US20040110184A1 - Pesticidally active proteins and polynucleotides obtainable from Paenibacillus species - Google Patents

Pesticidally active proteins and polynucleotides obtainable from Paenibacillus species Download PDF

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US20040110184A1
US20040110184A1 US10/609,113 US60911303A US2004110184A1 US 20040110184 A1 US20040110184 A1 US 20040110184A1 US 60911303 A US60911303 A US 60911303A US 2004110184 A1 US2004110184 A1 US 2004110184A1
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protein
paenibacillus
proteins
toxin
dna
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Scott Bintrim
Scott Bevan
Baolong Zhu
Donald Merlo
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Corteva Agriscience LLC
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12P—FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE
    • C12P19/00—Preparation of compounds containing saccharide radicals
    • C12P19/26—Preparation of nitrogen-containing carbohydrates
    • C12P19/28—N-glycosides
    • C12P19/30—Nucleotides
    • C12P19/34—Polynucleotides, e.g. nucleic acids, oligoribonucleotides
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C07K—PEPTIDES
    • C07K14/00—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
    • C07K14/195—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from bacteria
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12P—FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE
    • C12P21/00—Preparation of peptides or proteins
    • C12P21/02—Preparation of peptides or proteins having a known sequence of two or more amino acids, e.g. glutathione
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12Q—MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES
    • C12Q1/00—Measuring or testing processes involving enzymes, nucleic acids or microorganisms; Compositions therefor; Processes of preparing such compositions
    • C12Q1/68—Measuring or testing processes involving enzymes, nucleic acids or microorganisms; Compositions therefor; Processes of preparing such compositions involving nucleic acids
    • C12Q1/6876—Nucleic acid products used in the analysis of nucleic acids, e.g. primers or probes
    • C12Q1/6888—Nucleic acid products used in the analysis of nucleic acids, e.g. primers or probes for detection or identification of organisms
    • C12Q1/689—Nucleic acid products used in the analysis of nucleic acids, e.g. primers or probes for detection or identification of organisms for bacteria
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12Q—MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES
    • C12Q2600/00—Oligonucleotides characterized by their use
    • C12Q2600/142—Toxicological screening, e.g. expression profiles which identify toxicity

Definitions

  • Insects and other pests cost farmers billions of dollars annually in crop losses and in the expense of keeping these pests under control.
  • the losses caused by insect pests in agricultural production environments include decreases in crop yield, reduced crop quality, and increased harvesting costs. Insect pests are also a burden to vegetable and fruit growers, to producers of ornamental flowers, and to home gardeners and homeowners.
  • Cultivation methods such as crop rotation and the application of high levels of nitrogen fertilizers, have partially addressed problems caused by agricultural pests.
  • economic demands on the utilization of farmland restrict the use of crop rotation.
  • overwintering traits of some insects are disrupting crop rotations in some areas.
  • Some biological pesticidal agents that are now being used with some success are derived from the soil microbe Bacillus thuringiensis ( B.t. ).
  • the soil microbe Bacillus thuringiensis ( B.t. ) is a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium. Most strains of B.t. do not exhibit pesticidal activity. Some B.t. strains produce, and can be characterized by, parasporal crystalline protein inclusions. These inclusions often appear microscopically as distinctively shaped crystals.
  • Some B.t. proteins are highly toxic to pests, such as insects, and are specific in their toxic activity. Certain insecticidal B.t. proteins are associated with the inclusions. These “ ⁇ -endotoxins” are different from exotoxins, which have a non-specific host range. Other species of Bacillus also produce pesticidal proteins.
  • Bacillus toxin genes have been isolated and sequenced, and recombinant DNA-based products have been produced and approved for use.
  • various approaches for delivering these toxins to agricultural environments are being perfected. These include the use of plants genetically engineered with toxin genes for insect resistance and the use of stabilized intact microbial cells as toxin delivery vehicles.
  • isolated Bacillus toxin genes are becoming commercially valuable.
  • B.t. pesticides were initially restricted to targeting a narrow range of lepidopteran (caterpillar) pests.
  • Preparations of the spores and crystals of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki have been used for many years as commercial insecticides for lepidopteran pests.
  • B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki HD-1 produces a crystalline ⁇ -endotoxin which is toxic to the larvae of a number of lepidopteran insects.
  • the Lepidopteran-specific CryI crystal proteins in their natural state, are approximately 130- to 140-kDa proteins, which accumulate in bipyramidal crystalline inclusions during the sporulation of B. thuringiensis. These proteins are protoxins which solubilize in the alkaline environment of the insect midgut and are proteolytically converted by crystal-associated or larval-midgut proteases into a toxic core fragment of 60 to 70 kDa. This activation can also be carried out in vitro with a variety of proteases. The toxic domain is localized in the N-terminal half of the protoxin. This was demonstrated for CryIA(b) and CryIC proteins through N-terminal amino acid sequencing of the trypsin-activated toxin.
  • cryIA(a) and cryIA(c) genes Höfte et al. 1989.
  • cryII genes encode 65-kDa proteins which form cuboidal inclusions in strains of several subspecies. These crystal proteins were previously designated “P2” proteins, as opposed to the 130-kDa P1 crystal proteins present in the same strains. Höfte et al. 1989.
  • a cryIIa gene was cloned from B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-263 and expressed in Bacillus megaterium. Cells producing the CryIIA protein were toxic for the lepidopteran species Heliothis virescens and Lymantria dispar as well as for larvae of the dipteran Aedes aegypti . Widner and Whitely (1989, J. Bacteriol. 171:965-974) cloned two related genes (cryIIA and cryIIB) from B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1.
  • CryIIA and CryIIB proteins are highly homologous ( ⁇ 87% amino acid identity), they differ in their insecticidal spectra.
  • CryIIA is active against both a lepidopteran ( Manduca sexta ) and a dipteran ( Aedes aegypti ) species, whereas cryIIB is toxic only to the lepidopteran insect. Höfte et al. 1989.
  • the CryII toxins, as a group tend to be relatively more conserved at the sequence level (>80% identical) than other groups. In contrast, there are many CryI toxins, for example, including some that are less than 60% identical.
  • B.t. protein toxins were initially formulated as sprayable insect control agents.
  • a more recent application of B.t. technology has been to isolate and transform plants with genes that encode these toxins.
  • Transgenic plants subsequently produce the toxins, thereby providing insect control. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,380,831; 5,567,600; and 5,567,862 to Mycogen Corporation.
  • Transgenic B.t. plants are quite efficacious, and usage is predicted to be high in some crops and areas. This has caused some concern that resistance management issues may arise more quickly than with traditional sprayable applications. While a number of insects have been selected for resistance to B.t.
  • Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus spp. are Gram-negative bacteria that entomopathogenically and symbiotically associate with soil nematodes. These bacteria are found in the gut of entomopathogenic nematodes that invade and kill insects. When the nematode invades an insect host, the bacteria are released into the insect haemocoel (the open circulatory system), and both the bacteria and the nematode undergo multiple rounds of replication; the insect host typically dies. These bacteria can be cultured away from their nematode hosts. For a more detailed discussion of these bacteria, see Forst and Nealson, 60 Microbiol. Rev. 1 (1996), pp. 21-43.
  • the genus Xenorhabdus is taxonomically defined as a member of the Family Enterobacteriaceae, although it has certain traits atypical of this family. For example, strains of this genus are typically nitrate reduction negative and catalase negative. Xenorhabdus has only recently been subdivided to create a second genus, Photorhabdus, which is comprised of the single species Photorhabdus luminescens (previously Xenorhabdus luminescens ) (Boemare et al., 1993 Int. J Syst. Bacteriol. 43, 249-255). This differentiation is based on several distinguishing characteristics easily identifiable by the skilled artisan.
  • the expected traits for Xenorhabdus are the following: Gram stain negative rods, white to yellow/brown colony pigmentation, presence of inclusion bodies, absence of catalase, inability to reduce nitrate, absence of bioluminescence, ability to uptake dye from medium, positive gelatin hydrolysis, growth on Enterobacteriaceae selective media, growth temperature below 37° C., survival under anaerobic conditions, and motility.
  • the bacterial genus Xenorhabdus is comprised of four recognized species, Xenorhabdus nematophilus, Xenorhabdus poinarii, Xenorhabdus bovienii and Xenorhabdus beddingii (Brunel et al., 1997, App. Environ. Micro., 63, 574-580).
  • a variety of related strains have been described in the literature (e.g., Akhurst and Boemare 1988 J. Gen. Microbiol., 134, 1835-1845; Boemare et al. 1993 Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 43, pp. 249-255; Putz et al. 1990, Appl. Environ.
  • Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus bacteria secrete a wide variety of substances into the culture medium; these secretions include lipases, proteases, antibiotics and lipopolysaccharides. Purification of different protease fractions has clearly demonstrated that they are not involved in the oral toxic activity of P. luminescens culture medium (which has been subsequently determined to reside with the Tc proteins only). Several of these substances have previously been implicated in insect toxicity but until recently no insecticidal genes had been cloned. However, protease purification and separation will also facilitate an examination of their putative role in, for example, inhibiting antibacterial proteins such as cecropin. R. H.
  • TCs toxin complexes
  • Tca, Tcb, Tcc and Tcd Four different toxin complexes (TCs)—Tca, Tcb, Tcc and Tcd—have been identified in Photorhabdus spp. Each of these toxin complexes resolves as either a single or dimeric species on a native agarose gel but resolution on a denaturing gel reveals that each complex consists of a range of species between 25-280 kDa.
  • the ORFs that encode the TCs from Photorhabdus, together with protease cleavage sites (vertical arrows), are illustrated in FIG. 1. See also R. H. french-Constant and Bowen, 57 Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 828-833 (2000).
  • Genomic libraries of P. luminescens were screened with DNA probes and with monoclonal and/or polyclonal antibodies raised against the toxins.
  • Four tc loci were cloned: tca, tcb, tcc and tcd.
  • the tca locus is a putative operon of three open reading frames (ORFs), tcaA, tcaB, and tcaC transcribed from the same DNA strand, with a smaller terminal ORF (tcaZ) transcribed in the opposite direction.
  • ORFs open reading frames
  • tcaA, tcaB, and tcaC transcribed from the same DNA strand, with a smaller terminal ORF (tcaZ) transcribed in the opposite direction.
  • the tcc locus also is comprised of three ORFs putatively transcribed in the same direction (tccA, tccB, and tccC).
  • the tcb locus is a single large ORF (tcbA), and the tcd locus is composed of two ORFs (tcdA and tcdB); tcbA and tcdA, each about 7.5 kb, encode large insect toxins.
  • TcdB has some homology to TcaC. Many of these gene products were determined to be cleaved by proteases. For example, both TcbA and TcdA are cleaved into three fragments termed i, ii and iii (e.g. TcbAi, TcbAii and TcbAii). Products of the tca and tcc ORFs are also cleaved. See FIG. 1. See also R. H. ffrench-Constant and D. J. Bowen, Current Opinions in Microbiology, 1999, 12:284-288.
  • TcaB, TcbA, and TcdA all show amino acid conservation ( ⁇ 50% identity), compared with each other, immediately around their predicted protease cleavage sites. This conservation between three different TC proteins suggests that they may all be processed by the same or similar proteases. TcbA and TcdA also share ⁇ 50% identity overall, as well as a similar predicted pattern of both carboxy- and amino-terminal cleavage. It was postulated that these proteins might thus be homologs of one another. Furthermore, the similar, large size of TcbA and TcdA, and also the fact that both toxins appear to act on the gut of the insect, may suggest similar modes of action. R. H. ffrench-Constant and Bowen, Current Opinions in Microbiology, 1999, 12:284-288.
  • products of the tca locus may enhance the toxicity of tcd products.
  • tcd products may modulate the toxicity of tca products and possibly other complexes.
  • tcb or tcc loci may produce toxins that are more active against other groups of insects (or active via injection directly into the insect haemocoel—the normal route of delivery when secreted by the bacteria in vivo).
  • WO 01/11029 discloses nucleotide sequences that encode TcdA and TcbA and have base compositions that have been altered from that of the native genes to make them more similar to plant genes. Also disclosed are transgenic plants that express Toxin A and Toxin B.
  • Toxin A is comprised of two different subunits.
  • the native gene tcdA encodes protoxin TcdA.
  • TcdA is processed by one or more proteases to provide Toxin A.
  • TcdA is an approximately 282.9 kDa protein (2516 aa) that is processed to provide TcdAi (the first 88 amino acids), TcdAii (the next 1849 aa; an approximately 208.2 kDa protein encoded by nucleotides 265-5811 of tcdA), and TcdAiii, an approximately 63.5 kDa (579 aa) protein (encoded by nucleotides 5812-7551 of tcdA).
  • TcdAii and TcdAiii appear to assemble into a dimer (perhaps aided by TcdAi), and the dimers assemble into a tetramer of four dimers.
  • Toxin B is similarly derived from TcbA.
  • Tca toxin complex of Photorhabdus is toxic to Manduca sexta.
  • some TC proteins are known to have “stand alone” insecticidal activity, while other TC proteins are known to potentiate or enhance the activity of the stand-alone toxins.
  • TcdA protein is active, alone, against Manduca sexta, but that TcdB and TccC, together, can be used to enhance the activity of TcdA. Waterfield, N. et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol.
  • TcbA (there is only one Tcb protein) is another stand-alone toxin from Photorhabdus.
  • the activity of this toxin (TcbA) can also be enhanced by TcdB together with TccC-like proteins.
  • U.S. Patent Application 20020078478 provides nucleotide sequences for two potentiator genes, tcdB2 and tccC2, from the tcd genomic region of Photorhabdus luminescens W-14. It is shown therein that coexpression of tcdB and tccC1 with tcdA results in enhanced levels of oral insect toxicity compared to that obtained when tcdA is expressed alone. Coexpression of tcdB and tccC1 with tcdA or tcbA provide enhanced oral insect activity.
  • TccA has some level of homology with the N terminus of TcdA
  • TccB has some level of homology with the C terminus of TcdA.
  • TccA and TccB are much less active on certain test insects than is TcdA.
  • TccA and TccB from Photorhabdus strain W-14 are called “Toxin D.”
  • Toxin A” (TcdA), “Toxin B” (TcbA), and “Toxin C” are also indicated below.
  • TcaA has some level of homology with TccA and likewise with the N terminus of TcdA.
  • TcaB has some level of homology with TccB and likewise with the N terminus of TcdA.
  • TccA and TcaA are of a similar size, as are TccB and TcaB.
  • TcdB has a significant level of similarity (both in sequence and size) to TcaC.
  • Photorhabdus strain W14 Some homology Photorhabdus nomenclature to: TcaA Toxin C TccA TcaB TccB TcaC TcdB TcbA Toxin B TccA Toxin D TcdA N terminus TccB TcdA C terminus TccC TcdA Toxin A TccA + TccB TcdB TcaC
  • the insect midgut epithelium contains both columnar (structural) and goblet (secretory) cells. Ingestion of tca products by M. sexta leads to apical swelling and blebbing of large cytoplasmic vesicles by the columnar cells, leading to the eventual extrusion of cell nuclei in vesicles into the gut lumen. Goblet cells are also apparently affected in the same fashion. Products of tca act on the insect midgut following either oral delivery or injection. R. H. ffrench-Constant and D. J. Bowen, Current Opinions in Microbiology, 1999, 12:284-288.
