Molecular and insecticidal characterization of a novel Cry-related protein from Bacillus thuringiensis toxic against Myzus persicae.
This study describes the insecticidal activity of a novel Bacillus thuringiensis Cry-related protein with a deduced 799 amino acid sequence (~89 kDa) and ~19% pairwise identity to the 95-kDa-aphidicidal protein (sequence number 204) from patent US 8318900 and ~40% pairwise identity to the cancer cell killing Cry proteins (parasporins Cry41Ab1 and Cry41Aa1), respectively. This novel Cry-related protein contained the five conserved amino acid blocks and the three conserved domains commonly found in 3-domain Cry proteins. The protein exhibited toxic activity against the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Homoptera: Aphididae) with the lowest mean lethal concentration (LC₅₀ = 32.7 μg/mL) reported to date for a given Cry protein and this insect species, whereas it had no lethal toxicity against the Lepidoptera of the family Noctuidae Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), Mamestra brassicae (L.), Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), S. frugiperda (J.E. Smith) and S. littoralis (Boisduval), at concentrations as high as ~3.5 μg/cm². This novel Cry-related protein may become a promising environmentally friendly tool for the biological control of M. persicae and possibly also for other sap sucking insect pests.
Instituto de Agrobiotecnología, CSIC-UPNA-Gobierno de Navarra, Campus Arrosadía, Mutilva 31192, Navarra, Spain. leopoldo.palma@unavarra.es.
Leopoldo
L
Palma
Grupo de Protección Cultivos, Departamento de Producción Agraria, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona 31006, Navarra, Spain. dmunoz@unavarra.es.
Delia
D
Muñoz
Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK. Berry@cardiff.ac.uk.
Colin
C
Berry
Grupo de Protección Cultivos, Departamento de Producción Agraria, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona 31006, Navarra, Spain. jesus.murillo@unavarra.es.
Jesús
J
Murillo
Instituto de Agrobiotecnología, CSIC-UPNA-Gobierno de Navarra, Campus Arrosadía, Mutilva 31192, Navarra, Spain. iruiz@unavarra.es.
Iñigo Ruiz
IR
de Escudero
Instituto de Agrobiotecnología, CSIC-UPNA-Gobierno de Navarra, Campus Arrosadía, Mutilva 31192, Navarra, Spain. pcm92@unavarra.es.
Primitivo
P
Caballero
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids / Q000254:growth & development; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007306:Insecticides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009758:Nymph; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C095416:Cry toxin receptors; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007306:Insecticides; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011994:Recombinant Proteins