Altered gene expression in Choristoneura fumiferana and Manduca sexta in response to sublethal intoxication by Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab toxin.
In order to understand how lepidopteran insects react physiologically to Bacillus thuringiensis crystal toxin ingestion, transcriptional profiling of Choristoneura fumiferana larvae exposed to sublethal doses of Cry1Ab protoxin were monitored using a C. fumiferana-specific cDNA microarray derived from a protoxin-specific subtractive library. Differential gene expression occurred primarily between 2 and 5 h postingestion. Metabolic enzymes such as lipases and proteases were generally repressed, whereas genes involved in detoxification, immune system regulation or general stress response were upregulated. A similar protoxin-specific transcriptional pattern was also observed with Manduca sexta larvae, using three upregulated genes (serpin, cytochrome P450 and carboxyl/cholinesterase) and one downregulated gene (beta-glucosidase), suggesting that a susceptible larval response to Cry toxin exposure might be universal among lepidopterous insects.
van Munster
M
M
National Research Council of Canada, Biotechnology Research Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Préfontaine
G
G
Meunier
L
L
Elias
M
M
Mazza
A
A
Brousseau
R
R
Masson
L
L
D000818:Animals; D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000494:pharmacology; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D009036:Moths / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*
D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004731:Endotoxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007306:Insecticides; C030956:insecticidal crystal protein, Bacillus Thuringiensis