  • WO 99/42589 and U.S. Pat. No.6,281,413 disclose TC-like ORFs from Photorhabdus luminescens.
  • WO 00/30453 and WO 00/42855 disclose TC-like proteins from Xenorhabdus.
  • WO 99/03328 and WO 99/54472 relate to other toxins from Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus.
  • XptA1 is a “stand-alone” toxin.
  • XptA2 is another TC protein from Xenorhabdus that has stand-alone toxin activity. See GENBANK Accession No. AJ308438 for sequences from Xenorhabdus nematophilus.
  • XptB1 and XptC1 are the Xenorhabdus potentiators that can enhance the activity of either (or both) of the XptA toxins.
  • XptD1 has some level of homology with TccB.
  • XptC1 has some level of similarity to TcaC.
  • the XptA2 protein of Xenorhabdus has some degree of similarity to the TcdA protein.
  • XptB1 has some level of similarity to TccC.
  • TC proteins and genes have more recently been described from other insect-associated bacteria such as Serratia entomophila, an insect pathogen. Waterfield et al., TRENDS in Microbiology, Vol. 9, No. 4, April 2001.
  • toxin complex proteins from P. luminescens and X. nematophilus appear to have little homology to previously identified bacterial toxins and should provide useful alternatives to toxins derived from B. thuringiensis. Although they have similar toxic effects on the insect midgut to other orally active toxins, their precise mode of action remains obscure. Future work could clarify their mechanism of action.
  • Bacteria of the genus Paenibacillus are distinguishable from other bacteria by distinctive rRNA and phenotypic characteristics (C. Ash et al. (1993), “Molecular identification of rRNA group 3 bacilli (Ash, Farrow, Wallbanks and Collins) using a PCR probe test: Proposal for the creation of a new genus Paenibacillus,” Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 64:253-260). Comparative 16S rRNA sequence analysis demonstrated that the genus Bacillus consisted of at least five phyletic lines.
  • Ribosomal RNA group 3 bacilli (of Ash, Farrow, Wallbanks, and Collins (1991), comprising Bacillus polymyxa and close relatives), is phylogenetically so removed from Bacillus subtilis (the type species of the genus and other aerobic, endospore-forming bacilli) that they were reclassified as a new genus, Paenibacillus.
  • P. larvae, P. popilliae , and P. lentimorbus are considered obligate insect pathogens involved with milky disease of scarab beetles (D. P. Stahly et al. (1992), “The genus Bacillus: insect pathogens,” p. 1697-1745, In A. Balows et al., ed., The Procaryotes, 2 nd Ed., Vol. 2, Springer-Verlag, New York, N.Y.).
  • These three Paenibacillus species are characteristically slow-growing, fastidious organisms that cause disease by an invasive process in which the bacteria cross the midgut and proliferate to high numbers in the hemolymph and other tissues.
  • a beetle (coleopteran) toxin, Cry18 has been identified in strains of P. popilliae and P. lentimorbus .
  • Cry18 has about 40% identity to Cry2 proteins (Zhang et al., 1997; Harrison et al., 2000). While Zhang et al. (1997) speculate that Cry18 attacks the midgut to facilitate entry of vegetative cells to the hemocoel, Harrison et al. note that there is no direct evidence for this role and further state that “the role, if any, of the paraspore protein in milky disease is unknown.”
  • J. Zhang et al. (1997), “Cloning and Analysis of the First cry Gene from Bacillus popilliae,” J. Bacteriol 179:4336-4341; H. Harrison et al. (2000), “Paenibacillus Associated with Milky Disease in Central and South American Scarabs,” J. Invertebr. Pathol. 76(3):169-175.
  • Paenibacillus While some species of Paenibacillus were known to be pathogenic to certain coleopterans and some associated with honeybees, no strain of Paenibacillus was heretofore known to be toxic to lepidopterans. Likewise, TC proteins and lepidopteran-toxic Cry proteins have never been reported in Paenibacillus.
  • Paenibacillus protein toxins having activity against lepidopteran pests.
  • Some species of Paenibacillus were known to be insecticidal, but they had activity against grubs/beetles/coleopterans.
  • the subject invention relates generally to Paenibacillus species that have activity against lepidopterans, and to screening Paenibacillus spp., proteins therefrom, and libraries of clones therefrom for activity against lepidopterans.
  • the subject invention initially stemmed from a discovery of a novel strain of Paenibacillus referred to herein as DAS1529. This was a surprising discovery for a variety of reasons. This strain produces a unique, lepidopteran-toxic Cry protein. This strain, as well as DB482, produce unique, toxin complex (TC)-like proteins (having some similarity to Xenorhabdus/Photorhabdus TCs). Paenibacillus isolate DB482 and toxins obtainable therefrom are highly preferred, and all are within the scope of the subject invention.
  • the subject invention relates to methods of screening Paenibacillus spp. for TC-like genes and proteins.
  • Paenibacillus TC proteins of the subject invention are shown herein to be useful to enhance or potentiate the activity of a “stand-alone” Xenorhabdus toxin protein, for example.
  • TC-like genes identified herein were not heretofore known to exist in the genus Paenibacillus. This discovery broadens the scope of organisms (bacterial genera) in which TC-like genes have been found.
  • the subject invention generally relates to TC-like proteins obtainable from Paenibacillus species, to methods of screening Paenibacillus species for such proteins, and the like.
  • Paenibacillus apairius which was also found to produce TC-like proteins.
  • the subject TC-like proteins have some sequence relatedness to, and characteristics in common with, TC proteins of Xenorhabdus and Photorabdus, the sequences of the subject TC-like proteins are very different from previously known TC proteins.
  • the subject application provides new classes of TC-like proteins and genes that encode these proteins, which are obtainable from bacteria in the genera Paenibacillus, Photorhabdus, Xenorhabdus, and the like.
  • DAS1529 strain produces a unique, B.t. -like Cry protein that is toxic to lepidopterans.
  • the subject Cry toxin is compressed/short and appears to lack a typical protoxin portion in its wild-type state.
  • the subject invention generally relates to screening Paenibacillus isolates for lepidopteran-toxic Cry proteins.
  • the subject invention also relates to methods of screening Paenibacillus spp. and B. thuringiensis, for example, for this new class of Cry genes and proteins.
  • the DAS1529 strain is the first known example of a natural bacterium that produces both a Cry-like toxin and TC-like proteins. Further surprising is that this is the first known example of a cry toxin gene being closely associated with (in genetic proximity to) TC protein genes.
  • a further aspect of the subject invention stems from the surprising discovery that the DAS1529 strain also produces a soluble insect toxin that was found to be very similar to a thiaminase. It was surprising that the Paenibacillus thiaminase protein was found to have insecticidal activity. While this type of protein was known, it was in no way expected in the art that this enzyme would have exhibited toxin-like activity against insects/insect-like pests. Thus, the subject invention also relates to methods of screening Paenibacillus and others for insecticidal thiaminase genes and proteins, and to the use of these genes and proteins for controlling insects and like pests.
  • FIG. 1 shows the TC operons from Photorhabdus.
  • FIG. 2 shows a diagram of the DNA from DAS1529 inserted into the “SB12” clone that exhibited pesticidal activity, with open reading frames identified with block and line arrows.
  • FIG. 3 shows partial sequence alignments for SEQ ID NO:17 and thiaminase I from Bacillus thiaminolyticus (Campobasso et al., 1998) or AAC44156.
  • FIG. 4 shows test results of purified thiaminase from DAS1529 on CEW.
  • FIG. 5 shows ORF3-ORF6 in pEt101D.
  • FIG. 6 shows Cry1529 (ORF 7) against tobacco bud worm (TBW).
  • FIG. 7 shows a comparison/alignment of SEQ ID NO:9 to SEQ ID NO:5 (tcaB 2 to tcaB 1 ); the brackets show the ORF2 junction.
  • FIG. 8 shows a phylogenetic tree of DAS1529 ORF7 (Cry1529) compared to other Cry proteins.
  • FIGS. 9 and 10 show results of trypsin digestion of wild-type and modified Cry1529 proteins.
  • FIGS. 11A and 11B show sequence alignments for tcaA primer design.
  • FIGS. 12 A-D show sequence alignments for tcaB primer design.
  • FIGS. 13A and 13B show sequence alignments for tcaC primer design.
  • FIGS. 14A and 14B show sequence alignments for tccC primer design.
  • SEQ ID NO:1 is the nucleic acid sequence of the entire insert of SB12.
  • SEQ ID NO:2 is the nucleic acid sequence of ORF1, which encodes a tcaA-like protein (gene tcaA1, source organism Paenibacillus strain IDAS1529, gene designation tcaA1-1529).
  • SEQ ID NO:3 is the amino acid sequence encoded by ORF1.
  • SEQ ID NO:4 is the nucleic acid sequence of ORF2, with an IS element removed, which encodes a tcaB-like protein (gene tcaB1, source organism Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529, gene designation tcaB1-1529).
  • SEQ ID NO:5 is the amino acid sequence encoded by ORF2.
  • SEQ ID NO:6 is the nucleic acid sequence of ORF3, which encodes a tcaA-like protein (gene tcaA2, source organism Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529, gene designation tcaA2-1529).
  • SEQ ID NO:7 is the amino acid sequence encoded by ORF3.
  • SEQ ID NO:8 is the nucleic acid sequence of ORF4, which encodes a tcaB-like protein (gene tcaB2, source organism Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529, gene designation tcaB2-1529).
  • SEQ ID NO:9 is the amino acid sequence encoded by ORF4.
  • SEQ ID NO:10 is the nucleic acid sequence of ORF5, which encodes a tcaC-like protein (gene tcaC, source organism Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529, gene designation tcaC-1529).
  • SEQ ID NO:11 is the amino acid sequence encoded by ORF5.
  • SEQ ID NO:12 is the nucleic acid sequence of ORF6, which encodes a tccC-like protein.
  • SEQ ID NO:13 is the amino acid sequence encoded by ORF6.
  • SEQ ID NO:14 is the nucleic acid sequence of ORF7, which encodes a Cry-like protein.
  • SEQ ID NO:15 is the amino acid sequence encoded by ORF7.
  • SEQ ID NO:16 is the partial nucleic acid sequence of the 16S rDNA of DAS1529 used for taxonomic placement.
  • SEQ ID NO:17 is the N-terminal amino acid sequence for the purified toxin from the broth fraction from DAS1529.
  • SEQ ID NO:18 is the amino acid sequence of thiaminase I from Bacillus thiaminolyticus (Campobasso et al., J. Biochem. 37(45):15981-15989 (1998)).
  • SEQ ID NO:19 is an alternate amino acid sequence encoded by ORF6 protein (gene tccC, source organism Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529, gene designation tccC-1529).
  • SEQ ID NO:20 is gene xptC1, source organism Xenorhabdus strain Xwi, gene designation xptC1-Xwi.
  • SEQ ID NO:21 is gene xptB1, source organism Xenorhabdus strain Xwi, gene designation xptB1-Xwi.
  • SEQ ID NO:22 is primer SB101.
  • SEQ ID NO:23 is primer SB102.
  • SEQ ID NO:24 is primer SB103.
  • SEQ ID NO:25 is primer SB104.
  • SEQ ID NO:26 is primer SB105.
  • SEQ ID NO:27 is primer SB106.
  • SEQ ID NO:28 is primer SB212.
  • SEQ ID NO:29 is primer SB213.
  • SEQ ID NO:30 is primer SB215.
  • SEQ ID NO:31 is primer SB217.
  • SEQ ID NO:32 is a nucleotide sequence from a tcaA-like gene from Paenibacillus apairius strain DB482.
  • SEQ ID NO:33 is an amino acid sequence from a TcaA-like protein from Paenibacillus apairius strain DB482.
  • SEQ ID NO:34 is a nucleotide sequence from a tcaB-like gene from Paenibacillus apairius strain DB482.
  • SEQ ID NO:35 is a nucleotide sequence from a tcaB-like gene from Paenibacillus apairius strain DB482.
  • SEQ ID NO:36 is an amino acid sequence from a TcaB-like protein from Paenibacillus apairius strain DB482.
  • SEQ ID NO:37 is an amino acid sequence from a TcaB-like protein from Paenibacillus apairius strain DB482.
  • SEQ ID NO:38 is a nucleotide sequence from a tcaC-like gene from Paenibacillus apairius strain DB482.
  • SEQ ID NO:39 is an amino acid sequence from a TcaC-like protein from Paenibacillus apairius strain DB482.
  • SEQ ID NO:40 is a nucleotide sequence from a tccC-like gene from Paenibacillus apairius strain DB482.
  • SEQ ID NO:41 is an amino acid sequence from a TccC-like protein from Paenibacillus apairius strain DB482.
  • SEQ ID NO:42 is gene tcdB1, source organism Photorhabdus strain W14, gene designation tcdB1-W14.
  • SEQ ID NO:43 is gene tcdB2, source organism Photorhabdus strain W14, gene designation tcdB2-W14.
  • SEQ ID NO:44 is gene tccC1, source organism Photorhabdus strain W14, gene designation tccC1-W14.
  • SEQ ID NO:45 is gene tccC2, source organism Photorhabdus strain W14, gene designation tccC2- W14.
  • SEQ ID NO:46 is gene tccC3, source organism Photorhabdus strain W14, gene designation tccC3- W14.
  • SEQ ID NO:47 is gene tccC4, source organism Photorhabdus strain W14, gene designation tccC4-W14.
  • SEQ ID NO:48 is gene tccC5, source organism Phtorhabdus strain W14, gene designation tccC5-W14.
  • SEQ ID NO:49 is the amino acid sequence of the XptA2 TC protein from Xenorhabdus nematophilus Xwi.
  • the subject invention provides unique biological alternatives for pest control. More specifically, the subject invention provides new sources of proteins that have toxin activity against insects, preferably lepidopterans, and other similar pests. The invention also relates to new sources of novel polynucleotides that can be used to encode such toxins, and to methods of making and methods of using the toxins and corresponding nucleic acid sequences to control insects and other like plant pests. The present invention addresses the need for novel insect control agents. The present invention relates to novel pesticidal proteins that are obtainable from Paenibacillus, and other, bacteria.
  • the subject invention initially stemmed from a discovery of a novel strain of Paenibacillus. This strain is referred to herein as DAS1529. To demonstrate the broad implications of this discovery, the discovery of another Paenibacillus strain is also exemplified.
  • the subject culture deposits were made in accordance with the provisions of the Budapest Treaty for the Deposit of Microorganisms, i.e., they will be stored with all the care necessary to keep them viable and uncontaminated for a period of at least five years after the most recent request for the furnishing of a sample of the deposit, and in any case, for a period of at least thirty (30) years after the date of deposit or for the enforceable life of any patent which may issue disclosing the culture.
  • the depositor acknowledges the duty to replace the deposit should the depository be unable to furnish a sample when requested, due to the condition of the deposit. All restrictions on the availability to the public of the subject culture deposits will be irrevocably removed upon the granting of a patent disclosing them.
  • DAS1529 strain produces a unique, lepidopteran-toxic Cry protein.
