Abstract
A new polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism method for the identification of cry8-type genes from Bacillus thuringiensis has been established by designing a pair of new universal primers. By this method, a novel gene, cry8Ga1, encoding a polypeptide of 1,157 amino acids with a deduced molecular mass of 131.2 kDa was identified and cloned from B. thuringiensis HBF-18. Recombinant B. thuringiensis strain HD8G, harboring cry8Ga1, has insecticidal activity against larvae of Melolonthidae pests: Holotrichia oblita and Holotrichia parallela. This is the first report of a Cry toxin that has insecticidal activity to Melolonthidae pest 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 People’s Republic of China. We would like to thank Dr. Neil Crickmore for advice on this manuscript and the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council for collaboration funding.
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Shu, C., Yan, G., Wang, R. et al. Characterization of a novel cry8 gene specific to Melolonthidae pests: Holotrichia oblita and Holotrichia parallela . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 84, 701–707 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-009-1971-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-009-1971-2