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Distribution and diversity of Dipteran-specific cry and cyt genes in native Bacillus thuringiensis strains obtained from different ecosystems of Iran

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Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

Abstract

One hundred and twenty-eight Bacillus thuringiensis isolates from fields of different ecological regions of Iran were collected to study the distribution and diversity of Dipteran-specific cry and cyt genes. The percentage of samples with Bt showed significant differences between different regions and also between different fields. The most Bt frequency was observed in the soil samples collected from Caspianic zone (7%) and soils of cotton (17%). Characterization of isolates was based on morphological characteristics of crystals, plasmid profiles and protein band patterns as well as PCR analysis using general and specific primers for 22 different cry and cyt genes encoding proteins active against mosquitoes. Thirty-eight different cry gene profiles were detected in this collection. Several of them were found to be different from all previously published profiles and none of the previous researches reported these numbers of profiles. Strains containing cry2-type genes were the most abundant and represent 57.1% of the isolates. Strains harboring cry24 and cry10 genes were also highly abundant (38.7 and 32.8%, respectively). cry11, cry4, cry17, cry19, cry21, cry29, cyt1, and cry9 genes were less abundant, found in 25.7, 14.3, 11.4, 1.4, 4.3, 1.4, and 10% of the strains, respectively. Among the cry2 gene containing isolates, 37.5% strains harbored cry2Aa, 55% cry2Ab, 2.5% cry2Ac, and 5% other or novel cry2-type genes. Among the cry4 gene containing isolates, 0% strains harbored cry4A, 60% cry4B, and 40% cry4C, cry4D or novel cry4 type genes. Finally, based on crystal morphology, protein patterns and PCR, 21 strains were selected as potentially high Dipteran-active for bioassays. Also our results showed that some of the isolates may harbor minimum a putative novel cry gene.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Dr. Khayam Nekoui, Dr. Behzad Gharayazie, Dr. M. Keshavarzi, Dr. M. A. Hejazi and Dr. M. Kermani for their support, technical assistance and critical review of the manuscript. This work was supported by a grant from the Agricultural Research and Education Organization of Iran (AREO).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbial Biotechnology and Biosafety, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Mahdasht Road, 21525-1897, Karaj, Iran

    Gholamreza Salehi Jouzani & Khalil Kariman

  2. Department of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Zanjan University, Zanjan, Iran

    Ali Pourjan Abad & Bahram Maleki

  3. Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, College University of Agriculture Natural Resource, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Seifinejad

  4. Department of Biological Control, Plant Protection Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran

    Rasoul Marzban

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  1. Gholamreza Salehi Jouzani
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Correspondence to Gholamreza Salehi Jouzani.

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Salehi Jouzani, G., Pourjan Abad, A., Seifinejad, A. et al. Distribution and diversity of Dipteran-specific cry and cyt genes in native Bacillus thuringiensis strains obtained from different ecosystems of Iran. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 35, 83–94 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-007-0269-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-007-0269-6

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