  • This strain as well as DB482, also produce unique, toxin complex (TC)-like proteins (having some similarity to Xenorhabdus/Photorhabdus TCs).
  • Paenibacillus isolate DB482 and toxins obtainable therefrom are highly preferred, and all are within the scope of the subject invention.
  • the subject invention relates generally to Paenibacillus species that have activity against lepidopterans, and to screening Paenibacillus cultures, proteins therefrom, and libraries of clones therefrom, for activity against lepidopterans, and/or for genes that encode “lep toxins,” and more particularly, for lepidopteran-toxic Cry proteins.
  • the subject invention generally relates to TC proteins obtainable from Paenibacillus species, to methods of screening Paenibacillus species for such proteins, and the like.
  • An example of a Paenibacillus species found using the methods of the subject invention is Paenibacillus apairius strain DB482. This P. apairius strain also produces unique TC-like proteins.
  • the subject TC proteins have some characteristics in common with TC proteins of Xenorhabdus and Photorabdus, the subject TC proteins are unique and different from previously known TC proteins.
  • the subject application provides new classes of TC-like proteins and genes that encode these proteins obtainable from bacteria in the genera Paenibacillus, Photorhabdus, Xenorhabdus, Serratia, and the like.
  • the subject invention also relates to lepidopteran-toxic Cry proteins that are obtainable from Paenibacillus species.
  • the subject invention relates to methods of screening Paenibacillus species for cry genes and Cry proteins that have toxin activity against a lepidopteran pest.
  • the DAS1529 Cry toxin is a very unique, B.t. -like Cry protein toxin.
  • One other strain of Paenibacillus a strain with activity against grubs, was known to produce a coleopteran-toxic Cry protein. That was a Cry18 protein, which was most related to Cry2 proteins (but only about 40% identity).
  • the Cry protein exemplified herein shows only a low level of sequence identity and similarity to previously known Cry proteins. With that noted, of all the known B.t. Cry proteins, the subject Cry protein shares the most similarity to Cry1 proteins.
  • the subject Cry protein is very short, i.e., even shorter than the Cry1Fa core toxin.
  • the subject Cry protein has an identifiable Block 5 region at or near its C terminus.
  • This toxin in its wild-type state has no protoxin portion, which is typically found on Cry1 toxins.
  • the subject Cry toxin is surprisingly compressed.
  • the subject invention generally relates to a new class of Cry proteins.
  • This disclosure is also significant to the search for additional cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis ( B.t. ).
  • B.t. Bacillus thuringiensis
  • other bacteria such as B.t. and other Bacillus spp. (including sphaericus) could be screened for similar toxins and toxin genes. These methods of screening are within the scope of the subject invention.
  • the DAS1529 strain is the first known example of a natural bacterium that produces both a Cry-like toxin and TC-like proteins. Further surprising is that this is the first known example of a cry toxin gene being closely associated with (in genetic proximity to) TC protein genes. These pioneering observations thus enable one skilled in the art to screen appropriate species of bacteria for these types of unique operons and for these types of further components of known operons. Such techniques are within the scope of the subject invention.
  • the DAS1529 strain is an interesting example of a wild type strain having a TC-like operon with multiple TC protein genes of the same general type (i.e., in this case, two tcaA-like and two tcaB-like genes). This could have implications for further gene discovery.
  • a further aspect of the subject invention stems from the surprising discovery that the Paenibacillus thiaminase protein has insecticidal activity. While this protein was known, it was in no way expected in the art that this enzyme would have exhibited toxin-like activity against insects/insect-like pests.
  • TcaA 1 and TcaA 2 two TcaA-like proteins
  • TcaB 1 and TcaB 2 two TcaB-like proteins
  • TcaC protein a TcaC protein
  • TccC-like protein a TccC-like protein.
  • the TcaA 1 and TcaA 2 proteins are highly similar to each other at the sequence level
  • the tcaB 1 and tcaB 2 proteins are highly similar to each other at the sequence level.
  • TC-like proteins obtainable from Paenibacillus apairius are also exemplified herein, and are within the scope of the subject invention.
  • the TC proteins of the subject invention can be used like other TC proteins. This would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art having the benefit of the subject disclosure when viewed in light of what was known in the art. See, e.g., the Background section, above, which discusses R. H. ffrench-Constant and Bowen (2000) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,838. For example, it was known that the Tca toxin complex of Photorhabdus is highly toxic to Manduca sexta.
  • TcdA protein was active against Manduca sexta.
  • TcaC and TccC together, can be used to enhance the activity of TcdA.
  • TcdB can be used (in place of TcaC) with TccC as a potentiator.
  • TcbA is another Photorhabdus TC protein with stand-alone toxin activity.
  • TcaC (or TcdB) together with TccC can also be used to enhance/potentiate the toxin activity of TcbA.
  • Photorhabdus TC proteins and “corresponding” TC proteins/genes from Paenibacillus are summarized below.
  • Photorhabdus strain W14 Photorhabdus Paenibacillus Photorhabdus nomenclature Self homology 1529 TcaA Toxin C TccA ORF3 (& 1) TcaB TccB ORF4 (& 2) TcaC TcdB ORF5 Tcb Toxin B TccA Toxin D TcdA N terminus TccB TcdA C terminus TccC ORF6 TcdA Toxin A TccA + TccB TcdB TcaC
  • TccA has some level of homology with the N terminus of TcdA
  • TccB has some level of homology with the C terminus of TcdA.
  • TcdA is about 280 kDa
  • TccA together with TccB are of about the same size, if combined, as TcdA.
  • TcaA has some level of homology with TccA and likewise with the N terminus of TcdA.
  • TcaB has some level of homology with TccB and likewise with the N terminus of TcdA.
  • TccA and TcaA are of a similar size, as are TccB and TcaB.
  • one or more toxins of the subject invention can be used in combination with each other and/or with other toxins (i.e., the Photorhabdus Tca complex was known to be active against Manduca sexta; various “combinations” of Photorhabdus TC proteins, for example, can be used together to enhance the activity of other, stand-alone Photorhabdus toxins; the use of Photorhabdus toxins “with” B.t. toxins, for example, has been proposed for resistance management.) Furthermore, Paenibacillus TC proteins of the subject invention are shown herein to be useful to enhance or potentiate the activity of a “stand-alone” Xenorhabdus toxin protein, for example. Provisional application No.
  • 60/441,723 (Timothy D. Hey et al.), entitled “Mixing and Matching TC Proteins for Pest Control,” relates to the surprising discovery that a TC protein derived from an organism of one genus such as Photorhabdus can be used interchangeably with a “corresponding” TC protein derived from an organism of another genus. Further surprising data along these lines is presented below which further illustrate the utility of the Paenibacillus TC proteins of the subject invention. One reason that these results might be surprising is that there is only ⁇ 40% sequence identity between “corresponding” Xhenorhabdus, Photorhabdus, and the subject Paenibacillus TC proteins.
  • Proteins and toxins are functionally active and effective against many orders of insects, preferably lepidopteran insects.
  • functional activity or “active against” it is meant herein that the protein toxins function as orally active insect control agents (alone or in combination with other proteins), that the proteins have a toxic effect (alone or in combination with other proteins), or are able to disrupt or deter insect growth and/or feeding which may or may not cause death of the insect.
  • a “toxin” of the subject invention delivered via transgenic plant expression, formulated protein composition(s), sprayable protein composition(s), a bait matrix or other delivery system
  • the results are typically death of the insect, inhibition of the growth and/or proliferation of the insect, and/or prevention of the insects from feeding upon the source (preferably a transgenic plant) that makes the toxins available to the insects.
  • Functional proteins of the subject invention can also enhance or improve the activity of other toxin proteins.
  • terms such as “toxic,” “toxicity,” “toxin activity,” and “pesticidally active” as used herein are meant to convey that the subject “toxins” have “functional activity” as defined herein.
  • toxins can be incorporated into an insect's diet.
  • the purified protein could be genetically engineered into an otherwise harmless bacterium, which could then be grown in culture, and either applied to the food source or allowed to reside in the soil in an area in which insect eradication was desirable.
  • the protein could be genetically engineered directly into an insect food source.
  • the major food source for many insect larvae is plant material. Therefore the genes encoding toxins can be transferred to plant material so that said plant material expresses the toxin of interest.
  • Transfer of the functional activity to plant or bacterial systems typically requires nucleic acid sequences, encoding the amino acid sequences for the toxins, integrated into a protein expression vector appropriate to the host in which the vector will reside.
  • nucleic acid sequences encoding the amino acid sequences for the toxins, integrated into a protein expression vector appropriate to the host in which the vector will reside.
  • One way to obtain a nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein with functional activity is to isolate the native genetic material from the bacterial species which produce the toxins, using information deduced from the toxin's amino acid sequence, as disclosed herein.
  • the native sequences can be optimized for expression in plants, for example, as discussed in more detail below. Optimized polynucleotide can also be designed based on the protein sequence.
  • the subject invention provides new classes of toxins having advantageous pesticidal activities.
  • One way to characterize these classes of toxins and the polynucleotides that encode them is by defining a polynucleotide by its ability to hybridize, under a range of specified conditions, with an exemplified nucleotide sequence (the complement thereof and/or a probe or probes derived from either strand) and/or by their ability to be amplified by PCR using primers derived from the exemplified sequences.
  • antibodies to the pesticidal toxins disclosed and claimed herein can be used to identify and isolate other toxins from a mixture of proteins. Specifically, antibodies may be raised to the portions of the toxins which are most constant and most distinct from other toxins. These antibodies can then be used to specifically identify equivalent toxins with the characteristic activity by immunoprecipitation, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), or western blotting. Antibodies to the toxins disclosed herein, or to equivalent toxins, or to fragments of these toxins, can be readily prepared using standard procedures. Monoclonal, polyclonal, specific, and/or cross-reactive antibodies can be made and used according to the subject invention. Such antibodies can be included in test kits for detecting the presence of proteins (and antigenic fragments thereof) of the subject invention.
  • toxins (and genes) of the subject invention can be obtained from a variety of sources.
  • a toxin “from” or “obtainable from” the subject DAS 1529 isolate and/or the P. apiarius isolate means that the toxin (or a similar toxin) can be obtained from this isolate or some other source, such as another bacterial strain or a transgenic plant.
  • a plant can be engineered to produce the toxin.
  • Antibody preparations, nucleic acid probes (DNA and RNA), and the like may be prepared using the polynucleotide and/or amino acid sequences disclosed herein and used to screen and recover other toxin genes from other (natural) sources.
  • Toxins of the subject invention can be obtained from a variety of sources/source microorganisms.
  • the subject invention further provides nucleotide sequences that encode the toxins of the subject invention.
  • the subject invention further provides methods of identifying and characterizing genes that encode pesticidal toxins.
  • the subject invention provides unique nucleotide sequences that are useful as hybridization probes and/or primers for PCR techniques. The primers produce characteristic gene fragments that can be used in the identification, characterization, and/or isolation of specific toxin genes.
  • the nucleotide sequences of the subject invention encode toxins that are distinct from previously described toxins.
  • polynucleotides of the subject invention can be used to form complete “genes” to encode proteins or peptides in a desired host cell.
  • the subject polynucleotides can be appropriately placed under the control of a promoter in a host of interest, as is readily known in the art.
  • DNA typically exists in a double-stranded form. In this arrangement, one strand is complementary to the other strand and vice versa. As DNA is replicated in a plant (for example), additional complementary strands of DNA are produced.
  • the “coding strand” is often used in the art to refer to the strand that binds with the anti-sense strand. The mRNA is transcribed from the “anti-sense” strand of DNA.
  • the “sense” or “coding” strand has a series of codons (a codon is three nucleotides that can be read as a three-residue unit to specify a particular amino acid) that can be read as an open reading frame (ORF) to form a protein or peptide of interest.
  • a strand of DNA is typically transcribed into a complementary strand of mRNA which is used as the template for the protein.
  • the subject invention includes the use of the exemplified polynucleotides shown in the attached sequence listing and/or equivalents including the complementary strands.
  • RNA and PNA peptide nucleic acids
  • bacterial isolates can be cultivated under conditions resulting in high multiplication of the microbe. After treating the microbe to provide single-stranded genomic nucleic acid, the DNA can be contacted with the primers of the invention and subjected to PCR amplification. Characteristic fragments of toxin-encoding genes will be amplified by the procedure, thus identifying the presence of the toxin-encoding gene(s).
  • Further aspects of the subject invention include genes and isolates identified using the methods and nucleotide sequences disclosed herein.
  • the genes thus identified encode toxins active against pests.
  • Toxins and genes of the subject invention can be identified and obtained by using oligonucleotide probes, for example. These probes are detectable nucleotide sequences which may be detectable by virtue of an appropriate label or may be made inherently fluorescent as described in International Application No. WO 93/16094.
  • the probes (and the polynucleotides of the subject invention) may be DNA, RNA, or PNA.
  • synthetic probes (and polynucleotides) of the subject invention can also have inosine (a neutral base capable of pairing with all four bases; sometimes used in place of a mixture of all four bases in synthetic probes).
  • inosine a neutral base capable of pairing with all four bases; sometimes used in place of a mixture of all four bases in synthetic probes.
  • n can be G, A, T, C, or inosine.
  • Ambiguity codes as used herein are in accordance with standard IUPAC naming conventions as of the filing of the subject application (for example, R means A or G, Y means C or T, etc.).
  • probe and sample have substantial homology/similarity/identity.
  • hybridization of the polynucleotide is first conducted followed by washes under conditions of low, moderate, or high stringency by techniques well-known in the art, as described in, for example, Keller, G. H., M. M. Manak (1987) DNA Probes , Stockton Press, New York, N.Y., pp. 169-170.
  • low stringency conditions can be achieved by first washing with 2 ⁇ SSC (Standard Saline Citrate)/0.1% SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate) for 15 minutes at room temperature. Two washes are typically performed. Higher stringency can then be achieved by lowering the salt concentration and/or by raising the temperature.
  • the wash described above can be followed by two washings with 0.1 ⁇ SSC/0.1% SDS for 15 minutes each at room temperature followed by subsequent washes with 0.1 ⁇ SSC/0.1% SDS for 30 minutes each at 55° C.
  • SSPE can be used as the salt instead of SSC, for example).
  • the 2 ⁇ SSC/0.1% SDS can be prepared by adding 50 ml of 20 ⁇ SSC and 5 ml of 10% SDS to 445 ml of water.
  • 20 ⁇ SSC can be prepared by combining NaCl (175.3 g/0.150 M), sodium citrate (88.2 g/0.015 M), and water to 1 liter, followed by adjusting pH to 7.0 with 10 N NaOH.
  • 10% SDS can be prepared by dissolving 10 g of SDS in 50 ml of autoclaved water, diluting to 100 ml, and aliquotting.
  • Detection of the probe provides a means for determining in a known manner whether hybridization has been maintained. Such a probe analysis provides a rapid method for identifying toxin-encoding genes of the subject invention.
  • the nucleotide segments which are used as probes according to the invention can be synthesized using a DNA synthesizer and standard procedures. These nucleotide sequences can also be used as PCR primers to amplify genes of the subject invention.
