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Bacillus thuringiensis Isolates from Great Nicobar Islands

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Abstract

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains were isolated from soil samples of Great Nicobar Islands, one of the “hottest biodiversity hotspots,” where no collection has been characterized previously. The 36 new Bt isolates were obtained from 153 samples analyzed by crystal protein production with light/phase-contrast microscopy, determination of cry gene profile by SDS-PAGE, evaluation of toxicity against Coleopteran, and Lepidopteran insect pests, finally cloning and sequencing. Majority of the isolates showed the presence of 66–35 kDa protein bands on SDS-PAGE while the rest showed >130, 130, 73, and 18 kDa bands. The variations in crystal morphology and mass of crystal protein(s) purified from the isolates of Bt revealed genetic and molecular diversity. Based on the toxicity test, 50 % of isolates were toxic to Ash weevils, 16 % isolates were toxic to cotton bollworm, 38 % isolates were toxic both to ash weevil as well as cotton bollworm, while 11 % of the isolates did not exhibit any toxicity. PCR analysis unveiled prepotency of cry1B- and cry8b-like genes in these isolates. This study appoints the first isolation and characterization of local B. thuringiensis isolates in Great Nicobar Islands. Some of these isolates display toxic potential and, therefore, could be adopted for future applications to control some agriculturally important insect pests in the area of integrated pest management for sustainable agriculture.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to ICAR, New Delhi for funding this study under Network project on Application of Microbes in Agriculture and Allied Sectors (AMAAS). Infrastructure facility and encouragement by The Director, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) are duly acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bio-Pesticide Laboratory (BPL), Division of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bangalore, 560089, Karnataka, India

    R. Asokan & H. M. Mahadeva Swamy

  2. Division of Field Crops, Central Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair, 744 101, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

    Ajanta Birah

  3. Division of Entomology and Nematology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bangalore, 560089, Karnataka, India

    Geetha G. Thimmegowda

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  1. R. Asokan
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  2. H. M. Mahadeva Swamy
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  3. Ajanta Birah
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  4. Geetha G. Thimmegowda
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Correspondence to R. Asokan or H. M. Mahadeva Swamy.

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Asokan, R., Mahadeva Swamy, H.M., Birah, A. et al. Bacillus thuringiensis Isolates from Great Nicobar Islands. Curr Microbiol 66, 621–626 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-013-0323-8

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