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Cloning and expression analysis of a predicted toxin gene fromPhotorhabdus sp. HB78

  • Ecological and Environmental Microbiology
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Abstract

The genome of the insect pathogenPhotorhabdus luminescens TT01 strain contains multiple genes predicted to encode toxins. One of these,plu0840, has 55% sequence identity with an enterotoxin fromAeromonas hydrophila. In order to further investigate this gene, we successfully cloned the completeplu0840 fromPhotorhabdus sp. HB78 and expressed it as a GST-Plu0840 fusion protein inEscherichia coli BL21 (DE3) using pGEX-4T-1 as a vector. Most of GST-Plu0840 was insoluble and sequestered into inclusion bodies. The inclusion bodies were harvested and dissolved. The resultant protein was cleaved and purified from the GST-tag. Oral bioassay showed that Plu0840 inhibited growth ofSpodoptera litura andSpodoptera exigua larvae.

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Correspondence to Lihong Qiu.

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Li, M., Qiu, L. & Pang, Y. Cloning and expression analysis of a predicted toxin gene fromPhotorhabdus sp. HB78. Ann. Microbiol. 57, 313–319 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03175066

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03175066

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