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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2004, p. 4889-4898, Vol. 70, No. 8
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.8.4889-4898.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Binary Toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis Active against the Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte

James A. Baum,1* Chi-Rei Chu,2,{dagger} Mark Rupar,2,{ddagger} Gregory R. Brown,1 William P. Donovan,1 Joseph E. Huesing,1 Oliver Ilagan,1 Thomas M. Malvar,1 Michael Pleau,1 Matthew Walters,1 and Ty Vaughn1

Monsanto Company, Chesterfield, Missouri 63017-1732,1 Ecogen Inc., Belmar, New Jersey 077192

Received 23 October 2003/ Accepted 5 May 2004

The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is a significant pest of corn in the United States. The development of transgenic corn hybrids resistant to rootworm feeding damage depends on the identification of genes encoding insecticidal proteins toxic to rootworm larvae. In this study, a bioassay screen was used to identify several isolates of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis active against rootworm. These bacterial isolates each produce distinct crystal proteins with approximate molecular masses of 13 to 15 kDa and 44 kDa. Insect bioassays demonstrated that both protein classes are required for insecticidal activity against this rootworm species. The genes encoding these proteins are organized in apparent operons and are associated with other genes encoding crystal proteins of unknown function. The antirootworm proteins produced by B. thuringiensis strains EG5899 and EG9444 closely resemble previously described crystal proteins of the Cry34A and Cry35A classes. The antirootworm proteins produced by strain EG4851, designated Cry34Ba1 and Cry35Ba1, represent a new binary toxin. Genes encoding these proteins could become an important component of a sustainable resistance management strategy against this insect pest.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Monsanto Company, 700 Chesterfield Pkwy. West, Chesterfield, MO 63017-1732. Phone: (636) 737-7315. Fax: (636) 737-7015. E-mail: James.A.Baum{at}monsanto.com.

{dagger} Present address: 226 Birchwood Dr., West Chester, PA 19380.

{ddagger} Present address: Incyte Genomics, Stine-Haskell Research Center, Newark, DE 19714-0030.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2004, p. 4889-4898, Vol. 70, No. 8
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.8.4889-4898.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Walters, F. S., Stacy, C. M., Lee, M. K., Palekar, N., Chen, J. S. (2008). An Engineered Chymotrypsin/Cathepsin G Site in Domain I Renders Bacillus thuringiensis Cry3A Active against Western Corn Rootworm Larvae. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 367-374 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Schnepf, H. E., Lee, S., Dojillo, J., Burmeister, P., Fencil, K., Morera, L., Nygaard, L., Narva, K. E., Wolt, J. D. (2005). Characterization of Cry34/Cry35 Binary Insecticidal Proteins from Diverse Bacillus thuringiensis Strain Collections. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 1765-1774 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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