Author
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RICE, WILLIAM |
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Submitted to: Letters of Applied Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 2/3/1999 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: B. thuringiensis is a soil dwelling gram-positive bacterium characterized by its ability to produce crystalline inclusions that are comprised of proteins possessing highly specific insecticidal activity. Many B. thuringiensis strains with different insecticidal activity have been identified. Activity against lepidopteran, dipteran, and coleopteran insect tpests is determined by the presence of specific Cry toxins within these inclusions. Insecticidal activity of these Cry toxins against economically injurious insects has generated considerable research interest by academic governmental, and agricultural concerns. Recently a novel insecticidal protein (vip3A) that is not related to members of the Cry toxins has been described. Thus, detection of the presence of the vip3A gene using methods based on Cry gene detection methods is not possible. A rapid, efficient detection method for the present of the vip3A gene based upon a PCR approach was developed using novel oligonucleotide primers. This will facilitate the selection and evaluation of various B. thuringiensis strain for biological activity against injurious insect pests of rice. Technical Abstract: A PCR based method was developed for the rapid detection of Vip3A gene encoding a novel B. thuringiensis vegetative insecticidal protein with a wide spectrum of activities against lepidopteran insects. Specific primer combinations (3 primers for the normal strand and 2 primers for the complementary strand) were capable of generating diagnostic fragments that successfully predicted the presence of the gene encoding the Vip3A insecticidal toxin in various B. thuringiensis strains for biological activity against insect pests of rice is thus aided by the grouping of strains based on their potential insecticidal spectrum. |
