Cross-resistance spectra of Culex quinquefasciatus resistant to mosquitocidal toxins of Bacillus thuringiensis towards recombinant Escherichia coli expressing genes from B. thuringiensis ssp. israelensis

Margaret C. Wirth, Arieh Zaritsky, Eitan Ben-Dov, Robert Manasherob, Vadim Khasdan, Sammy Boussiba, William E. Walton

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Sixteen Escherichia coli clones were assayed against susceptible and Bacillus thuringiensis-resistant Culex quinquefasciatus larvae. The clones expressed different combinations of four genes from Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis; three genes encoded mosquitocidal toxins (Cry11Aa, Cry4Aa and Cyt1Aa) and the fourth encoded an accessory protein (P20). The cross-resistance spectra of the mosquitoes were similar to the profiles for recombinant B. thuringiensis strains expressing B. thuringiensis toxin genes, but with varied toxicity levels. The toxicity of the recombinants towards resistant mosquito larvae was improved when p20 and cyt1Aa were expressed in combination with cry4Aa and/or cry11Aa. Recombinant pVE4-ADRC, expressing cry4Aa, cry11Aa, p20 and cyt1Aa, was the most active against the resistant Culex, and resistance levels did not exceed fourfold. These results indicate that B. thuringiensis ssp. israelensis genes expressed in a heterologous host such as E. coli can be effective against susceptible and B. thuringiensis-resistant larvae and suppress resistance.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1393-1401
Number of pages9
JournalEnvironmental Microbiology
Volume9
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 28 Feb 2007

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology
  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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