A novel isolate of Bacillus thuringiensis serovar leesis that specifically exhibits larvicidal activity against the moth-fly, Telmatoscopus albipunctatus.
A soil isolate designated 88-KO-14-45, belonging to Bacillus thuringiensis serovar leesis (H33), exhibited larvicidal activity against the moth-fly, Telmatoscopus albipunctatus (Diptera: Psychodidae), but not for larvae of the culicine and aedine mosquitoes and Lepidoptera. Purified parasporal inclusions had an LC50 value of 5.78 micrograms/ml for the larval moth-fly, but gave no mortality against larvae of Culex pipiens molestus (Diptera: Culicidae) at protein concentrations up to 10 mg/ml. Electron microscopic observations revealed that the parasporal inclusions are homogeneous round-shaped bodies enclosed with thick, electron dense envelopes. Haemolytic activity against sheep erythrocytes was not detected in the solubilized inclusions. SDS-PAGE showed that the inclusions are composed of 72, 68, 56 and 30 kDa proteins. Immunologically, these proteins were unrelated to the inclusion proteins of B. thuringiensis serovar israelensis, while a 70 kDa protein of the strain 73-E-10-2 (B. thuringiensis serovar darmstadiensis) was seroactive to antibodies against proteins of 88-KO-14-45.
Higuchi
K
K
Biotechnology & Food Research Institute, Fukuoka Industrial Technology Centre, Japan.
Saitoh
H
H
Mizuki
E
E
Hwang
S H
SH
Ohba
M
M
D000818:Animals; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D003465:Culex; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007814:Larva; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D011576:Psychodidae; D012756:Sheep
D001427:Bacterial Toxins