Degradation of Bacillus thuringiensisδ-endotoxin in host insect gut juice

Abstract When Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1 and subsp. sottoδ-endotoxins were activated from their protoxins in 50%Choristoneura fumiferana gut juice, the amount of 60–65-kDa toxin protein produced was much less than that produced in 1% gut juice. In bioassays against Bombyx mori larva...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:FEMS microbiology letters 1998-10, Vol.167 (2), p.281-285
Main Authors: Pang, Anthony S.D, Gringorten, J.Lawrence
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activation
Bacillus thuringiensis
Bioassays
Bombyx mori
Choristoneura fumiferana
Degradation
Endotoxin degradation
Endotoxins
Gut juice
Insects
Juices
Larvae
Microbiology
Midgut
Protease inhibitors
Proteinase inhibitors
Protoxins
Toxicity
Toxins
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Summary:Abstract When Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1 and subsp. sottoδ-endotoxins were activated from their protoxins in 50%Choristoneura fumiferana gut juice, the amount of 60–65-kDa toxin protein produced was much less than that produced in 1% gut juice. In bioassays against Bombyx mori larvae, the toxicity of activation mixtures with 50%C. fumiferana gut juice was less than activation mixtures with 1% gut juice. Differences between 50% and 1%B. mori gut juice in the amount of activated toxin produced from protoxin were much less pronounced. The present study may explain, in part, why B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1 is more toxic to B. mori than to C. fumiferana larvae, and suggests that the enhancement of B. thuringiensisδ-endotoxin insecticidal activity by protease inhibitors may be the result of reduced toxin degradation in the insect midgut.
ISSN:0378-1097
1574-6968
DOI:10.1111/j.1574-6968.1998.tb13240.x