title: Effects of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab toxin on mammalian cells.
abstract: The Cry proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis are considered to be highly specific insecticidal proteins. Judged to be safe for humans and farm animals due to their insect-oriented selective toxicity, the proteins have been utilized as a biological pesticide and introduced into genetically modified plants. However, some critical fundamental characters of the Cry proteins remain unclear, and the direct effects of activated Cry proteins on mammalian cells have not yet been fully confirmed. Therefore, in this study we employed primary cultured bovine hapatocytes as a model system to determine if Cry1Ab, a Cry protein, affects mammalian cells. There were no significant changes in the secretion of albumin or the morphology of the Cry1Ab-treated cells. The LDH release showed a tendency to increase after the administration of Cry1Ab, but not significantly. Taking these results on bovine hepatocytes into consideration, Cry1Ab has little acute toxicity on mammalian cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Safety Research, National Institute of Animal Health, Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Yong Soon
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Miyako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murata
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000633:toxicity*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D012831:Bombyx / Q000187:drug effects; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase