Publications

contributions of 5'-utr and 3'-utr cis elements to cyt1aa synthesis in bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis.	the biopesticide used most effectively to control mosquito and blackfly vectors of human diseases worldwide is bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis. the high efficacy of this bacterium is due to synergistic interactions among four protein entomotoxins assembled individually into a single parasporal body (pb) during sporulation. cyt1aa, the primary synergist, is the most abundant toxin, comprising approximately 55% of the pb's mass. the other proteins are cry11aa at ∼35%, and cry4aa and cry4 ...	2017	28782510
transgenic cotton coexpressing vip3a and cry1ac has a broad insecticidal spectrum against lepidopteran pests.	although farmers in china have grown transgenic bt-cry1ac cotton to resist the major pest helicoverpa armigera since 1997 with great success, many secondary lepidopteran pests that are tolerant to cry1ac are now reported to cause considerable economic damage. vip3acaa, a chimeric protein with the n-terminal part of vip3ac and the c-terminal part of vip3aa, has a broad insecticidal spectrum against lepidopteran pests and has no cross resistance to cry1ac. in the present study, we tested insectici ...	2017	28782511
development of metarhizium anisopliae as a mycoinsecticide: from isolation to field performance.	a major concern when developing commercial mycoinsecticides is the kill speed compared to that of chemical insecticides. therefore, isolation and screening for the selection of a fast-acting, highly virulent entomopathogenic fungus are important steps. entomopathogenic fungi, such as metarhizium, beauveria, and nomurea, which act by contact, are better suited than bacillus thuringiensis or nucleopolyhedrosis virus (npv), which must be ingested by the insect pest. in the present work, we isolated ...	2017	28784940
comparative genomics of bacillus thuringiensis reveals a path to specialized exploitation of multiple invertebrate hosts.	understanding the genetic basis of host shifts is a key genomic question for pathogen and parasite biology. the bacillus cereus group, which encompasses bacillus thuringiensis and bacillus anthracis, contains pathogens that can infect insects, nematodes, and vertebrates. since the target range of the essential virulence factors (cry toxins) and many isolates is well known, this group presents a powerful system for investigating how pathogens can diversify and adapt to phylogenetically distant ho ...	2017	28790205
a selective insecticidal protein from pseudomonas mosselii for corn rootworm control.	the coleopteran insect western corn rootworm (wcr, diabrotica virgifera virgifera) is an economically important pest in north america and europe. transgenic corn plants producing bacillus thuringiensis (bt) insecticidal proteins have been useful against this devastating pest, but evolution of resistance has reduced their efficacy. here we report the discovery of a novel insecticidal protein, pip-47aa, from an isolate of pseudomonas mosselii. pip-47aa sequence shows no shared motifs, domains or s ...	2017	28796437
assessing the effects of cry1c rice and cry2a rice to pseudogonatopus flavifemur, a parasitoid of rice planthoppers.	transgenic rice producing insecticidal proteins from bacillus thuringiensis (bt) could help protect the plants from damage by lepidopteran pests. however, one concern is the potential of bt rice to harm non-target natural enemies, which play a vital role in pest control. in the present study, the potential effects of cry1c rice and cry2a rice on different life-table parameters and population dynamics of pseudogonatopus flavifemur, a parasitoid of rice planthoppers, were evaluated under laborator ...	2017	28798310
intra-molecular salt bridge in bacillus thuringiensis cry4ba toxin is involved in the stability of helix α-3 that is needed for oligomerization and insecticidal activity.	bacillus thuringiensis three domain cry toxins kill insects by forming pores in the apical membrane of larval midgut cells. oligomerization of the toxin is an important step for pore formation. domain i helix α-3 participates in toxin oligomerization. here we identify an intra-molecular salt bridge within helix α-3 of cry4ba (d111-k115) that is conserved in many members of the family of the three-domain cry toxins. single point mutations such as d111k or k115d resulted in proteins severely affec ...	2017	28802270
humoral immune response of galleria mellonella after repeated infection with bacillus thuringiensis.	the insect immune system relies on innate mechanisms only. however, there is an increasing number of data reporting that previous immune challenge with microbial elicitors or a low number of microorganisms can modulate susceptibility after subsequent lethal infection with the same or different pathogen. this phenomenon is called immune priming. its biochemical and molecular mechanisms remain unravelled. here we present that galleria mellonella larvae that survived infection induced by intrahemoc ...	2017	28803980
