Abstract
Two novel cry8-type genes, cry8Ea1 and cry8Fa1, obtained from a Holotrichia parallela–specific Bacillus thuringiensis strain, BT185, were characterized. Findings showed that cry8Ea1 and cry8Fa1 encoded polypeptides of 1164 and 1174 amino acid residues, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequences of both Cry8Ea1 and Cry8Fa1 polypeptides are the most similar to that of Cry8Ba1. Eight conserved blocks (blocks 1–8) exist in Cry8Ea1 and Cry8Fa1 polypeptides compared with known Cry proteins. Cry8Ea1 and the Cry8Fa1 toxins could form spheric crystals when they were expressed in the acrystalliferous mutant strain HD73−. The spores and crystals from the recombinant strain containing cry8Ea1 were toxic to Holotrichia parallela, with an LC50 of 0.0875 × 108 colony-forming units (CFU)/g. However, Cry8Fa1 expressed in the recombinant strain was not toxic to H. parallela, Anomala corpulenta, or H. oblita.
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Acknowledgments
This study was supported by grants from the National Basic Research Program (973 Program) 2009CB118902, and grants of the 863 Program 2006AA02Z189 and 2006AA10A212 in P. R. China.
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Shu, C., Yu, H., Wang, R. et al. Characterization of Two Novel cry8 Genes from Bacillus thuringiensis Strain BT185. Curr Microbiol 58, 389–392 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-008-9338-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-008-9338-y