Current Microbiology (2010) 61, 541-548
Imen Saadaoui, Roda Al-Thani, Fatma Al-Saadi, Najeh Belguith-Ben Hassan, Lobna Abdelkefi-Mesrati, Patrick Schultz, Souad Rouis and Samir Jaoua (2010)
Characterization of Tunisian Bacillus thuringiensis strains with abundance of kurstaki subspecies harbouring insecticidal activities against the lepidopteran insect Ephestia kuehniella
Current Microbiology 61 (6), 541-548
Abstract: The study of 257 crystal-producing Bacillus thuringiensis isolates from bioinsecticide free soil samples collected from different sites in Tunisia, was performed by PCR amplification, using six primer pairs specific for cry1, cry2, cry3, cry4, and vip3A genes, by the investigation of strain plasmid pattern, crystal morphology and delta-endotoxin content and by the assessment of insecticidal activities against the lepidopteran insect Ephestia kuehniella. Based on plasmid pattern study, 11 representative strains of the different classes were subjected to morphological and molecular analyses. The comparison of the PFGE fingerprints confirmed the heterogeneity of these strains. B. thuringiensis kurstaki strains, harbouring at the same time the genes cry1A, cry2, cry1Ia, and vip3A, were the most abundant (65.4%). 33.34% of the new isolates showed particular delta-endotoxin profiles but no PCR products with the used primer sets. B. thuringiensis israelensis was shown to be also very rare among the Tunisian B. thuringiensis isolates diversity. These findings could have considerable impacts for the set up of new pest control biological agents.
(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): Samir Jaoua
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
surveys/distribution/isolation
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ephestia kuehniella | ||||
| Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (entomopathogen) | Tunisia | |||
| Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A-toxin (entomopathogen) | Tunisia | |||
| Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1I-toxin (entomopathogen) | Tunisia | |||
| Bacillus thuringiensis Vip-toxins (entomopathogen) | Tunisia |