  • Probes for use according to the subject invention can be derived from a variety of sources, such as any gene mentioned or suggested herein. For example, all or part of any of the following types of genes (coding and/or noncoding or complementary strands thereof) can be used according to the subject invention: tcaA, tcaB, tcaC, tcbA, tccA, tccB, tccC, tcdA, tcdB, xptA1, xptD1, xptB1, xptC1, xptA2, sepA, sepB, and sepC.
  • tccC tccC
  • tcdB2, tccC3, and the alleles mentioned in Table 17 include all specific alleles (such as tccC1 and tccC2) of this type of gene. The same is true for all the other genes (e.g., tcdB2, tccC3, and the alleles mentioned in Table 17).
  • Hybridization characteristics of a molecule can be used to define polynucleotides of the subject invention.
  • the subject invention includes polynucleotides (and/or their complements, preferably their full complements) that hybridize with a polynucleotide (or an oligonucleotide or primer) exemplified or suggested herein.
  • stringent conditions for hybridization refers to conditions which achieve the same, or about the same, degree of specificity of hybridization as the conditions employed by the current applicants. Specifically, hybridization of immobilized DNA on Southern blots with 32 P-labeled gene-specific probes was performed by standard methods (see, e.g., Maniatis, T., E. F. Fritsch, J. Sambrook [1982] Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.). In general, hybridization and subsequent washes were carried out under conditions that allowed for detection of target sequences. For double-stranded DNA gene probes, hybridization was carried out overnight at 20-25° C.
  • Tm melting temperature
  • Tm 81.5° C.+16.6 Log[Na+]+0.41(% G+C ) ⁇ 0.61(%formamide) ⁇ 600/length of duplex in base pairs.
  • Washes are typically carried out as follows:
  • Tm melting temperature
  • Tm (° C.) 2(number T/A base pairs)+4(number G/C base pairs)
  • salt and/or temperature can be altered to change stringency.
  • the following conditions can be used: Low: 1 or 2x SSPE, room temperature Low: 1 or 2x SSPE, 42° C. Moderate: 0.2x or 1x SSPE, 65° C. High: 0.1x SSPE, 65° C.
  • the probe sequences of the subject invention include mutations (both single and multiple), deletions, insertions of the described sequences, and combinations thereof, wherein said mutations, insertions and deletions permit formation of stable hybrids with the target polynucleotide of interest. Mutations, insertions, and deletions can be produced in a given polynucleotide sequence in many ways, and these methods are known to an ordinarily skilled artisan. Other methods may become known in the future.
  • PCR technology Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a repetitive, enzymatic, primed synthesis of a nucleic acid sequence. This procedure is well-known and commonly used by those skilled in this art (see Mullis, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,195, 4,683,202, and 4,800,159; Saiki, Randall K., Stephen Scharf, Fred Faloona, Kary B. Mullis, Glenn T. Horn, Henry A. Erlich, Norman Arnheim [1985] “Enzymatic Amplification of ⁇ -Globin Genomic Sequences and Restriction Site Analysis for Diagnosis of Sickle Cell Anemia,” Science 230:1350-1354).
  • PCR is based on the enzymatic amplification of a DNA fragment of interest that is flanked by two oligonucleotide primers that hybridize to opposite strands of the target sequence.
  • the primers are oriented with the 3′ ends pointing towards each other. Repeated cycles of heat denaturation of the template, annealing of the primers to their complementary sequences, and extension of the annealed primers with a DNA polymerase result in the amplification of the segment defined by the 5′ ends of the PCR primers.
  • the extension product of each primer can serve as a template for the other primer, so each cycle essentially doubles the amount of DNA fragment produced in the previous cycle.
  • thermostable DNA polymerase such as Taq polymerase, isolated from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus
  • the amplification process can be completely automated.
  • Other enzymes which can be used are known to those skilled in the art.
  • the DNA sequences of the subject invention can be used as primers for PCR amplification.
  • a certain degree of mismatch can be tolerated between primer and template. Therefore, mutations, deletions, and insertions (especially additions of nucleotides to the 5′ end) of the exemplified primers fall within the scope of the subject invention. Mutations, insertions, and deletions can be produced in a given primer by methods known to an ordinarily skilled artisan.
  • genes and toxins useful according to the subject invention include not only the specifically exemplified full-length sequences, but also portions, segments and/or fragments (including internal and/or terminal deletions compared to the full-length molecules) of these sequences, variants, mutants, chimerics, and fusions thereof.
  • toxins of the subject invention may be used in the form of chimeric toxins produced by combining portions of two or more toxins/proteins.
  • Proteins of the subject invention can have substituted amino acids so long as they retain the characteristic pesticidal/functional activity of the proteins specifically exemplified herein.
  • “Variant” genes have nucleotide sequences that encode the same toxins or equivalent toxins having pesticidal activity equivalent to an exemplified protein.
  • variant proteins and “equivalent toxins” refer to toxins having the same or essentially the same biological/functional activity against the target pests and equivalent sequences as the exemplified toxins.
  • reference to an “equivalent” sequence refers to sequences having amino acid substitutions, deletions, additions, or insertions which improve or do not adversely affect pesticidal activity.
  • Fragments retaining pesticidal activity are also included in this definition. Fragments and other equivalents that retain the same or similar function, or “toxin activity,” of a corresponding fragment of an exemplified toxin are within the scope of the subject invention. Changes, such as amino acid substitutions or additions, can be made for a variety of purposes, such as increasing (or decreasing) protease stability of the protein (without materially/substantially decreasing the functional activity of the toxin).
  • Equivalent toxins and/or genes encoding these equivalent toxins can be obtained/derived from wild-type or recombinant bacteria and/or from other wild-type or recombinant organisms using the teachings provided herein.
  • Other Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Photorhabdus, and Xenorhabdus species, for example, can be used as source isolates.
  • Variations of genes may be readily constructed using standard techniques for making point mutations, for example.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,793 describes methods for generating additional molecular diversity by using DNA reassembly after random fragmentation.
  • Variant genes can be used to produce variant proteins; recombinant hosts can be used to produce the variant proteins.
  • equivalent genes and proteins can be constructed that comprise any 5, 10, or 20 contiguous residues (amino acid or nucleotide) of any sequence exemplified herein.
  • the gene shuffling techniques can be adjusted to obtain equivalents having, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110,
  • Fragments of full-length genes can be made using commercially available exonucleases or endonucleases according to standard procedures. For example, enzymes such as Bal31 or site-directed mutagenesis can be used to systematically cut off nucleotides from the ends of these genes. Also, genes which encode active fragments may be obtained using a variety of restriction enzymes. Proteases may be used to directly obtain active fragments of these toxins.
  • toxins may be truncated and still retain functional activity.
  • truncated toxin is meant that a portion of a toxin protein may be cleaved and yet still exhibit activity after cleavage. Cleavage can be achieved by proteases inside or outside of the insect gut.
  • effectively cleaved proteins can be produced using molecular biology techniques wherein the DNA bases encoding said toxin are removed either through digestion with restriction endonucleases or other techniques available to the skilled artisan. After truncation, said proteins can be expressed in heterologous systems such as E.
  • truncated toxins can be successfully produced so that they retain functional activity while having less than the entire, full-length sequence.
  • B.t. toxins can be used in a truncated (core toxin) form.
  • truncated proteins that retain insecticidal activity, including the insect juvenile hormone esterase (U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,485 to the Regents of the University of California).
  • toxin is also meant to include functionally active truncations.
  • a protoxin portion typically the C-terminal half of a typical B.t. Cry toxin
  • toxins of the subject invention have been specifically exemplified herein. As these toxins are merely exemplary of the toxins of the subject invention, it should be readily apparent that the subject invention comprises variant or equivalent toxins (and nucleotide sequences coding for equivalent toxins) having the same or similar pesticidal activity of the exemplified toxin.
  • Equivalent toxins will have amino acid similarity (and/or homology) with an exemplified toxin. The amino acid identity will typically be greater than 60%, preferably greater than 75%, more preferably greater than 80%, even more preferably greater than 90%, and can be greater than 95%.
  • Preferred polynucleotides and proteins of the subject invention can also be defined in terms of more particular identity and/or similarity ranges.
  • the identity and/or similarity can be 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, or 99% as compared to a sequence exemplified herein.
  • amino acid homology/similarity/identity will be highest in critical regions of the toxin which account for biological activity or are involved in the determination of three-dimensional configuration which is ultimately responsible for the biological activity.
  • certain amino acid substitutions are acceptable and can be expected to be tolerated.
  • these substitutions can be in regions of the protein that are not critical to activity. Analyzing the crystal structure of a protein, and software-based protein structure modeling, can be used to identify regions of a protein that can be modified (using site-directed mutagenesis, shuffling, etc.) to actually change the properties and/or increase the functionality of the protein.
  • amino acids can be placed in the following classes: non-polar, uncharged polar, basic, and acidic. Conservative substitutions whereby an amino acid of one class is replaced with another amino acid of the same type fall within the scope of the subject invention so long as the substitution is not adverse to the biological activity of the compound.
  • Table 1 provides a listing of examples of amino acids belonging to each class.
  • non-conservative substitutions can also be made.
  • the critical factor is that these substitutions must not significantly detract from the functional/biological activity of the toxin.
  • isolated polynucleotides and/or purified toxins refers to these molecules when they are not associated with the other molecules with which they would be found in nature.
  • reference to “isolated” and/or “purified” signifies the involvement of the “hand of man” as described herein.
  • a bacterial toxin “gene” of the subject invention put into a plant for expression is an “isolated polynucleotide.”
  • a Paenibacillus protein, exemplified herein, produced by a plant is an “isolated protein.”
  • DNA sequences can encode the amino acid sequences disclosed herein. It is well within the skill of a person trained in the art to create alternative DNA sequences that encode the same, or essentially the same, toxins. These variant DNA sequences are within the scope of the subject invention.
  • RNA instability may lead to RNA instability.
  • genes encoding a bacterial toxin for maize expression more preferably referred to as plant optimized gene(s)
  • plant optimized gene(s) is to generate a DNA sequence having a higher G+C content, and preferably one close to that of maize genes coding for metabolic enzymes.
  • Another goal in the design of the plant optimized gene(s) encoding a bacterial toxin is to generate a DNA sequence in which the sequence modifications do not hinder translation.
  • Table 2 The table below (Table 2) illustrates how high the G+C content is in maize.
  • coding regions of the genes were extracted from GenBank (Release 71) entries, and base compositions were calculated using the MacVectorTM program (Accelerys, Burlington, Mass.). Intron sequences were ignored in the calculations.
  • the codon bias of the plant has been determined.
  • the codon bias for maize is the statistical codon distribution that the plant uses for coding its proteins and the preferred codon usage is shown in Table 3.
  • the percent frequency of the codons in the gene(s) of interest is determined.
  • the primary codons preferred by the plant should be determined as well as the second and third choice of preferred codons.
  • the amino acid sequence of the bacterial toxin of interest is reverse translated so that the resulting nucleic acid sequence codes for exactly the same protein as the native gene wanting to be heterologously expressed.
  • the new DNA sequence is designed using codon bias information so that it corresponds to the most preferred codons of the desired plant.
  • the new sequence is then analyzed for restriction enzyme sites that might have been created by the modification.
  • the identified sites are further modified by replacing the codons with second or third choice preferred codons.
  • Other sites in the sequence which could affect transcription or translation of the gene of interest are the exon:intron junctions (5′ or 3′), poly A addition signals, or RNA polymerase termination signals.
  • the sequence is further analyzed and modified to reduce the frequency of TA or GC doublets. In addition to the doublets, G or C sequence blocks that have more than about four residues that are the same can affect transcription of the sequence. Therefore, these blocks are also modified by replacing the codons of first or second choice, etc.
  • the plant optimized gene(s) encoding a bacterial toxin contain about 63% of first choice codons, between about 22% to about 37% second choice codons, and between about 15% to about 0% third choice codons, wherein the total percentage is 100%. Most preferred the plant optimized gene(s) contains about 63% of first choice codons, at least about 22% second choice codons, about 7.5% third choice codons, and about 7.5% fourth choice codons, wherein the total percentage is 100%.
  • the preferred codon usage for engineering genes for maize expression are shown in Table 3. The method described above enables one skilled in the art to modify gene(s) that are foreign to a particular plant so that the genes are optimally expressed in plants. The method is further illustrated in PCT application WO 97/13402.
  • the amino acid sequence of said protein is reverse translated into a DNA sequence utilizing a non-redundant genetic code established from a codon bias table compiled for the gene sequences for the particular plant, as shown in Table 2.
  • the resulting DNA sequence which is completely homogeneous in codon usage, is further modified to establish a DNA sequence that, besides having a higher degree of codon diversity, also contains strategically placed restriction enzyme recognition sites, desirable base composition, and a lack of sequences that might interfere with transcription of the gene, or translation of the product mRNA.
  • synthetic genes that are functionally equivalent to the toxins/genes of the subject invention can be used to transform hosts, including plants. Additional guidance regarding the production of synthetic genes can be found in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,831.
  • Preferred truncated genes will typically encode 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, or 99% of the full-length toxin.
  • Transgenic hosts The toxin-encoding genes of the subject invention can be introduced into a wide variety of microbial or plant hosts.
  • transgenic plant cells and plants are used.
  • Preferred plants (and plant cells) are corn, maize, and cotton.
  • expression of the toxin gene results, directly or indirectly, in the intracellular production (and maintenance) of the pesticide proteins.
  • Plants can be rendered insect-resistant in this manner.
  • transgenic/recombinant/transformed/transfected host cells or contents thereof
  • the pests will ingest the toxin. This is the preferred manner in which to cause contact of the pest with the toxin. The result is control (killing or making sick) of the pest. Sucking pests can also be controlled in a similar manner.
  • suitable microbial hosts e.g., Pseudomonas such as P.
  • fluorescens can be applied where target pests are present; the microbes can proliferate there, and are ingested by the target pests.
  • the microbe hosting the toxin gene can be treated under conditions that prolong the activity of the toxin and stabilize the cell.
  • the treated cell, which retains the toxic activity, can then be applied to the environment of the target pest.
  • toxin gene is introduced via a suitable vector into a microbial host, and said host is applied to the environment in a living state
  • certain host microbes should be used.
  • Microorganism hosts are selected which are known to occupy the “phytosphere” (phylloplane, phyllosphere, rhizosphere, and/or rhizoplane) of one or more crops of interest. These microorganisms are selected so as to be capable of successfully competing in the particular environment (crop and other insect habitats) with the wild-type microorganisms, provide for stable maintenance and expression of the gene expressing the polypeptide pesticide, and, desirably, provide for improved protection of the pesticide from environmental degradation and inactivation.
  • microorganisms are known to inhabit the phylloplane (the surface of the plant leaves) and/or the rhizosphere (the soil surrounding plant roots) of a wide variety of important crops. These microorganisms include bacteria, algae, and fungi.
  • microorganisms such as bacteria, e.g., genera Pseudomonas, Erwinia, Serratia, Klebsiella, Xanthomonas, Streptomyces, Rhizobium, Rhodopseudomonas, Methylophilius, Agrobacterium, Acetobacter, Lactobacillus, Arthrobacter, Azotobacter, Leuconostoc, and Alcaligenes; fungi, particularly yeast, e.g., genera Saccharomyces, Cryptococcus, Kluyveromyces, Sporobolomyces, Rhodotorula, and Aureobasidium.
