title: Binding properties of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1C delta-endotoxin to the midgut epithelial membranes of Culex pipiens.
abstract: The Cry1C delta-endotoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis is toxic to both lepidopteran and dipteran insect larvae. To analyze the dipteran-specific insecticidal mechanisms, we investigated the properties of Cry1C binding to the epithelial cell membrane of the larval midgut from the mosquito Culex pipiens in comparison with dipteran-specific Cry4A. Immunohistochemical staining of the larval midgut sections from Culex pipiens showed that Cry1C and Cry4A bound to the microvilli of the epithelial cells. The Cry1C binding to brush border membrane vesicles from the mosquito larvae was specific and irreversible, and did not compete with Cry4A. By ligand blotting analyses, we detected several Cry1C-binding proteins, the Cry1C binding to which did compete with excess unlabeled Cry4A. These results suggested that Cry1C and Cry4A recognized the same binding site(s) on the epithelial cell surface but that their interaction with the target membrane differed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamauchi
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamagiwa
authors.forename: Motoyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esaki
authors.forename: Kanao
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Otake
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000187:drug effects; D003465:Culex / Q000378:metabolism*; D004076:Digoxigenin / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism; D008024:Ligands; D008566:Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D008871:Microvilli / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D008024:Ligands; D004076:Digoxigenin