Insect Science (2005) 12, 429-433

Jun Cai, Rui-Bin Liu and Gai-Xin Ren (2005)
The toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis 9816C to Spodoptera exigua related to the binding sites on BBMV
Insect Science 12 (6), 429-433
Abstract: The binding and pore formation properties of toxins derived form Bacillus thuringiensis 9816C were analyzed by using brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) of Spodoptera exigua and Helicoverpa armigera, and the results were compared to the results of toxicity bioassays. The strain 9816C is highly toxic to both S. exigua and H. armigera, whereas H-Delta-73, which only produces Cry1Ac, is merely effective for H. armigera. Ligand blot experiment performed with peroxidase-labeled toxins revealed that the toxins of the two strains had the same binding sites as H. armigera BBMV and different binding sites from S. exigua BBMV. The toxins of Bt 9816C bind to a 210-kDa protein of S. exigua BBMV, while Cry1Ac cannot recognize this binding site. Both toxins were tested for the ability to alter the permeability of S. exigua BBMV, as measured by a light scattering assay. The toxins of Bt 9816C, which is toxic to S. exigua, permeabilized BBMV, whereas Cry1Ac did not. These results suggest that the specific binding site recognized by Bt 9816C toxins is responsible for its high toxicity against Spodoptera exigua.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website

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.
	Spodoptera exigua
Bacillus thuringiensis (entomopathogen)	Spodoptera exigua