• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.21-24
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• 2004

A modified $\delta$-endotoxin gene of Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. tenebrionis (B.t.t.), encoding a coleoptera-specific toxin, was utilized to transform citrus plants, Citrus reticulata Blanco 'Ponkan' mandarian. By co-culturing the nucelli with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring the modified gene in the binary vector pBinAR-Btt, the chimeric toxin gene was transferred into citrus plants. The transgenic plants were selected on modified Murashige and Skoog medium containing kanamycin. Hybridization experiments demonstrated that the transgenic plants contained and expressed the toxin protein gene.

• 한국잠사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국잠사학회 2003년도 제46회 춘계 학술연구 발표회
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• pp.72-72
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• 2003

A new Bacillus thuringiensis strain (Kl), having high toxicities to Plutella xylostella and Spodoptera exigua was isolated from Korean soil sample. It was determined to belong to subsp. kurstaki (H3a3b3c) and produced bipyramidal inclusion. PCR-RFLP analysis showed that this isolate contains three novel cryl-type crystal protein genes in addition to crylAa and crylE genes. (omitted)

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.398-407
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• 2021

Using salt-tolerant bacteria to protect plants from salt stress is a promising microbiological treatment strategy for saline-alkali soil improvement. Here, we conducted research on the growth-promoting effect of Brevibacterium frigoritolerans on wheat under salt stress, which has rarely been addressed before. The synergistic effect of B. frigoritolerans combined with representative salt-tolerant bacteria Bacillus velezensis and Bacillus thuringiensis to promote the development of wheat under salt stress was also further studied. Our approach involved two steps: investigation of the plant growth-promoting traits of each strain at six salt stress levels (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10%); examination of the effects of the strains (single or in combination) inoculated on wheat in different salt stress conditions (0, 50, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mM). The experiment of plant growth-promoting traits indicated that among three strains, B. frigoritolerans had the most potential for promoting wheat parameters. In single-strain inoculation, B. frigoritolerans showed the best performance of plant growth promotion. Moreover, a pot experiment proved that the plant growth-promoting potential of co-inoculation with three strains on wheat is better than single-strain inoculation under salt stress condition. Up to now, this is the first report suggesting that B. frigoritolerans has the potential to promote wheat growth under salt stress, especially combined with B. velezensis and B. thuringiensis.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.117-123
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• 2010

BT toxin is produced by a soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis and has long been used as a biological insecticide without any competition. Recently, Photorhabdus, a symbiotic bacterium from entomopathogenic nematodes, family Heterorhabditae, has been researched and discussed as alternatives to B. thuringiensis. Photorhabdus, which lives in the gut of entomopathogenic nematodes, is a highly virulent pathogen of a wide range of insect larvae. When an insect is infected by the nematodes, the bacteria are released into the cadaver, and produce a number of insecticidal toxins. The biological role of the different Photorhabdus toxins in the infection process is still unclear. Photorhabdus toxin complex (Tc) is highly secreted gut-active toxin and has been characterized as a potent three-component (A, B and C) insecticidal protein complex. These components are necessary for full oral activity against insect larvae. The Photorhabdus PirAB binary toxins exhibit a potent injectable activity for Galleria mellonella larvae, and have oral toxicity against mosquitoes and caterpillar pest Plutella xylostella. Other toxin, 'makes caterpillars floppy' (Mcf) showed injectable activity on caterpillars. Recombinant Mcf triggers apoptosis in both insect hemocytes and the midgut epithelium and carries a BH3 domain. In this review, the relationship between the Photorhabdus and the nematode is discussed and recent important insecticidal toxins from Photorhabdus are described.

• 한국잠사곤충학회지
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.36-42
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• 1993

Bacillus thruingiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1의 내독소단백질 유전자인 CryIA(a)의 N-말단 부분과 B.tk HD-73의 내독소단백질 유전자인 CryIA(c)의 C-말단 부분의 융합에 따른 독성발현 여부에 관하여 조사하였다. 융합생산물인 pSK3, pSK4 및 pSK5의 플라스미드는 각각 4.5kb, 4.8kb 그리고 5.5kb로 구성되어 있다. 형질전환체의 내독소단백질에 대한 Western blotting은 SK4 및 SK5가 77-kDa 그리고 105-kDa에서 B.t k HD-1 항체에 대하여 반응을 나타내었다. 독성검정의 공시충인 배추좀나방 및 담배나방을 사용한 결과 pSK5를 포함하는 형질전환체만이 각각 96% 및 97%의 높은 치사율을 나타냈다.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

대표적인 식물호르몬인 indole-acetic acid (IAA)를 생성하는 근권세균에서 IAA 생합성 경로와 생성량과의 관계를 파악하기 위해 IAA 생성능이 크게 다른 4개 균주를 선발하고 동정하였다. 특정 경로를 이용한 IAA 생합성능의 조사를 위해 주요 전구물질을 첨가하여 IAA 생성량을 측정하였다. Tryptophan 의존적 경로에 의한 총 IAA 생성량은 Acinetobacter guillouiae SW5가 1.66 mg/ml로 가장 높았으며, indole acetamide (IAM)를 배지에 첨가했을 때 amidase의 활성은 분리균주 중 Rhodococcus equi SW9이 가장 높았다. IAA 생합성을 위한 또 다른 두 가지 경로의 전구물질인 indole acetonitrile (IAN)을 첨가하였을 때 IAA 생합성은 A. guillouiae SW5가 가장 높았으며, 이 때 nitrilase 보다는 nitrile hydratase의 활성이 높았다. 그러나 두 경로 중 IAN을 직접 IAA로 전환시키는 nitrilase의 활성은 Bacillus thuringiensis SW17이 균주들 중 가장 높았다. B. thuringiensis SW17은 4균주 중 IAA생합성능이 가장 낮았으며 tryptophan을 이용하여 생합성하는 IAA 중 상당량을 IAM을 거치는 경로를 통해 생성한다. Lysinibacillus fusiformis SW13은 IAA 생합성에 관여하는 nitrile 전환경로들을 비교적 고르게 이용하여 IAA를 생성하였다. Tryptophan 비의존적 경로를 통한 IAA 생합성은 A. guillouiae SW5에서만 소량 관찰되었다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.304-313
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• 2004

