Lysinibacillus sphaericus (entomopathogen)
| Literature database |
|---|
| 216 articles sorted by: |
| • year (descending) |
| • research topics |
| • countries/regions |
| • list of pest species |
Author(s): Canan Usta
Source: INTECH (2013)
Lysinibacillus sphaericus (Meyer and Neide) Ahmed et al., 2007
This bacterium is commercially produced and used for the biological control of the larval stages of certain mosquitoes (mainly Culex spp.). The mature L. sphaericus cell contains a spore and a toxin in the form of a crystal. The crystal has a binary structure and is composed of 2 proteins BinA and BinB. Both proteins of the Bin toxin are needed in equimolar amounts for maximal toxicity against mosquito larvae. After ingestion by a larva, the crystal dissolves in the alkaline midgut fluid and the 2 proteins are activated by gut proteases. BinB binds to the midgut wall and interacts with BinA. Entering of the toxin into a midgut cell results in cytoplasmatic vacuolization, cell autophagy, and finally cell disintegration. This allows the spores to enter the hemocoel, germinate and multiply.
L. sphaericus can be mass-produced on different media, e.g. see El-Bendary et al. (2016). It is mainly active against mosquito larvae from the genera Culex, Anopheles, and Aedes. However, some mosquito populations have developed resistance against the bacterium (e.g. Su et al., 2019).
Synonyms:
Bacillus sphaericus
