Using worms to better understand how Bacillus thuringiensis kills insects.
Bacillus thuringiensis is widely used as a biological pesticide to control insects that either cause damage to crops or transmit disease. That it can also target the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans has not only provided exciting new insights into how the toxins produced by the bacterium target their victims but also how target insects counter the attack. Modern approaches such as reverse genetics and microarray technology have revealed novel receptors for the toxins and possible signal transduction pathways induced within the host following intoxication. This article will discuss how these findings fit in with current models and how they might influence future studies.
Crickmore
Neil
N
School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK. n.crickmore@sussex.ac.uk
D000818:Animals; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000382:microbiology*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000378:metabolism; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007313:Insecta / Q000382:microbiology*; D010572:Pest Control, Biological
D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004731:Endotoxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; C030956:insecticidal crystal protein, Bacillus Thuringiensis