title: Characterisation of novel Bacillus thuringiensis isolates against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) and Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephridae).
abstract: Bacillus thuringiensis is successfully used in pest management strategies as an eco-friendly bioinsecticide. Isolation and identification of new strains with a wide variety of target pests is an ever growing field. In this paper, new B. thuringiensis isolates were investigated to search for original strains active against diptera and able to produce novel toxins that could be used as an alternative for the commercial H14 strain. Biochemical and molecular characterization revealed a remarkable diversity among the studied strains. Using the PCR method, cry4C/Da1, cry30Ea, cry39A, cry40 and cry54 genes were detected in four isolates. Three strains, BLB355, BLB196 and BUPM109, showed feeble activities against Aedes aegypti larvae. Interestingly, spore-crystal mixtures of BLB361, BLB30 and BLB237 were found to be active against Ceratitis capitata with an LC50 value of about 65.375, 51.735 and 42.972 μg cm(-2), respectively. All the studied strains exhibited important mortality levels using culture supernatants against C. capitata larvae. This suggests that these strains produce a wide range of soluble factors active against C. capitata larvae.
authors.affiliation: Biopesticides Team [L.P.I.P.], Center of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, P.O. Box 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Jihen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elleuch
authors.affiliation: Biopesticides Team [L.P.I.P.], Center of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, P.O. Box 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Slim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tounsi
authors.affiliation: Biopesticides Team [L.P.I.P.], Center of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, P.O. Box 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Najeh Belguith
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Ben Hassen
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR MIVEGEC (UM1-UM2-CNRS 5290-IRD 224), Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs, Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle, Laboratoire de Lutte contre les Insectes Nuisibles (LIN), Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Marie Noël
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Lacoix
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR MIVEGEC (UM1-UM2-CNRS 5290-IRD 224), Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs, Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle, Laboratoire de Lutte contre les Insectes Nuisibles (LIN), Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chandre
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jaoua
authors.affiliation: Biopesticides Team [L.P.I.P.], Center of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, P.O. Box 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia. Electronic address: raida_zz@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Raida Zribi
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Zghal
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000502:physiology*; D033622:Ceratitis capitata / Q000382:microbiology*; D027081:DNA Gyrase / Q000737:chemistry; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D027081:DNA Gyrase
keywords: Bacillus thuringiensis; Ceratits capitata; Insecticidal activity; Phylogenetic relationships