title: A specific binding protein from Tenebrio molitor for the insecticidal toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. tenebrionis.
abstract: Biopesticides based on the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis have attracted wide attention as safe alternatives to chemical insecticides. In this paper, we report, for the first time, the identification of a single binding protein from a coleopteran insect, Tenebrio molitor, that is specific for the cryIII toxin of B. thuringiensis. The protein appeared as a single band of 144 kDa on radioligand and immunoblots of total proteins extracted from brush border membrane vesicles of the midgut of T. molitor. Radiolabelled cryIIIA toxin bound to the protein with a Kd value of 17.5 nM and could be specifically blocked by unlabelled toxin but not by toxins from other subspecies of B. thuringiensis. This study lays the groundwork to clone the cryIIIA toxin binding protein and to determine the molecular mechanism(s) of toxin action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie 82071.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Belfiore
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Vadlamudi
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bulla
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis; D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004064:Digestive System / Q000378:metabolism; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D007700:Kinetics; D007814:Larva; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D013045:Species Specificity; D013712:Tenebrio / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004731:Endotoxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; C030956:insecticidal crystal protein, Bacillus Thuringiensis