scholarly journals Common Receptor for Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins Cry1Ac, Cry1Fa, and Cry1Ja in Helicoverpa armigera, Helicoverpa zea, and Spodoptera exigua

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 5627-5629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Sara Hernández ◽  
Juan Ferré
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Helicoverpa Armigera ◽  
Helicoverpa Zea ◽  
Spodoptera Exigua ◽  
Cross Resistance ◽  
Binding Studies ◽  
Lepidopteran Species ◽  
Common Receptor ◽  
Binding Data ◽  
Helicoverpa Armígera

ABSTRACT Binding studies using 125I-Cry1Ac and biotinylated Cry1Fa toxins indicate the occurrence of a common receptor for Cry1Ac, Cry1Fa, and Cry1Ja in Helicoverpa armigera, Helicoverpa zea, and Spodoptera exigua. Our results, along with previous binding data and the observed cases of cross-resistance, suggest that this pattern seems to be widespread among lepidopteran species.

scholarly journals Disruption of a Cadherin Gene Associated with Resistance to Cry1Ac δ-Endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis in Helicoverpa armigera

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 948-954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinjun Xu ◽  
Liangying Yu ◽  
Yidong Wu
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Helicoverpa Armigera ◽  
Stop Codon ◽  
Premature Stop Codon ◽  
Recessive Gene ◽  
Laboratory Strain ◽  
Cross Resistance ◽  
Resistance Pattern ◽  
Bt Cotton ◽  
Helicoverpa Armígera

ABSTRACT A laboratory strain (GY) of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) was established from surviving larvae collected from transgenic cotton expressing a Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki insecticidal protein (Bt cotton) in Gaoyang County, Hebei Province, People's Republic of China, in 2001. The GYBT strain was derived from the GY strain through 28 generations of selection with activated Cry1Ac delivered by diet surface contamination. When resistance to Cry1Ac in the GYBT strain increased to 564-fold after selection, we detected high levels of cross-resistance to Cry1Aa (103-fold) and Cry1Ab (>46-fold) in the GYBT strain with reference to those in the GY strain. The GYBT strain had a low level of cross-resistance to B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki formulation (Btk) (5-fold) and no cross-resistance to Cry2Aa (1.4-fold). Genetic analysis showed that Cry1Ac resistance in the GYBT strain was controlled by one autosomal and incompletely recessive gene. The cross-resistance pattern and inheritance mode suggest that the Cry1Ac resistance in the GYBT strain of H. armigera belongs to “mode 1,” the most common type of lepidopteran resistance to B. thuringiensis toxins. A cadherin gene was cloned and sequenced from both the GY and GYBT strains. Disruption of the cadherin gene by a premature stop codon was associated with a high level of Cry1Ac resistance in H. armigera. Tight linkage between Cry1Ac resistance and the cadherin locus was observed in a backcross analysis. Together with previous evidence found with Heliothis virescens and Pectinophora gossypiella, our results confirmed that the cadherin gene is a preferred target for developing DNA-based monitoring of B. thuringiensis resistance in field populations of lepidopteran pests.

scholarly journals Bacillus thuringiensis Bel Protein Enhances the Toxicity of Cry1Ac Protein to Helicoverpa armigera Larvae by Degrading Insect Intestinal Mucin

2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (16) ◽  
pp. 5237-5243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shangling Fang ◽  
Li Wang ◽  
Wei Guo ◽  
Xia Zhang ◽  
Donghai Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Helicoverpa Armigera ◽  
Trichoplusia Ni ◽  
Knockout Mutant ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
In Vitro Degradation ◽  
Intestinal Mucin ◽  
Helicoverpa Armígera ◽  
Cry1ac Protein

ABSTRACT Bacillus thuringiensis has been used as a bioinsecticide to control agricultural insects. Bacillus cereus group genomes were found to have a Bacillus enhancin-like (bel) gene, encoding a peptide with 20 to 30% identity to viral enhancin protein, which can enhance viral infection by degradation of the peritrophic matrix (PM) of the insect midgut. In this study, the bel gene was found to have an activity similar to that of the viral enhancin gene. A bel knockout mutant was constructed by using a plasmid-free B. thuringiensis derivative, BMB171. The 50% lethal concentrations of this mutant plus the cry1Ac insecticidal protein gene were about 5.8-fold higher than those of the BMB171 strain. When purified Bel was mixed with the Cry1Ac protein and fed to Helicoverpa armigera larvae, 3 μg/ml Cry1Ac alone induced 34.2% mortality. Meanwhile, the mortality rate rose to 74.4% when the same amount of Cry1Ac was mixed with 0.8 μg/ml of Bel. Microscopic observation showed a significant disruption detected on the midgut PM of H. armigera larvae after they were fed Bel. In vitro degradation assays showed that Bel digested the intestinal mucin (IIM) of Trichoplusia ni and H. armigera larvae to various degrading products, similar to findings for viral enhancin. These results imply Bel toxicity enhancement depends on the destruction of midgut PM and IIM, similar to the case with viral enhancin. This discovery showed that Bel has the potential to enhance insecticidal activity of B. thuringiensis-based biopesticides and transgenic crops.

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