Current Microbiology (2010) 61, 549-553

Kulwadee Phannachet, Ponlawoot Raksat, Thidarat Limvuttegrijeerat and Boonhiang Promdonkoy (2010)
Production and characterization of N- and C-terminally truncated Mtx2: a mosquitocidal toxin from Bacillus sphaericus
Current Microbiology 61 (6), 549-553
Abstract: Mosquitocidal toxin 2 (Mtx2) is a mosquito-larvicidal protein produced during vegetative stage of Bacillus sphaericus. The toxin consists of 292 amino acids and has a molecular weight of 31.8 kDa. To determine the active core region of the toxin, amino acids at N- and C-termini were sequentially removed. Deletion up to 23 amino acids from the N-terminus (Met1-Tyr23) did not significantly affect protein production and the toxin activity, whereas removal of 26 amino acids from the N-terminus (Met1-Lys26) completely abolished toxicity even though the protein production remained unchanged. Deletion of only 5 amino acids from the C-terminal end yielded the protein that could not be solubilized and rendered the toxin inactive. The results demonstrated that the C-terminal end of Mtx2 is required for proper folding and toxicity. Amino acids at the N-terminus up to Tyr23 did not play a significant role in protein production and toxicity whereas amino acids between Thr24 and Lys26 are required for full toxicity.
(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): Boonhiang Promdonkoy

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
molecular biology - genes

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
Lysinibacillus sphaericus (entomopathogen)