Three-dimensional (3D) models for the 65-kDa activated Cry4A and Cry4B $\delta$-endotoxins from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis that are specifically toxic to mosquito-larvae were constructed by homology modeling, based on atomic coordinates of the Cry1Aa and Cry3Aa crystal structures. They were structurally similar to the known structures, both derived 3D models displayed a three-domain organization: the N-terminal domain (I) is a seven-helix bundle, while the middle and C-terminal domains are primarily comprise of anti-parallel $\beta$-sheets. Circular dichroism spectroscopy confirmed the secondary structural contents of the two homology-based Cry4 structures. A structural analysis of both Cry4 models revealed the following: (a) Residues Arg-235 and Arg-203 are located in the interhelical 5/6 loop within the domain I of Cry4A and Cry4B, respectively. Both are solvent exposed. This suggests that they are susceptible to tryptic cleavage. (b) The unique disulphide bond, together with a proline-rich region within the long loop connecting ${\alpha}4$ and ${\alpha}5$ of Cry4A, were identified. This implies their functional significance for membrane insertion. (c) Significant structural differences between both models were found within domain II that may reflect their different activity spectra. Structural insights from this molecular modeling study would therefore increase our understanding of the mechanic aspects of these two closely related mosquito-larvicidal proteins.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.33-36
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• 2007

To improve insecticidal activity of B. thuringiensis 2385-1 (Bt 2385-1), a recombinant plasmid, pHT1K-1Ac, was introduced into lepidopteran toxic Bt 2385-1 by electroporation. The presence of the recombinant plasmid in Bt 2385-1 after electroporation was confirmed by PCR. Bt 2385-1 transformant was named as Bt pHT1K-1Ac/2385-1 (1K-1Ac/2385-1). The 1K-1Ac/2385-1 transformant produced bipyramidal-shaped parasporal inclusion as like the wild-type strain, Bt 2385-1, and showed an 130 kDa band of Cry1Ac protein. The insecticidal activity of 1K-lAc/2385-1 against S. exigua was similar to that of Bt 2385-1 but the $LC_{50}$ value of transformant against P. xylostella was 1.8 times lower. Through these bioassay results, it was confirmed that toxicity of Bt 2385-1 transformant showed synergistic effect by introducing Cry1Ac. These results suggested that the multiple expressions of Cry proteins in a promising Bt strain may interact synergistically in insect midgut, resulting in increase of toxicity and expansion of host spectrum.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제26권10호
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• pp.1774-1780
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• 2016

Vegetative insecticidal proteins (Vips) are insecticidal proteins synthesized by Bacillus thuringiensis during the vegetative stage of growth. In this study, Vip3Aa protein, obtained by in vitro expression of the vip3Aa gene from B. thuringiensis WB5, displayed high insecticidal activity against Spodoptera litura aside from Spodoptera exigua and Helicoverpa armigera. Bioassay results showed that the toxicity of Vip3Aa protein against S. litura larvae statistically decreased along with the increase of the age of the larvae, with LC₅₀ = 2.609 ng/cm² for neonatal larvae, LC₅₀ = 28.778 ng/cm² for first instar larvae, LC₅₀ = 70.460 ng/cm² for second instar larvae, and LC₅₀ = 200.627 ng/cm² for third instar larvae. The accumulative mortality of 100% larvae appeared at 72 h for all instars of S. litura larvae, when feeding respectively with 83.22, 213.04, 341.40, and 613.20 ng/cm² of Vip3Aa toxin to the neonatal and first to third instar larvae. The histopathological effects of Vip3Aa toxin on the midgut epithelial cells of S. litura larvae was also investigated. The TEM observations showed wide damage of the epithelial cell in the midgut of S. litura larvae fed with Vip3Aa toxin.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제23권8호
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• pp.1099-1106
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• 2013

Tuta absoluta (Povolny, 1994) is a devastating moth to the Solanaceae plants. It is a challenging pest to control, especially on tomatoes. In this work, we studied the entomopathogenic activity of the Cry-forming ${\delta}$-endotoxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis strain KS and B. thuringiensis kurstaki reference strain HD1 against T. absoluta. These strains carried the cry2, cry1Ab, cry1Aa/cry1Ac, and cry1I genes, and KS also carried a cry1C gene. The ${\delta}$-endotoxins of KS were approximately twofold more toxic against the third instar larvae than those of HD1, as they showed lower 50% and 90% lethal concentrations (0.80 and 2.70 ${\mu}g/cm^2$ (${\delta}$-endotoxins/tomato leaf)) compared with those of HD1 (1.70 and 4.50 ${\mu}g/cm^2$) (p < 0.05). Additionally, the larvae protease extract showed at least six caseinolytic activities, which activated the KS and HD1 ${\delta}$-endotoxins, yielding the active toxins of about 65 kDa and the protease-resistant core of about 58 kDa. Moreover, the histopathological effects of KS and HD1 ${\delta}$-endotoxins on the larvae midgut consisted of an apical columnar cell vacuolization, microvillus damage, and epithelial cell disruption. These results showed that the KS strain could be a candidate for T. absoluta control.