  • bacteria e.g., genera Pseudomonas, Erwinia, Serratia, Klebsiella, Xanthomonas, Streptomyces, Rhizobium, Rhodopseudomonas, Methylophilius, Agrobacterium, Acetobacter, Lacto
  • phytosphere bacterial species as Pseudomonas syringae, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Serratia marcescens, Acetobacter xylinum, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Rhodopseudomonas spheroides, Xanthomonas campestris, Rhizobium melioti, Alcaligenes entrophus, and Azotobacter vinlandii; and phytosphere yeast species such as Rhodotorula rubra, R. glutinis, R. marina, R. aurantiaca, Cryptococcus albidus, C. diffluens, C.
  • Insertion of genes to form transgenic hosts is the transformation/transfection of plants, plant cells, and other host cells with polynucleotides of the subject invention that express proteins of the subject invention. Plants transformed in this manner can be rendered resistant to attack by the target pest(s).
  • a large number of cloning vectors comprising a replication system in E. coli and a marker that permits selection of the transformed cells are available for preparation for the insertion of foreign genes into higher plants.
  • the vectors comprise, for example, pBR322, pUC series, M13mp series, pACYC184, etc. Accordingly, the sequence encoding the toxin can be inserted into the vector at a suitable restriction site.
  • the resulting plasmid is used for transformation into E. coli.
  • the E. coli cells are cultivated in a suitable nutrient medium, then harvested and lysed. The plasmid is recovered.
  • Sequence analysis, restriction analysis, electrophoresis, and other biochemical-molecular biological methods are generally carried out as methods of analysis.
  • the DNA sequence used can be cleaved and joined to the next DNA sequence.
  • Each plasmid sequence can be cloned in the same or other plasmids.
  • other DNA sequences may be necessary. If, for example, the Ti or Ri plasmid is used for the transformation of the plant cell, then at least the right border, but often the right and the left border of the Ti or Ri plasmid T-DNA, has to be joined as the flanking region of the genes to be inserted.
  • T-DNA for the transformation of plant cells has been intensively researched and described in EP 120 516; Hoekema (1985) In: The Binary Plant Vector System, Offset-durkkerij Kanters B. V., Alblasserdam, Chapter 5; Fraley et al., Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 4:1-46; and An et al. (1985) EMBO J. 4:277-287.
  • a large number of techniques are available for inserting DNA into a plant host cell. Those techniques include transformation with T-DNA using Agrobacterium tumefaciens or Agrobacterium rhizogenes as transformation agent, fusion, injection, biolistics (microparticle bombardment), or electroporation as well as other possible methods. If Agrobacteria are used for the transformation, the DNA to be inserted has to be cloned into special plasmids, namely either into an intermediate vector or into a binary vector. The intermediate vectors can be integrated into the Ti or Ri plasmid by homologous recombination owing to sequences that are homologous to sequences in the T-DNA.
  • the Ti or Ri plasmid also comprises the vir region necessary for the transfer of the T-DNA.
  • Intermediate vectors cannot replicate themselves in Agrobacteria.
  • the intermediate vector can be transferred into Agrobacterium tumefaciens by means of a helper plasmid (conjugation).
  • Binary vectors can replicate themselves both in E. coli and in Agrobacteria. They comprise a selection marker gene and a linker or polylinker which are framed by the right and left T-DNA border regions. They can be transformed directly into Agrobacteria (Holsters et al. [1978] Mol. Gen. Genet. 163:181-187).
  • the Agrobacterium used as host cell is to comprise a plasmid carrying a vir region.
  • the vir region is necessary for the transfer of the T-DNA into the plant cell. Additional T-DNA may be contained.
  • the bacterium so transformed is used for the transformation of plant cells. Plant explants can advantageously be cultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens or Agrobacterium rhizogenes for the transfer of the DNA into the plant cell. Whole plants can then be regenerated from the infected plant material (for example, pieces of leaf, segments of stalk, roots, but also protoplasts or suspension-cultivated cells) in a suitable medium, which may contain antibiotics or biocides for selection. The plants so obtained can then be tested for the presence of the inserted DNA. No special demands are made of the plasmids in the case of injection and electroporation. It is possible to use ordinary plasmids, such as, for example, pUC derivatives.
  • the transformed cells grow inside the plants in the usual manner. They can form germ cells and transmit the transformed trait(s) to progeny plants. Such plants can be grown in the normal manner and crossed with plants that have the same transformed hereditary factors or other hereditary factors. The resulting hybrid individuals have the corresponding phenotypic properties.
  • genes encoding the bacterial toxin are expressed from transcriptional units inserted into the plant genome.
  • said transcriptional units are recombinant vectors capable of stable integration into the plant genome and enable selection of transformed plant lines expressing mRNA encoding the proteins.
  • the inserted DNA has been integrated in the genome, it is relatively stable there (and does not come out again). It normally contains a selection marker that confers on the transformed plant cells resistance to a biocide or an antibiotic, such as kanamycin, G418, bleomycin, hygromycin, or chloramphenicol, inter alia.
  • the individually employed marker should accordingly permit the selection of transformed cells rather than cells that do not contain the inserted DNA.
  • the gene(s) of interest are preferably expressed either by constitutive or inducible promoters in the plant cell. Once expressed, the mRNA is translated into proteins, thereby incorporating amino acids of interest into protein.
  • the genes encoding a toxin expressed in the plant cells can be under the control of a constitutive promoter, a tissue-specific promoter, or an inducible promoter.
  • the manner in which the DNA construct is introduced into the plant host is not critical to this invention. Any method which provides for efficient transformation may be employed. For example, various methods for plant cell transformation are described herein and include the use of Ti or Ri-plasmids and the like to perform Agrobacterium mediated transformation. In many instances, it will be desirable to have the construct used for transformation bordered on one or both sides by T-DNA borders, more specifically the right border. This is particularly useful when the construct uses Agrobacterium tumefaciens or Agrobacterium rhizogenes as a mode for transformation, although T-DNA borders may find use with other modes of transformation.
  • a vector may be used which may be introduced into the host for homologous recombination with T-DNA or the Ti or Ri plasmid present in the host. Introduction of the vector may be performed via electroporation, tri-parental mating and other techniques for transforming gram-negative bacteria which are known to those skilled in the art.
  • the manner of vector transformation into the Agrobacterium host is not critical to this invention.
  • the Ti or Ri plasmid containing the T-DNA for recombination may be capable or incapable of causing gall formation, and is not critical to said invention so long as the vir genes are present in said host.
  • the expression construct being within the T-DNA borders will be inserted into a broad spectrum vector such as pRK2 or derivatives thereof as described in Ditta et al., (PNAS USA (1980) 77:7347-7351 and EPO 0 120 515, which are incorporated herein by reference. Included within the expression construct and the T-DNA will be one or more markers as described herein which allow for selection of transformed Agrobacterium and transformed plant cells. The particular marker employed is not essential to this invention, with the preferred marker depending on the host and construction used.
  • explants may be combined and incubated with the transformed Agrobacterium for sufficient time to allow transformation thereof. After transformation, the Agrobacteria are killed by selection with the appropriate antibiotic and plant cells are cultured with the appropriate selective medium. Once calli are formed, shoot formation can be encouraged by employing the appropriate plant hormones according to methods well known in the art of plant tissue culturing and plant regeneration. However, a callus intermediate stage is not always necessary. After shoot formation, said plant cells can be transferred to medium which encourages root formation thereby completing plant regeneration. The plants may then be grown to seed and said seed can be used to establish future generations.
  • the gene encoding a bacterial toxin is preferably incorporated into a gene transfer vector adapted to express said gene in a plant cell by including in the vector a plant promoter regulatory element, as well as 3′ non-translated transcriptional termination regions such as Nos and the like.
  • tissue which is contacted with the foreign genes may vary as well.
  • tissue would include but would not be limited to embryogenic tissue, callus tissue types I, II, and III, hypocotyl, meristem, root tissue, tissues for expression in phloem, and the like. Almost all plant tissues may be transformed during dedifferentiation using appropriate techniques described herein.
  • selectable markers can be used, if desired. Preference for a particular marker is at the discretion of the artisan, but any of the following selectable markers may be used along with any other gene not listed herein which could function as a selectable marker.
  • selectable markers include but are not limited to aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene of transposon Tn5 (Aph II) which encodes resistance to the antibiotics kanamycin, neomycin and G418, as well as those genes which encode for resistance or tolerance to glyphosate; hygromycin; methotrexate; phosphinothricin (bialaphos); imidazolinones, sulfonylureas and triazolopyrimidine herbicides, such as chlorsulfuron; bromoxynil, dalapon and the like.
  • reporter gene In addition to a selectable marker, it may be desirous to use a reporter gene. In some instances a reporter gene may be used with or without a selectable marker. Reporter genes are genes that are typically not present in the recipient organism or tissue and typically encode for proteins resulting in some phenotypic change or enzymatic property. Examples of such genes are provided in K. Wising et al. Ann. Rev. Genetics, 22, 421 (1988). Preferred reporter genes include the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) of the uidA locus of E. coli, the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene from Tn9 of E.
  • GUS beta-glucuronidase
  • an assay for detecting reporter gene expression may then be performed at a suitable time after said gene has been introduced into recipient cells.
  • a preferred such assay entails the use of the gene encoding beta-glucuronidase (GUS) of the uidA locus of E. coli as described by Jefferson et al., (1987 Biochem. Soc. Trans. 15, 17-19) to identify transformed cells.
  • GUS beta-glucuronidase
  • promoter regulatory elements from a variety of sources can be used efficiently in plant cells to express foreign genes.
  • promoter regulatory elements of bacterial origin such as the octopine synthase promoter, the nopaline synthase promoter, the mannopine synthase promoter
  • promoters of viral origin such as the cauliflower mosaic virus (35S and 19S), 35T (which is a re-engineered 35S promoter, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,302, especially Example 7E) and the like may be used.
  • Plant promoter regulatory elements include but are not limited to ribulose-1,6-bisphosphate (RUBP) carboxylase small subunit (ssu), beta-conglycinin promoter, beta-phaseolin promoter, ADH promoter, heat-shock promoters, and tissue specific promoters.
  • RUBP ribulose-1,6-bisphosphate
  • Other elements such as matrix attachment regions, scaffold attachment regions, introns, enhancers, polyadenylation sequences and the like may be present and thus may improve the transcription efficiency or DNA integration.
  • Such elements may or may not be necessary for DNA function, although they can provide better expression or functioning of the DNA by affecting transcription, mRNA stability, and the like.
  • Such elements may be included in the DNA as desired to obtain optimal performance of the transformed DNA in the plant.
  • Typical elements include but are not limited to Adh-intron 1, Adh-intron 6, the alfalfa mosaic virus coat protein leader sequence, the maize streak virus coat protein leader sequence, as well as others available to a skilled artisan.
  • Constitutive promoter regulatory elements may also be used thereby directing continuous gene expression in all cells types and at all times (e.g., actin, ubiquitin, CaMV 35S, and the like).
  • Tissue specific promoter regulatory elements are responsible for gene expression in specific cell or tissue types, such as the leaves or seeds (e.g., zein, oleosin, napin, ACP, globulin and the like) and these may also be used.
  • Promoter regulatory elements may also be active during a certain stage of the plant's development as well as active in plant tissues and organs. Examples of such include but are not limited to pollen-specific, embryo-specific, corn-silk-specific, cotton-fiber-specific, root-specific, seed-endosperm-specific promoter regulatory elements and the like. Under certain circumstances it may be desirable to use an inducible promoter regulatory element, which is responsible for expression of genes in response to a specific signal, such as: physical stimulus (heat shock genes), light (RUBP carboxylase), hormone (Em), metabolites, chemical, and stress. Other desirable transcription and translation elements that function in plants may be used. Numerous plant-specific gene transfer vectors are known in the art.
  • Resistance Management With increasing commercial use of insecticidal proteins in transgenic plants, one consideration is resistance management. That is, there are numerous companies using Bacillus thuringiensis toxins in their products, and there is concern about insects developing resistance to B.t. toxins.
  • One strategy for insect resistance management would be to combine the TC toxins produced by Xenorhabdus, Photorhabdus, and the like with toxins such as B.t., crystal toxins, soluble insecticidal proteins from Bacillus stains (see, e.g., WO 98/18932 and WO 99/57282), or other insect toxins.
  • the combinations could be formulated for a sprayable application or could be molecular combinations.
  • Plants could be transformed with bacterial genes that produce two or more different insect toxins (see, e.g., Gould, 38 Bioscience 26-33 (1988) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,365; likewise, European Patent Application 0 400 246 A1 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,866,784; 5,908,970; and 6,172,281 also describe transformation of a plant with two B.t. crystal toxins).
  • Another method of producing a transgenic plant that contains more than one insect resistant gene would be to first produce two plants, with each plant containing an insect resistance gene. These plants could then be crossed using traditional plant breeding techniques to produce a plant containing more than one insect resistance gene.
  • the phrase “comprising a polynucleotide” as used herein means at least one polynucleotide (and possibly more, contiguous or not) unless specifically indicated otherwise.
  • Formulated bait granules containing spores and/or crystals of the subject Paenibacillus isolate, or recombinant microbes comprising the genes obtainable from the isolate disclosed herein can be applied to the soil.
  • Formulated product can also be applied as a seed-coating or root treatment or total plant treatment at later stages of the crop cycle.
  • Plant and soil treatments of cells may be employed as wettable powders, granules or dusts, by mixing with various inert materials, such as inorganic minerals (phyllosilicates, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and the like) or botanical materials (powdered corncobs, rice hulls, walnut shells, and the like).
  • the formulations may include spreader-sticker adjuvants, stabilizing agents, other pesticidal additives, or surfactants.
  • Liquid formulations maybe aqueous-based or non-aqueous and employed as foams, gels, suspensions, emulsifiable concentrates, or the like.
  • the ingredients may include rheological agents, surfactants, emulsifiers, dispersants, or polymers.
  • the pesticidal concentration will vary widely depending upon the nature of the particular formulation, particularly whether it is a concentrate or to be used directly.
  • the pesticide will be present in at least 1% by weight and may be 100% by weight.
  • the dry formulations will have from about 1-95% by weight of the pesticide while the liquid formulations will generally be from about 1-60% by weight of the solids in the liquid phase.
  • the formulations will generally have from about 10 2 to about 10 4 cells/mg. These formulations will be administered at about 50 mg (liquid or dry) to 1 kg or more per hectare.
  • the formulations can be applied to the environment of the pest, e.g., soil and foliage, by spraying, dusting, sprinkling, or the like.
  • Another delivery scheme is the incorporation of the genetic material of toxins into a baculovirus vector.
  • Baculoviruses infect particular insect hosts, including those desirably targeted with the toxins.
  • Infectious baculovirus harboring an expression construct for the toxins could be introduced into areas of insect infestation to thereby intoxicate or poison infected insects.
  • Insect viruses or baculoviruses
  • Insect viruses are known to infect and adversely affect certain insects. The affect of the viruses on insects is slow, and viruses do not immediately stop the feeding of insects. Thus, viruses are not viewed as being optimal as insect pest control agents.
  • combining the toxin genes into a baculovirus vector could provide an efficient way of transmitting the toxins.
