically, it was proposed that some N-terminal α-helices are lost, leading to conformational changes that trigger oligomerization. We designed a series of mutants to further analyze the molecular rearrangements at the N-terminal region of Cry1Ab toxin that lead to oligomer assembly. For this purpose, we introduced Cys residues at specific positions within α-helices of domain I for their specific labeling with extrinsic fluorophores to perform Föster resonance energy transfer analysis to fluorescent labeled Lys residues located in Domains II–III, or for disulfide bridges formation to restrict mobility of conformational changes. Our data support that helix α-1 of domain I is cleaved out and swings away from the toxin core upon binding with Manduca sexta brush border membrane vesicles. That movement of helix α-2b is also required for the conformational changes involved in oligomerization. These observations are consistent with a model proposing that helices α-2b and α-3 form an extended helix α-3 necessary for oligomer assembly of Cry toxins.

scholarly journals Changes in Permeability of Brush Border Membrane Vesicles fromSpodoptera littoralis Midgut Induced by Insecticidal Crystal Proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis

1998 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 1563-1565 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Escriche ◽  
N. De Decker ◽  
J. Van Rie ◽  
S. Jansens ◽  
E. Van Kerkhove
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Brush Border ◽  
Brush Border Membrane ◽  
Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Brush Border Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Osmotic Swelling ◽  
Midgut Cell ◽  
Crystal Proteins ◽  
Light Scattering Technique ◽  
Insecticidal Crystal Proteins

ABSTRACT Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal proteins (ICPs) are thought to induce pore formation in midgut cell membranes of susceptible insects. Cry1Ca, which is significantly active inSpodoptera littoralis, made brush border membrane vesicles permeable to KCl (osmotic swelling was monitored by the light scattering technique); the marginally active ICPs Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, and Cry1Ac did not.

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