down-regulation of aminopeptidase n and abc transporter subfamily g transcripts in cry1ab and cry1ac resistant asian corn borer, ostrinia furnacalis (lepidoptera: crambidae).	the asian corn borer (acb), ostrinia furnacalis (lepidoptera: crambidae), is a highly destructive pest of cultivated maize throughout east asia. bacillus thuringiensis (bt) crystalline protein (cry) toxins cause mortality by a mechanism involving pore formation or signal transduction following toxin binding to receptors along the midgut lumen of susceptible insects, but this mechanism and mutations therein that lead to resistance are not fully understood. in the current study, quantitative compa ...	2017	28808417
bacillus thuringiensis coated zinc oxide nanoparticle and its biopesticidal effects on the pulse beetle, callosobruchus maculatus.	insect pests belonging to the genus callosobruchus are the major cause of damage to stored pulse crops. recently, nanotechnology has emerged as a promising tool for pest control. in the present study, we report for the first time the synthesis and biological evaluation of bacillus thuringiensis coated zinc oxide nanoparticles (bt-zno nps) on the pulse beetle, callosobruchus maculatus. the biologically synthesized bt-zno nps were extensively characterized using uv-vis spectroscopy, x-ray diffract ...	2017	28818776
bacillus thuringiensis cyt2aa2 binding on lipid/cholesterol bilayer depends on protein concentration and time.	bacillus thuringiensis produces cytolytic proteins (cyt) that show toxicity against dipteran insect larvae acting directly on the cell membrane. up to now, two different models have been proposed to explain the interaction mechanism of the cytolytic protein cyt2aa2 on lipid membranes: pore-forming and detergent-like action. here we report on the interaction of cyt2aa2 with lipid/cholesterol bilayers at early stage (far from equilibrium) as a function of protein concentration. quartz crystal micr ...	2017	28821431
evolution of host resistance to insect pathogens.	insect pathogens are widely used as a tool for sustainable pest management. their complex mode of action was thought to make them immune to the evolution of resistance; however, several examples of field-based resistance to the bacterium bacillus thuringiensis and a granulovirus have been recorded. here i review the scenarios where resistance has evolved and discuss the likelihood of it occurring in other entomopathogens. i highlight recent research on the factors which might influence the evolu ...	2017	28822489
molecular characterization of the gene profile of bacillus thuringiensis berliner isolated from brazilian ecosystems and showing pathogenic activity against mosquito larvae of medical importance.	the occurrence of aedes aegypti, culex quinquefasciatus, and mosquitoes of the genus anopheles potentiate the spread of several diseases, such as dengue, zika, chikungunya, urban yellow fever, filariasis, and malaria, a situation currently existing in brazil and in latin america. control of the disease vectors is the most effective tool for containing the transmission of the pathogens causing these diseases, and the bacterium bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis has been widely used and has s ...	2017	28823909
dltx of bacillus thuringiensis is essential for d-alanylation of teichoic acids and resistance to antimicrobial response in insects.	the dlt operon of gram-positive bacteria is required for the incorporation of d-alanine esters into cell wall-associated teichoic acids (tas). addition of d-alanine to tas reduces the negative charge of the cell envelope thereby preventing cationic antimicrobial peptides (camps) from reaching their target of action on the bacterial surface. in most gram-positive bacteria, this operon consists of five genes dltxabcd but the involvement of the first orf (dltx) encoding a small protein of unknown f ...	2017	28824570
health effects of feeding genetically modified (gm) crops to livestock animals: a review.	a large share of genetically modified (gm) crops grown worldwide is processed into livestock feed. feed safety of gm crops is primarily based on compositional equivalence with near-isogenic cultivars and experimental trials in rodents. however, feeding studies in target animals add to the evaluation of gm crops with respect to animal health. this review aimed to evaluate the possible health effects of feeding gm crops to livestock by reviewing scientific publications on experimental studies in r ...	2017	28843598
complete genome sequence of the nematicidal bacillus thuringiensis mybt18246.	10.1601/nm.5000 is a rod-shaped facultative anaerobic spore forming bacterium of the genus 10.1601/nm.4857. the defining feature of the species is the ability to produce parasporal crystal inclusion bodies, consisting of δ-endotoxins, encoded by cry-genes. here we present the complete annotated genome sequence of the nematicidal 10.1601/nm.5000 strain mybt18246. the genome comprises one 5,867,749 bp chromosome and 11 plasmids which vary in size from 6330 bp to 150,790 bp. the chromosome contains ...	2017	28852435