  • a particularly useful vector for the toxins genes is the nuclear polyhedrosis virus. Transfer vectors using this virus have been described and are now the vectors of choice for transferring foreign genes into insects.
  • the virus-toxin gene recombinant may be constructed in an orally transmissible form. Baculoviruses normally infect insect victims through the mid-gut intestinal mucosa. The toxin gene inserted behind a strong viral coat protein promoter would be expressed and should rapidly kill the infected insect.
  • the proteins may be encapsulated using Bacillus thuringiensis encapsulation technology such as but not limited to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,695,455; 4,695,462; 4,861,595 which are all incorporated herein by reference.
  • Bacillus thuringiensis encapsulation technology such as but not limited to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,695,455; 4,695,462; 4,861,595 which are all incorporated herein by reference.
  • Another delivery system for the protein toxins of the present invention is formulation of the protein into a bait matrix, which could then be used in above and below ground insect bait stations. Examples of such technology include but are not limited to PCT Patent Application WO 93/23998, which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • Plant RNA viral based systems can also be used to express bacterial toxin.
  • the gene encoding a toxin can be inserted into the coat promoter region of a suitable plant virus which will infect the host plant of interest. The toxin can then be expressed thus providing protection of the plant from insect damage.
  • Plant RNA viral based systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,500,360 to Mycogen Plant Sciences, Inc. and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,316,931 and 5,589,367 to Biosource Genetics Corp.
  • a protein toxin can be constructed by fusing together a molecule attractive to insects as a food source with a toxin. After purification in the laboratory such a toxic agent with “built-in” bait could be packaged inside standard insect trap housings.
  • Mutants of the DAS1529 and DB482 isolates of the invention can be made by procedures that are well known in the art.
  • an asporogenous mutant can be obtained through ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis of an isolate.
  • EMS ethylmethane sulfonate
  • the mutants can be made using ultraviolet light and nitrosoguanidine by procedures well known in the art.
  • a bacterial strain designated DAS1529, was found to produce factors that were growth inhibitory to neonates of lepidopteran insects, corn earworm ( Heliothis zea, CEW), tobacco budworm ( Heliothis virescens; TBW), and tobacco hornworm ( Manduca sexta; THW).
  • DAS1529 was cultured in 2% Protease Peptone No.3 (PP3) medium (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) supplemented with 1.25% NaCl or in JB medium supplemented with 0.2% glucose. Bacterial culture was grown at 25° C. for ⁇ 40 hours at 150 rpm.
  • PP3 Protease Peptone No.3
  • insecticidally active factors were initially found in the fermentation broth that was concentrated on 5 kDa molecular weight cutoff filters. Those factors were heat labile (inactivated by heating at 85° C. for 20 minutes). These data indicated that the factors were proteinaceous. See also end of Example 4.
  • This subcluster includes the insect-associated species P. popilliae and P. lentimorbus, as well as P. thiaminolyticus, Paenibacillus sp. T-168 and C-168, and “ Bacillus tipchiralis ,” which are not known to have an insect association (Pettersson et al., 1999). As noted by Wayne et al. ( Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 37:463-464, 1987) and Vandamme et al. ( Microbiol. Rev.
  • rDNA sequences that are greater than 97% identical cannot generally be used to assign a bacterial strain to a particular species in the absence of additional information.
  • DAS1529 insecticidal activity on lepidoptera and evidence of a thiaminase are not consistent with known P. popilliae and P. lentimorbus, and the insect association is not consistent with known P. thiaminolyticus (as well as the other subcluster species).
  • the infested plate was sealed either with iron-on mylar covering or covered with sticky lidding with perforations. Tiny air holes were made in the mylar covering to ensure air supply to the insects.
  • LC50s The specific activities (LC50s) of samples/toxins were determined by diet incorporation bioassay in 24-well Nutrend trays (Nu-TrendTM Container Corp., Jacksonville, Fla.). Insect artificial diet was made just prior to use and held in liquid state at 55° C. in a water bath. Serial dilutions ( ⁇ 5) were made by mixing 27 ml of artificial diet with no more than 3 ml of samples/toxins. A total of 30 ml sample and diet mixture was vortexed for 30 seconds and then evenly distributed into each tray, filling ⁇ 50% of the well volume. Trays were allowed to cool for at least 30 minutes prior to infesting.
  • the fermentation broths of DAS1529 contained insecticidal activity against lepidopteran species, such as tobacco budworm, corn earworm, and tobacco hornworm.
  • lepidopteran species such as tobacco budworm, corn earworm, and tobacco hornworm.
  • the nature of the insecticidal activity was investigated by biochemical purification and characterization. Corn earworm bioassay, as described in Example 3, was used during the purification process to follow insecticidal activities.
  • Fermentation broths of DAS1529 were produced using 2% PP3 supplemented with 1.25% NaCl and processed as described in Example 1.
  • Four liters of broth was concentrated using an Amicon (Beverly, Mass.) spiral ultrafiltration cartridge Type S1Y10 (molecular weight cut off 10 kDa) attached to an Amicon M-12 filtration device according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
  • the retentate was diafiltered with 20 mM sodium phosphate, pH 7.0 (Buffer A) and applied at 5 ml/min to a Q cepharose XL anion exchange column (1.6 ⁇ 10 cm). The column was washed with 5 bed volumes of Buffer A to remove unbound proteins.
  • Toxin activity was eluted by 1.0 M NaCl in Buffer A.
  • the protein was eluted in Buffer A at a flow rate of 3 ml/min. Fractions with activity against corn earworm were pooled and were applied to a MonoQ (1.0 ⁇ 10 cm) column equilibrated with 20 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.0 (Buffer B) at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. The proteins bound to the column were eluted with a linear gradient of 0 to 1 M NaCl in Buffer B at 2 ml/min for 60 min. Two milliliter fractions were collected and activity was determined as described in Example 1.
  • the dialyzed sample was applied to a Mono Q (0.5 ⁇ 5 cm) column which was equilibrated with Buffer B at 1 ml/min.
  • the proteins bound to the column were eluted at 1 ml/min by a linear gradient of 0 to 1 M NaCl in Buffer B.
  • the active fractions were pooled and adjusted to a final (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 concentration of 1.7M. Proteins were then applied to a phenyl-Superose (0.5.0 ⁇ 5 cm) column equilibrated with Buffer C at 1 ml/min.
  • Proteins bound to the column were eluted with a linear gradient of Buffer C to 5 mM potassium phosphate, pH 7.0 at 0.5 ml/min for 40 min. The purified fractions were pooled and dialyzed overnight against Buffer A.
  • the molecular weight of the final purified toxin was examined by a gel-filtration column Superdex S-200.
  • the toxin exhibited a native molecular weight of approximately 40 kDa.
  • SDS-PAGE of the purified toxins showed a predominant band of approximately 40 kDa. This suggested that the native DAS1529 toxin (in this fraction) was an approximately 40 kDa monomer.
  • the purified toxin was electrophoresed in 4-20% SDS-PAGE and transblotted to PVDF membrane.
  • the blot underwent amino acid analysis and N-terminal amino acid sequencing (SEQ ID NO.17).
  • Searching protein database (NCBI-NR) using the sequence as a query revealed that it is 95% identical to the approximately 42 kDa thiaminase I from Bacillus thiaminolyticus (Campobasso et al., 1998; GENBANK Accession No. 2THIA; SEQ ID NO:18). Partial sequence alignments are illustrated in FIG. 3, which would be the same alignment with GENBANK Accession No.
  • AAC44156 (thiaminase I precursor; U17168 is the corresponding entry in GENBANK for the DNA, which could be expressed to get a thiaminase produced and secreted from a bacterial cell).
  • the purified thiaminase from DAS1529 was tested on corn earworm (CEW), the results were shown in FIG. 4. This toxin did not kill corn earworm (up to a concentration of 8 ⁇ g/cm 2 ) but exhibited 95% growth inhibition at a concentration as low as 5 ng/cm 2 . It was also found that the purified thiaminase was not deactivated by proteinase K.
  • cosmid SB12 was chosen for nucleotide sequence analysis.
  • Total DNA was isolated from DAS1529 with a DNA purification kit (Qiagen Inc., Valencia, Calif.). Vector and insert DNA preparation, ligation, and packaging, followed instructions from the supplier (Stratagene, La Jolla, Calif.). The DAS 1529 DNA inserts as Sau3AI DNA fragments were cloned into the BamHI site of SuperCos 1 cosmid vector. The ligated product was packaged with the Gigapack® III gold packaging extract and transfected into host cells XL1-Blue MRF′. Transformants were selected on LB-kanamycin agar plates. The cosmid library consisted of 960 randomly picked colonies that were grown in ten 96-well microtiter plates in 200 ⁇ l LB-kanamycin (50 ⁇ g/ml) for insect activity screening and long term storage.
  • Nucleotide sequencing of cosmid SB12 showed that it contained a genomic insert of approximately 34 kb. Analysis of this sequence surprisingly revealed the presence of at least 10 putative open reading frames (ORFs) (see FIG. 2). Six of the identified ORFs were surprisingly found to have some degree of amino acid sequence identity (38-48%) to tcaA, tcaB, tcaC, and tccC previously identified from Photorhabdus luminescens (Waterfield et al., 2001), Xenorhabdus nematophilus (Morgan et al., 2001), Serratia entomophila (Hurst and Glare, 2002; Hurst et al., 2000), and Yersinia pestis (Cronin et al., 2001).
  • ORFs putative open reading frames
  • TC protein genes from Photorhabdus, Xenorhabdus, and Serratia have been shown to encode insecticidal factors. Also very interesting was that one DAS 1529 ORF had ⁇ 40% amino acid sequence identity to Cry1Ac from Bacillus thuringiensis, another gene previously identified as an insecticidal factor (Schnepf et al., 1998; de Maagd et al., 2001). Those findings have significant implication in understanding toxin gene distribution in the bacterial kingdom and in developing further strategies for toxin gene mining and engineering.
  • the nucleotide sequence of the SB12 cosmid was determined. The assembled DNA of 41,456 bp long was further analyzed. Three gaps were located: two in the cosmid vector and one in the insert. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the longest contig of approximately 34,000 bp revealed the presence of at least 10 putative open reading frames (ORFs), identified as potential start codons followed by extended open reading frames. This method is known to misidentify translational start sites by 19% ( Bacillus subtilis ) and 22% ( Bacillus halodurans ) in genomes related to Paenibacillus (Besemer, J., Lomsadze, A., Borodovsky, M., Nucleic Acids Res.
  • ORFs putative open reading frames
  • ORF1 begins with the first nucleotide of the cloning site for the DAS1529 DNA in cosmid SB12, and is therefore missing its native translation initiation site. ORF1 shares significant DNA sequence homology with ORF3, and sequence comparison analysis suggests the first 18 bp of ORF1 is truncated, and that the first six codons encode the amino acids Met-Val-Ser-Thr-Thr, as found in OFR3. The ORF1 translation start is presumably similar to that of ORF3, from approximately bases 9505 through 9523 of SEQ ID NO:1. Two predicted amino acid sequences are presented for ORF2, ORF4, and ORF6 (SEQ ID NOs:19 and 13), based on alternative translation initiation sites, as noted above.
  • SEQ ID NO:5 is discussed above.
  • the alternate, and preferred, start site is at residue 3295 of ORF1.
  • the protein resulting from this start site would begin at amino acid residue 9 of SEQ ID NO:5 (translation from better RBS).
  • SEQ ID NO:9 is discussed above.
  • the alternate, and preferred, start site is at residue 12,852 of SEQ ID NO:1.
  • the resulting protein would also be missing the first eight amino acids of SEQ ID NO:9 (thus beginning with amino acid residue 9 of SEQ ID NO:8—translation from better RBS).
  • ORF2 was constructed by combining two fragments, because of an insertion sequence-like element which was inserted in nature (apparently spontaneously), and disrupted this ORF. See FIG. 2. The location of this insertion is determinable by analyzing/comparing the entire SB12 DNA sequence (SEQ ID NO:1) with the sequence of SEQ ID NO:4, the latter of which does not reflect the (non-coding) insertion. As indicated with brackets in FIG. 7, the sequence of the 5′ translation product prior to residue 490 of SEQ ID NO:4 and the 3′ translation product from residue 491 on, align well with ORF4 (SEQ ID NO:8). The DNA sequence at the apparent insertion point shows a 9 bp direct repeat commonly found flanking insertion elements (CACCGAGCA, bases 4734-4742 and 6071-6080 of SEQ ID NO:1).
  • ORF1 to ORF6 six of the identified ORFs (ORF1 to ORF6) had 38-48% amino acids sequence identity to tcaA, tcaB, tcaC, and tccC (previously identified Photorhabdus tc genes).
  • the ORF7 encoded a protein that shared ⁇ 40% amino acid sequence identity to Cry1Ac from Bacillus thuringiensis, another gene previously identified as an insecticidal factor.
  • a phylogram was generated by incorporating ORF7 (Cry1529) sequence with a large number of other Cry proteins (FIG. 8). This phylogenetic tree suggests that Cry1529 is distantly related to other P.
  • Cry1529 falls (remotely but most closely) into a group of Cry proteins containing commonly found lepidoptera (Cry1, Cry9), coleoptera (Cry3, Cry8, Cry7), and diptera (Cry4) toxins, which is a distinct group compared to those including nematode toxins Cry5, -12, -13, -14, and -21 and Cry2, -18.
  • ORF7 amplification parameters were the same as ORF6, except the annealing temperature was 55° C. for 30 seconds and extension at 72° C. for 4 minutes. Specific PCR products with a single band of expected sizes were amplified for both ORF6 and ORF7.
  • the PCR primers are 5′CCT CAC TAA AGG GAT CAC ACG G 3′ annealing partially to the vector and truncated ORF1 (compared to full-length ORF3), and 5′ GGC TAA TTG ATG AAT CTC CTT CGC 3′ annealing to the truncated ORF1 (tcaA-like) and full length ORF3 (tcaA-like).
  • a total of three DNA fragments (0.85, 2.7, and 8.0 kb) hybridizing to the PCR probe were detected, 0.85 and 8.0 in the SB12 and 2.7 and 8.0 in DAS1529 DNAs. No signals were detected in the negative control.
  • the 0.85 kb (from first EcoRI ORF1 internal fragment to first EcoRI site in the vector) and 8.0 kb (from first 5′ EcoRI site in ORF3 to the third EcoRI site in ORF1) matched the calculated sizes of the target DNA fragments from SB12. Detection of the 2.7 kb fragment suggests the presence of an EcoR1 site 2.7 kb immediately upstream of the first EcoRI site within ORF1 in DAS1529 DNA. Those results show that the SB12 insert was from DAS1529 total DNA and, based on hybridization and restriction analysis, all copies of the ORFs were accounted for.
  • Random transposon insertional mutagenesis to disrupt an individual ORF or an entire operon
  • heterologous expression expressing individual ORFs or entire operons
  • a Tn mutagenesis library was generated from DAS1529 cosmid SB12 using the GPS-1 Genome Priming System (New England BioLabs, Beverly, Mass.) following the kit instructions. Briefly, 2 ⁇ l 10 ⁇ GPS buffer, 1 ⁇ l pGPS2.1 Donor DNA (0.02 ⁇ g), 1 ⁇ l SB12 cosmid (0.1 ⁇ g) and 18 ⁇ l sterile H 2 O were added to a 0.5 ml tube. One ⁇ l of TnsABC Transposase was added; the mixture was vortexed and then spun briefly to collect the materials at the bottom of the tube. This reaction mixture was incubated for 10 minutes at 37° C.
