title: Characterization of a novel vip3-type gene from Bacillus thuringiensis and evidence of its presence on a large plasmid.
abstract: A novel vip3-type gene named vip3LB has been isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis strain BUPM95. The corresponding secreted vegetative insecticidal protein was active against the lepidopteran insect Ephestia kuehniella. The vip3LB gene was shown, for the first time, to be carried by the large plasmid containing the cry1Ia genes of B. thuringiensis. The nucleotide sequence predicted a protein of 789 amino acids residues with a calculated molecular mass of 88.5kDa. Both nucleotide and amino acid sequences similarity analysis revealed that vip3LB is a new vip3-type gene, presenting several differences with the other vip3-type genes. Heterologous expression of the vip3LB under the control of the strong promoter P(BAD) was performed in Escherichia coli and the produced protein conferred insecticidal activity against Ephestia kuehniella. This novel vegetative insecticidal protein Vip3LB could be a very useful biological control agent.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biopesticides, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, P.O. Box K, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Lobna Abdelkefi
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Mesrati
authors.forename: Slim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tounsi
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jaoua
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D007915:Lepidoptera; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C447139:Vip3A protein, Bacillus thuringiensis