Characterization of flagellar antigens and insecticidal activities of Bacillus thuringiensis populations in animal feces.
In total, 287 Bacillus thuringiensis isolates, recovered from feces of 28 zoo-maintained animal species, were examined for flagellar (H) antigenicity and insecticidal activity. Serologically, 209 isolates (72.8%) were allocated to the 8 H serogroups, 4 were untypable, and 74 were untestable. Among the 8 H serotypes detected, H3abc (serovar kurstaki) predominated at a high frequency of 88.0%, followed by H6 (serovar entomocidus) with a frequency of 7.7%. Insecticidal activity was associated with 67.2% of the fecal populations: 188 isolates were toxic to both Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) and Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae), 2 isolates were specific for B. mori, and 3 isolates were toxic to A. aegypti only. Of the isolates with dual toxicity, 97.9% belonged to the serovar kurstaki, producing bipyramidal parasporal inclusions. All of the H7 (serovar aizawai) isolates were toxic to both insects.
Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
Dong-Hyun
DH
Lee
Noriko
N
Shisa
Naoya
N
Wasano
Akira
A
Ohgushi
Michio
M
Ohba
D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D001717:Birds / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005407:Flagella / Q000737:chemistry; D007306:Insecticides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D012104:Reptiles / Q000382:microbiology; D012703:Serotyping; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D007306:Insecticides