  • Cry1529 ORF7 and five tc ORFs (see Table 8 below) were expressed in pET101D® system. See FIG. 5.
  • This expression vector has all the attributes of the basic T7-regulated pET expression system (Dubendorff and Studier, 1991; Studier and Moffatt, 1986) and allows directional cloning of a blunt-end PCR product into a vector for high-level, regulated expression, and simplified protein purification in E. coli.
  • Optimal PCR amplification employed high-fidelity PfuTurboTM DNA polymerase that is highly thermostable and possesses a 3′ to 5′ exonuclease proofreading activity to correct nucleotide-misincorportaion errors (Stratagene, La Jolla, Calif.).
  • ThermalAceTM polymerase Invitrogen
  • point mutations were introduced in the tc ORFs, which were corrected by the PfuTurboTM based Quick-ChangeTM XL site-directed mutagenesis kit (Stratagene).
  • the E. coli strain BL21 StarTM (DE3) was used as a host for expression since it contains the rne131 mutation (Lopez et al., 1999) that generally enhances mRNA stability and the yield of the recombinant proteins.
  • ORFs were PCR amplified out of the SB12 cosmid with ORF specific primers (Table 8) under defined conditions.
  • the forward PCR primers were designed to contain the sequence, CACC, at the 5′ end to ensure PCR product base pair with the overhang sequence, GTGG, in the pET101.D vector.
  • the reverse primers when paired with forward primers will amplify each ORF, respectively.
  • PCR reactions were carried out in 50 ⁇ l reaction mixture containing of 50 ng of SB12 cosmid DNA, 1 ⁇ Pfu reaction buffer (Stratagene), 0.2 mM each of dNPT, 0.25 mM of each primer, and 2 U of PfuTurbo DNA polymerase (Stratagene).
  • PCR amplifications were performed on a PE9600 thermal cycler (Perkin Elmer) with the following parameters: initial denaturation at 95° C. for 2 minutes, 35 cycles each with denaturing at 95° C. for 30 seconds, annealing at 55° C. for 30 seconds, extension at 72° C. for 2 minutes per kb ORF, and a final extension for 10 minutes at 72° C.
  • ORF7 is the key component of SB12 for control of the tested pests, biochemical analysis and insect bioassay focused on heterologously expressed ORF7 proteins.
  • DNA sequence analysis showed 100% match with the original SB12 DNA sequence. Expression of ORF7 was induced by 0.5 mM IPTG for 4 hrs according to kit instructions (Invitrogen).
  • Bioassay samples were prepared as whole E. coli cells, cell lysates, and purified toxins.
  • the spectrum and specific activity of ORF7 (Cry1529) is summarized in Table 10.
  • Cry1529 is most active against tobacco hornworm ( Manduca sexta ) and highly active (LC50 of 10 ⁇ g/ml diet) against tobacco budworm ( Heliothis virescens ); 100% mortality was observed for both insects. At higher doses, Cry1529 conferred some mortality (20 to 60%) and substantial growth inhibition on corn earworm ( Heliothis zea ), beet armyworm ( Spodoptera exigua ), and black cutworm ( Agrotis ipsilon ).
  • Cry1529 had some growth inhibition at higher doses. For some other insect species (fall armyworm, boll weevil, southern rootworm, mosquito), no activity was detected.
  • the Cry1529 LC50s for Cry1A (Cry1Ac) resistant diamond back moth (DBMr) and sensitive diamond back moth (DBM) colonies are >50 ⁇ g/ml and ⁇ 1.0 ⁇ g/ml, respectively, suggesting a potential cross resistance.
  • Cry1529 did not confer detectable activity on grass grubs, a relative of Japanese beetles.
  • Soluble proteins were extracted with 25 mM sodium phosphate pH 8.0, 100 mM sodium chloride and analyzed on 4-12% NuPAGE gradient gel with 1 ⁇ MES buffer (Invitrogen).
  • ORF7 protein was purified using standard procedures, and N-terminal sequencing revealed the expected sequence: MNSNEPNLSDV.
  • a bioassay was performed with whole E. coli cells, with normalized cell density, expressing target proteins. See FIG. 6. Large scale purified ORF7 protein was used to obtain LC50s for ORF7 by in vitro bioassay. Thermal stability analysis of the purified ORF7 indicated that a 5 minute treatment at 75° C. is sufficient to abolish its activity against TBW. See Table 9.
  • the size of the expressed protein was slightly smaller than the ORF6 predicted by Vector NTI from the 5′-most ATG (SEQ ID NO:18) and expressed independently.
  • the annotated ORF6 (SEQ ID NO:13) based on the presence of a ribosome binding site consensus is likely the native protein produced in SB12 and DAS1529.
  • exigua (BAW) + 96 well top (score) FCP purifed >78 ⁇ g/cm 2 S. frugiperda (FAW) ⁇ 96 well top (score) FCP, purifed >>10 ⁇ g/cm 2 Plutella xylostella (DBM) +++ 96 well top (score) FCP, purifed 0.02 ⁇ g tox/g diet Cry1 A resistant Plutella + 96 well top (score) FCP, purifed 59.7 ⁇ g tox/g diet xylostella (rDBM) A.
  • ipsilon (BCW) + 96 well top (score) FCP purifed >10 ⁇ g/cm 2 O.
  • nubilalis (ECB) + 128 well top (weights) FCP purifed >43 ⁇ g/cm 2 Culex sp.
  • PCR primers were designed to amplify the target ORF7 DNA sequences of 1 kb.
  • the PCR primers were deduced from two, well-conserved protein motifs (QAANLHL, domain I, block 1 core for forward primer; GPGFTGGD, domain III, block 3 for reverse primer) highly conserved in Cry proteins. Those primers are listed in Table 12 and were validated on DAS1529.
  • PCR amplifications were performed on a PE9600 thermal cycler (Perkin Elmer) with the following parameters: initial denaturation at 95° C.
  • the subject invention includes methods of screening Paenibacillus spp., Bacillus spp. (including Bacillus thuringiensis and sphaericus ), and the like for Cry1529-like proteins and genes.
  • the subject invention also includes methods of screening Paenibacillus spp., generally, for lepidopteran-toxic Cry proteins and genes.
  • Various screening methods are well-known in the art, including PCR techniques (as exemplified above), probes, and feeding assays (where whole cells are fed to target pests).
  • This example provides experimental evidence of the ability of DAS1529TC proteins, expressed here with a single operon (ORFs 3-6; tcaA, tcaB, TcaC and tccC; see section C of Example 8), to complement the XptA2 toxin from Xenorhabdus nematophilus Xwi (see SEQ ID NO:49).
  • Two independent experiments were carried out to express the DAS1529 TC operon and XptA2 independently, or to co-express the XptA2 gene and the TC operon in the same E. coli cells.
  • Expression of the TC operon was regulated by the T7 promoter/lac operator in the pET101.D expression vector that carries a ColE1 replication origin and an ampicillin resistance selection marker (Invitrogen). Comprehensive description of cloning and expression of the tc operon can be found in section C of Example 8.
  • the XptA2 gene was cloned in the pCot-3 expression vector, which carries a chloramphenicol resistance selection marker and a replication origin compatible with the ColE1.
  • the pCot-3 vector expression system is also regulated by the T7 promoter/lac operator. Hence, compatible replication origins and different selection markers form the basis for co-expression of the TC operon and XptA2 in the same E. coli cells.
  • Plasmid DNAs carrying the TC operon and XptA2 were transformed into E. coli, BL21 StarTM (DE3) either independently or in combination. Transformants were selected on LB agar plates containing 50 ⁇ g/ml carbenicillin for pET101.D-TC operon, 50 ⁇ g/ml chloramphenicol for pCot-3-XptA2, and both antibiotics for pET101.D-TC operon/pCot-3-XptA2. To suppress basal toxin expression, glucose at a final concentration of 50 mM were included in both agar and liquid LB medium.
  • toxin production 5 ml and 50 ml of LB medium containing antibiotics and 50 mM glucose were inoculated with overnight cultures growing on the LB agar plates. Cultures were grown at 30° C. on a shaker at 300 rpm. Once the culture density has reached an O.D. of ⁇ 0.4 at 600 nm, IPTG at a final concentration of 75 ⁇ M was added to the culture medium to induce gene expression. After 24 hours, E. coli cells were harvested for protein gel analysis by the NuPAGE system (Invitrogen). Cell pellets from 0.5 ml 1 ⁇ culture broth was resuspended in 100 ⁇ l of 1 ⁇ NuPAGE LDS sample buffer.
  • XptA2 expressed to detectable levels when expressed independently or in the presence of the TC operon. Based on gel scan analysis by a Personal Densitometer SI (Molecular Dynamics), XptA2 expressed nearly 8 ⁇ as high by itself as when co-expressed with the TC operon. For the 5 ml induction experiment, there is a nearly equal expression of XptA2.
  • DAS1529 tc ORFs when expressed independently or as an operon, did not appear to be active against TBW and CEW.
  • the following bioassay experiments focused on determining whether Paenibacillus (DAS1529) TC proteins (of ORFs 3-6; TcaA-, TcaB-, TcaC-, and TccC-like proteins) can complement Xenorhabdus TC protein toxin activity (XptA2 is exemplified). Bioassay samples were prepared as whole E.
  • SEQ ID NO:14 which encodes the Cry1529 protein (disclosed as SEQ ID NO:15) such that the new encoded proteins are more resistant to proteolytic digestion by trypsin than is the native protein. Digestion of proteins in the gut of insects limits the time of exposure of the insect to a protein toxin. Therefore, methods that decrease the susceptibility of a protein toxin to protease digestion can be used to increase potency of the protein.
  • trypsin enzyme e.g. Sigma Chemical #T1426
  • trypsin inhibitors e.g. Sigma Chemical #T9008
  • trypsin enzyme e.g. Sigma Chemical #T1426
  • trypsin inhibitors e.g. Sigma Chemical #T9008
  • Test incubations with various concentrations of trypsin and Cry1529 protein were performed at 37° C. for 1 hour, and were terminated by addition of an equal volume of an equal concentration of trypsin inhibitors (e.g. a digestion that received 35 ⁇ L of 4 mg/mL trypsin solution was terminated by addition of 35 ⁇ l of 4 mg/mL trypsin inhibitors).
  • Cry1529 protein was produced by appropriately engineered E.
  • protease products were analyzed by standard acrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by immunoblot analysis using antibody prepared against the Cry1529 protein. The results of such an experiment are shown in FIG. 9.
  • Trypsin digestion produces two major protein products, the smaller of which is approximately 50 kDa in molecular size. It is noted that this digestion pattern is the same as that produced from trypsin digestion of a Cry1529-His 6 protein, which is identical to the native Cry1529 protein amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:15 except for the addition of amino acids KGELNSKLE GKPIPNPLLGLDSTRTG HHHHHH to the carboxy-terminus.
  • the coding region for Cry1529-His 6 was produced by ligating the coding region for the native Cry1529 protein into the pET101/D-TOPO® vector (InvitrogenTM, Carlsbad, Calif.).
  • This recombinant clone was made to facilitate purification of the recombinant Cry1529 protein by binding to a commercially available V5 antibody, whose epitope is represented by the amino acid sequence GKPIPNPLLGLDSTRTG (underlined above), or by purification schemes that expoit the six histidine residues (double underlined above). Procedures for these manipulations were performed according to the recommendations provided with the pET101/D-TOPO® vector.
  • mutation of protease processing sites in the Cry1529 protein substantially decreases its susceptibility to protease digestion. This allows the proteins to reside for longer periods of time in the insect gut following ingestion, resulting in increased potency to kill susceptible insects.
  • Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529 produces an extracellular protein that is toxic to various Lepidopteran insects. Molecular phylogeny of the 16S ribosomal gene of this strain indicates that it is most closely related to members of the P. thiaminolyticus - P. lentimorbus - P. popilliae cluster. It has also been shown that Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529 contains both toxin complex genes (hereafter designated as tc genes) and a novel insecticidal crystalline inclusion protein gene designated cry1529.
  • tc homologues are present in other members of the genus Paenibacillus
  • PCR polymerase chain reaction
  • total DNA isolated from Paenibacillus strains was used as template and screened using oligonucleotide primers specific to tc genes found in Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529, Photorhabdus species, and Xenorhabdus species. Amplified products obtained with the tc primer sets were cloned and their nucleotide sequence was determined and compared to tc sequences obtained from Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529.
  • the following Examples illustrate how one can design tc-specific oligonucleotide primers and use PCR to search the total DNA of Paenibacillus isolates for DNA sequences that are homologous to tc genes identified in Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529, Photorhabdus species, and Xenorhabdus species.
  • PCR analysis as described herein, it was (and is) possible to identify tc homologues in a species of Paenibacillus distinct from Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529 and the P. thiaminolyticus - P. lentimorbus - P. popilliae cluster.
  • Paenibacillus strains were grown on nutrient agar plates (8 g/l nutrient broth, 15 g/l Bacto agar; Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) for 3-5 days at 30° C. A single colony was picked and inoculated into a 500 ml tribaffled flask containing 100 ml of sterile nutrient broth (8 g/l nutrient broth; Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.). Following 24-72 hrs of incubation at 30° C. on a rotary shaker at 150 rpm, the cultures were dispensed into sterile 500 ml polyethylene bottles and centrifuged at 6, 500 ⁇ g for 1 hr at 4° C.
  • Total DNA was extracted from the cell pellet using the QIAGEN Genomic-tip System 100/G and associated Genomic DNA Bufffer Set (QIAGEN Inc., Valencia, Calif., USA) by following The Sample Preparation and Lysis Protocol for Bacteria exactly as described by the manufacturer. The extracted total DNA was solubilized in 0.5 ml TE buffer (10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0; 1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0).
  • oligonucleotide primers specific to the tc genes previously identified from Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529 the tcaA, tcaB, tcdB and tccC nucleotide sequences obtained from Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529, Photorhabdus strain W 14, and Xenorhabdus strain Xwi were aligned using the Align program in the Vector NTI software package (Informax, Inc., Frederick, Md.). Nucleotide sequences used for this analysis are listed in Table 17.
  • Nucleotide sequence alignment of tcaA1-1529, tcaA2-1529, and tcaA- W14 identified two regions of nucleotide sequence identity of sufficient length for the selection of PCR primers with minimal degeneracy (shown as boxed regions in FIG. 10.). These two regions were selected for the synthesis of tcaA specific primers, which were designated SB105 and SB106 (Tables 18 and 19).
  • Nucleotide sequence alignment of tcaB1-1529, tcaB2-1529, and tcaB-W14 identified four regions of nucleotide sequence identity of sufficient length for the selection of PCR primers with minimal degeneracy (FIG. 11.). These four regions were selected for the synthesis of tcaB specific primers, which were designated as SB101, SB102, SB103, and SB104 (Tables 18 and 19).
