This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Priest, F. G. Articles by Carter, P. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Priest, F. G. Articles by Carter, P. E. Agricola Articles by Priest, F. G. Articles by Carter, P. E.

Next Article 

Appl. Environ. Microbiol., Apr 1997, 1195-1198, Vol 63, No. 4
Copyright © 1997, American Society for Microbiology

Distribution and characterization of mosquitocidal toxin genes in some strains of Bacillus sphaericus

FG Priest, L Ebdrup, V Zahner and PE Carter
Department of Biological Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. f.g.priest@hw.ac.uk

The binary toxin of Bacillus sphaericus strains forms a crystal in sporulating cells, while the mosquitocidal toxin is located in the cytoplasm of vegetative cells. The distribution of binary toxin (btx) and mosquitocidal toxin (mtx) genes in 53 strains of B. sphaericus was determined by hybridization of specific gene probes to chromosomal DNA in Southern blots. btx genes were found in all strains of serotype 5a5b examined and in some strains of serotypes 1a, 3, 6, 25, and 48, while mtx genes were detected in strains of serotypes 1a, 2a2b, 5a5b, 6, 9a9c, 25, and 48. Serotype 26a26b strains lacked both toxin genes, as did some strains of serotypes 2a2b, 3, 6, and 48. Partial DNA sequences of btx genes from five strains, together with published sequences, revealed four types of toxin among mosquitocidal B. sphaericus strains. most of the 42-kDa toxin gene of btx was identical in strains from serotypes 1a, 3, 6, and 48, and the gene is here classified as a type 1 btx gene. A serotype 3 strain isolated in Singapore possessed a unique 42-kDa toxin gene, here designated type 4; while the btx genes from strains of serotypes 5a5b and 25 are referred to as types 2 and 3, respectively.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Hu, X., Fan, W., Han, B., Liu, H., Zheng, D., Li, Q., Dong, W., Yan, J., Gao, M., Berry, C., Yuan, Z. (2008). Complete Genome Sequence of the Mosquitocidal Bacterium Bacillus sphaericus C3-41 and Comparison with Those of Closely Related Bacillus Species. J. Bacteriol. 190: 2892-2902 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nishiwaki, H., Nakashima, K., Ishida, C., Kawamura, T., Matsuda, K. (2007). Cloning, Functional Characterization, and Mode of Action of a Novel Insecticidal Pore-Forming Toxin, Sphaericolysin, Produced by Bacillus sphaericus. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 3404-3411 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Klein, D., Uspensky, I., Braun, S. (2002). Tightly Bound Binary Toxin in the Cell Wall of Bacillus sphaericus. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 3300-3307 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pei, G., Oliveira, C. M. F., Yuan, Z., Nielsen-LeRoux, C., Silva-Filha, M. H., Yan, J., Regis, L. (2002). A Strain of Bacillus sphaericus Causes Slower Development of Resistance in Culex quinquefasciatus. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 3003-3009 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nielsen-LeRoux, C., Rao, D. R., Murphy, J. R., Carron, A., Mani, T. R., Hamon, S., Mulla, M. S. (2001). Various Levels of Cross-Resistance to Bacillus sphaericus Strains in Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) Colonies Resistant to B. sphaericus Strain 2362. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 5049-5054 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zahner, V., Rabinovitch, L., Suffys, P., Momen, H. (1999). Genotypic Diversity among Brevibacillus laterosporus Strains. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 5182-5185 [Abstract] [Full Text]