Current Microbiology (2011) 62, 38-43

Saoussen Ben Khedher, Nabil Zouari, Nadia Messaddeq, Patrick Schultz and Samir Jaoua (2011)
Overproduction of delta-endotoxins by sporeless Bacillus thuringiensis mutants obtained by nitrous acid mutagenesis
Current Microbiology 62 (1), 38-43
Abstract: Asporogenic and oligosporogenic Bacillus thuringiensis mutants having the ability to overproduce insecticidal crystal protein were generated by using nitrous acid (50 mg/ml), as chemical mutagenic agent. Insecticidal crystal proteins produced by asporogenic mutants remained encapsulated within the cells. Delta-endotoxin production by most of mutants was improved compared to the corresponding wild strains BNS3 and a mutant M26. The overproduction by asporogenic and oligosporogenic mutants was attributed to defect in genes involved in sporulation and to random mutations affecting cell metabolism at different pathways and delta-endotoxin synthesis. Sporeless bioinsecticides could be developed based on stable and environmentally safe Bacillus thuringiensis mutants.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Nabil Zouari, Samir Jaoua

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
Bacillus thuringiensis (entomopathogen)