  • Nucleotide sequence alignment of tcdB1-W14, tcdB2-W14, xptC1-Xwi and tcaC-1529 identified two regions of nucleotide sequence identity of sufficient length for the selection of PCR primers with minimal degeneracy (FIG. 12.). These two regions were selected for the synthesis of tcaC specific primers, which were designated as SB215 and SB217 (Tables 18 and 19).
  • SB101 32 GCKATGGCSGACCCGATGCAWTACAAGCTGGC* 22 SB102 32 AGCGGYTGACCRTCCAGRCTCARATTGTGGCG 23 SB103 28 TGTATAACTGGATGGCYGGWCGTCTSTC 24 SB104 26 TCRAAAGGCAGRAAMCGGCTGTCGTT 25 SB105 28 CTTCYCTKGATATCYTKYTGGATGTGCT 26 SB106 30 ACGRCTGGYATTGGYAATCAGCCARTCCAA 27 SB212 27 CGYTATIAATATGAYCCKGTVGGYAAT 28 SB213 25 CATCBCGYTCTTTRCCIGARTARCG 29 SB215 33 CGHAGCTCYICCCAGTWYTGGCTGGATGARAAA 30 SB217 32 GTRTCATTTTCATCTTCRTTBACIRYAAACCA 31
  • PCR amplification using tcaA- and tcaB-specific primer sets 3-5 ul of total DNA obtained from each of the Paenibacillus strains was mixed with 50 pmoles of each primer and 1 ⁇ Eppendorf MasterMix (Eppendorf AG; Hamburg, Germany) in a 20 ul reaction volume. Amplification conditions were denaturation at 94° C. for 3 minutes followed by 30 cycles of denaturation at 94° C. for 1 minute, annealing at 52° C. for 1.5 minutes, and extension at 72° C. for 1.5 minutes, followed by a final extension at 72° C. for 5 minutes.
  • PCR amplification reactions were examined by gel electrophoresis using 0.8 to 1% Seakem LE agarose (BioWhittaker Molecular Applications, Rockland, Me.) in 1 ⁇ TAE buffer. Amplified products were cloned in the vector pCR 2.1 -TOPO® using the TOPO TA® Cloning Kit (InvitrogenTM Life Technologies, Carlsbad, Calif.) exactly as described by the manufacturer. The nucleotide sequences of the cloned amplified products were determined using M13 Forward, M13 Reverse, and tc sequence-specific sequencing primers as needed to obtain double stranded sequence of each cloned amplified product.
  • Nucleotide sequencing was performed using the CEQ Dye Terminator Cycle Sequencing Quick Start Kit (Beckman Coulter, Fullerton, Calif., USA) and the CEQ 2000 XL DNA Analysis System (Beckman Coulter) exactly as directed by the manufacturer.
  • the Sequencher (v. 4.1.4) software package (Gene Codes, Ann Arbor, Mich.) was used to construct contigs from the sequencing data and determine a consensus sequence for each amplified product.
  • tcaA2-DB482 The amplified product obtained using the SB105 and SB106 primer combination was designated as tcaA2-DB482.
  • sequence of tcaA2-DB482 SEQ ID NO:32
  • tcaA2-DB482 have the greatest nucleotide sequence identity (90.5% over 1,239 nucleotides) to tcaA2-1529 (Table 20).
  • the deduced amino acid sequence encoded by tcaA2-DB482 (designated as TcaA2-DB482; SEQ ID NO:33) was 89.1% identical to the corresponding deduced amino acid sequence of tcaA2-1529 (designated as TcaA2-1529; SEQ ID NO:7).
  • tcaB2a-DB482 and tcaB2b-DB482 The amplified products obtained using the SB101 and SB102 primer combination and the SB103 and SB104 primer combination were designated as tcaB2a-DB482 and tcaB2b-DB482, respectively.
  • sequences of tcaB2a-DB482 (SEQ ID NO:34) and tcaB2b-DB482 (SEQ ID NO:35) were compared to the tcaB sequences obtained from Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529 and Photorhabdus strain W14, it was observed that both of these sequences have the greatest nucleotide sequence identity to tcaB1-1529 and tcaB2-1529 (Table 21).
  • the nucleotide sequence identity of tcaB2a-DB482 and tcaB2b-DB482 to tcaB2-1529 was 92.6% and 89.8%, respectively.
  • the deduced amino acid sequences encoded by tcaB2a-DB482 (designated as TcaB2a-DB482; SEQ ID NO:36)
  • tcaB2b-DB482 (designated as TcaB2b-DB482; SEQ ID NO:37) were 91.2% and 91.1% identical, respectively, to the corresponding deduced amino acid sequence of tcaB2-1529 (designated as TcaB2-1529; SEQ ID NO:9).
  • tcaC-DB482 The amplified product obtained using the SB215 and SB217 primer combination was designated as tcaC-DB482.
  • sequence of tcaC-DB482 (SEQ ID NO:38) was compared to the tcaC sequences obtained from Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529, Xenorhabdus strain Xwi and Photorhabdus strain W14, it was observed that tcaC-DB482 has the greatest nucleotide sequence identity (93.5% over 2,091 nucleotides) to tcaC-1529 (Table 22).
  • the deduced amino acid sequence encoded by tcaC-DB482 (designated as TcaC-DB482; SEQ ID NO:39) was 91.1% identical to the corresponding deduced amino acid sequence of tcaC-1529 (designated as TcaC-1529; SEQ ID NO:11).
  • tccC-DB482 The amplified product obtained using the SB212 and SB213 primer combination was designated as tccC-DB482.
  • sequence of tccC-DB482 SEQ ID NO:40
  • tccC-DB482 has the greatest nucleotide sequence identity (93.7% over 858 nucleotides) to tccC-1529 (Table 23).
  • the deduced amino acid sequence encoded by tccC-DB482 (designated as TccC-DB482; SEQ ID NO:41) was 95.5% identical to the corresponding deduced amino acid sequence of tccC-1529 (designated as TccC-1529; SEQ ID NO:13).
  • This example illustrate methods for designing oligonucleotide primers based on tc genes from three genera of bacteria, and that the use of these primers for PCR screening of Paenibacillus strains can identify tc homologues present in those strains.
  • DB482 which is an isolate of Paenibacillus apiarius (deposited as NRRL B-30670) that was isolated from honey bee larva, was shown to contain homologues of tcaA, tcaB, tcaC, and tccC. The finding of these tc homologues confirms that Paenibacillus strain IDAS 1529 is not unique within the genus Paenibacillus with regard to possessing tc genes.
  • Paenibacillus such as P. chondroitinus, P. alginolyticus, P. larvae, P. validus, P. gordonae, P. alvei, P. lentimorbus, P. popilliae, P. thiaminolyticus, P. curdlanolyticus, P. kobensis, P. glucanolyticus, P. lautus, P. chibensis, P. macquariensis, P. azotofixans, P. peoriae, P. polymyxa, P. illinoisensis, P. amylolyticus, P. pabuli, and P. macerans.
  • P. chondroitinus P. alginolyticus, P. larvae, P. validus, P. gordonae, P. alvei, P. lentimorbus, P. popilliae, P. thiaminolyticus, P. curdlano
  • This example illustrates how one can use radioactively labeled DNA fragments as probes to search the genomic DNA of Paenibacillus isolates for DNA sequences (preferably having some homology to the known tcORFs first detected in IDAS 1529).
  • the results demonstrate that sequences homologous to two of the tcORFs are detected in a Paenibacillus apairius isolate, DB482.
  • Genomic DNA from various Paenibacillus strains was prepared as described above in Example 12, and was digested with restriction enzyme to produce multiple fragments.
  • a typical digestion contained 8 ⁇ g of DNA in a total volume of 400 ⁇ L of reaction buffer as supplied by the manufacturer of the EcoR I enzyme (New England Biolabs, Beverly, Mass.). The reaction, containing 200 units of enzyme, was incubated overnight at 37° C., then placed on ice. Digested DNA was further purified and concentrated by addition of 30 ⁇ L of 3M sodium acetate (pH5.2) and 750 ⁇ L of ice cold 100% ethanol, followed by centrifugation.
  • 3M sodium acetate pH5.2
  • DNA pellet was washed twice with 70% ethanol, dried under vacuum, and resuspended in 50 ⁇ l of TE buffer [10 mM Tris HCl, pH8.0; 1 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)]. An aliquot was then analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis for visual assurance of limit digestion.
  • DNA of IDAS 1529 cosmid SB12 was digested with EcoR I, and was used as a positive control for the hybridization experiments.
  • the DNA in the gel was stained with 50 ⁇ g/mL ethidium bromide, the gel was photographed, and then the DNA in the gel was depurinated (5 min in 0.2M HCl), denatured (15 min in 0.5M NaOH, 1.5M NaCl), neutralized (5 min in 0.2M HCl) and transferred to MAGNA 0.45 micron nylon transfer membrane (Osmonics, Westborough, Mass.) in 2 ⁇ SSC (20 ⁇ SSC contains 3M NaCl, 0.3M sodium citrate, pH 7.0).
  • the DNA was crosslinked to the membrane by ultraviolet light (Stratalinker®; Stratagene, La Jolla, Calif.) and prepared for hybridization by incubating at 60° C. or 65° C.
  • “Minimal Hybridization” solution [contains 10% w/v polyethylene glycol (M.W. approx. 8000), 7% w/v sodium dodecylsulfate; 0.6 ⁇ SSC, 5mM EDTA, 100 ⁇ g/ml denatured salmon sperm DNA, and 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer (from a 1M stock containing 95 g/L NaH 2 PO 4 .1H 2 O and 84.5 g/L Na 2 HPO 4 . 7H 2 O)].
  • DNA fragments of the tcORFs for use as hybridization probes were first prepared by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using SB12 cosmid DNA as template (see previous examples). The forward and reverse primers for these amplifications are listed (5′ to 3′ directions of the respective DNA strands) in Table 24, below (bases in capital letters correspond to protein coding regions). Primer Set One is designed to amplify, from SB12 cosmid DNA, a DNA fragment that includes all of tcORF5, which is disclosed as SEQ ID NO:10, and which has some similarity to the Photorhabdus tcaC gene (Table 6).
  • Primer Set Two is designed to amplify, from cosmid SB12, a DNA fragment that encodes the protein disclosed as SEQ ID NO:19. This DNA fragment and the encoded protein are somewhat longer than the DNA sequence of tcORF6 disclosed as SEQ ID NO:12, and the encoded protein disclosed as SEQ ID NO:13.
  • the amplified PCR products were cloned into the pCR®2.1-TOPO® cloning vector (InvitrogenTM, Carlsbad, Calif.), and fragments containing the tcORFs were released from the resulting clones by restriction enzyme digestion (listed in the Table below), followed by purification from agarose gels using the GenEluteTM Agarose Spin columns (Sigma Chemical Co, St Louis, Mo.). Recovered fragments were concentrated by precipitation using the Quick-PrecipTM Plus Solution according to the supplier's instructions (Edge BioSystems, Gaithersburg, Md.).
  • Radioactively labeled DNA fragments were prepared using the High Prime Radioactive Labeling Kit (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany) according to the supplier's instructions. Nonincorporated nucleotides were removed by passage through a QIAquick® PCR Purification column (Qiagen, Inc. Valencia, Calif.) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Labeling of approximately 100 ng of DNA fragments by these methods resulted in specific activities of approximately 0.1 ⁇ Ci/ng. The labeled DNA fragments were denatured by boiling for 5 minutes, then added to the hybridization blot in Minimal Hybridization solution and incubated overnight at 60° C. or 65° C.
  • Loose radioactivity was removed from the blot by rinsing at room temperature in 2 ⁇ SSC, then more tightly bound radioactivity was removed by washing the blot for at least one hour at 60° C. or 65° C. in 0.3 ⁇ SSC +0.1% sodium dodecylsulfate. At least two such washes were performed.
  • the blot was placed on X-ray film at ⁇ 80° C. with two intensifying screens, and the exposed film was developed after 1 to 3 days exposure. Blots were stripped of hybridized DNA fragments by boiling for 10 minutes in 0.3 ⁇ SSC +0.1% SDS, and reused once or twice for subsequent hybridizations.
  • Paenibacillus apairius strain DB482 has a single gene similar to the IDAS 1529 tcORF6 and its 5′ flanking sequences, and thus is similar to the Photorhabdus tccC gene, and that EcoR I cleaves the gene into two fragments that have unequal portions of the DNA sequences comprising the gene.
  • EcoR I cleaves the gene into two fragments that have unequal portions of the DNA sequences comprising the gene.
  • other explanations for this outcome are possible, including the presence of multiple genes with different amounts of absolute homology to the probe.
  • Paenibacillus strain DAS1529 has been shown to produce an extracellular protein that is toxic to Lepidopteran insects and has also been shown to contain a cry gene, designated as cry1529.
  • cry1529 a cry gene
  • the subject invention includes screening other strains of Paenibacillus for extracellular (released into culture supernatant fluid) and/or intacellular (cell-associated) insecticidally active agents. This example illustrates how one can produce fermentation broths of Paenibacillus strains, how to process these broths, and how to test samples derived from these broths for insecticidal activity.
  • Paenibacillus strains were grown on nutrient agar plates (8 g/l nutrient broth, 15 g/l Bacto agar; Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) for 3-5 days at 30° C. A single colony was picked and inoculated into a 500 ml tribaffled flask containing 100 ml of sterile modified tryptic soy broth (tryptone 10-g/l, peptone 7 g/l, soytone 3 g/l, KCl 5 g/l, K 2 PO 4 2.5 g/l; Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.). Following 72 hours of incubation at 28° C.
  • the insect species included in these assays were Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi (Southern corn rootworm, SCR), Helicoverpa zea (corn earworm, CEW), and Heliothis virescens (tobacco budworn, TBW)
  • SCR Southern corn rootworm
  • CEW corn earworm
  • Hothis virescens tobacco budworn, TBW
  • the artificial diet used to rear and bioassay SCR was described previously (Rose, R. L. and McCabe, J. M. 1973. J. Econ. Entomol. 66, 398-400).
  • Standard artificial lepidopteran diet (Stoneville Yellow diet) was used to rear and bioassay ECB, CEW, and TBW.
  • This example illustrates a method for screening concentrated culture supernatants and cell pellets from Paenibacillus strains to identify strains possessing insecticidal activity against Coleopteran and Lepidopteran insects.
  • DB482 which is an isolate of Paenibacillus apiarius was shown herein to contain homologues of tcaA, tcaB, tcaC, and tccC. The finding of insecticidal activity in DB482 confirms that Paenibacillus strain DAS1529 is not unique within the genus Paenibacillus with regard to producing insecticidal activities against Lepidopteran insects.
  • the subject invention includes methods used to identify other strains of Paenibacillus with insecticidal activities against Lepidopteran insects in other species of Paenibacillus such as P. chondroitinus, P. alginolyticus, P. larvae, P. validus, P. gordonae, P. alvei, P. lentimorbus, P. popilliae, P. thiaminolyticus, P. curdlanolyticus, P. kobensis, P. glucanolyticus, P. lautus, P. chibensis, P. macquariensis, P. azotofixans, P. peoriae, P. polymyxa, P. illinoisensis, P. amylolyticus, P. pabuli, P. macerans .
  • P. chondroitinus P. alginolyticus, P. larvae, P. validus, P. gordonae, P. alve

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