Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1994 Jan;60(1):19–25. doi: 10.1128/aem.60.1.19-25.1994

Isolation of Bacillus thuringiensis from Stored Tobacco and Lasioderma serricorne (F.)

Pascale Kaelin 1, Pascale Morel 1, Ferruccio Gadani 1,*
PMCID: PMC201263  PMID: 16349149

Abstract

Bacillus thuringiensis was isolated from dried tobacco residues and dead tobacco beetles (Lasioderma serricorne (F.); Coleoptera: Anobiidae) collected in a large number of locations worldwide. Eighty-eight samples of stored tobacco were analyzed and yielded 78 B. thuringiensis strains which were characterized on the basis of parasporal crystal morphology, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis profiles, and the results of an immunoblot analysis of the insecticidal crystal proteins. Flagellar antigen identification was used to differentiate selected isolates. Strains that produced rhomboidal crystals associated with the Coleoptera-specific pathotype (Cry III group) were the most abundant strains (59% of the isolates). Preliminary toxicity assays were performed with L. serricorne larvae, and the results suggested that activity is not restricted to isolates related to the Coleoptera-specific group. The results of our survey indicate that B. thuringiensis is part of the natural microflora in the stored-tobacco environment and that this special habitat represents a source of B. thuringiensis isolates that may be used to control stored-product pests.

Full text

PDF
19

Images in this article

21Image
on p.21
21Image
on p.21

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Andrews R. E., Jr, Faust R. M., Wabiko H., Raymond K. C., Bulla L. A., Jr The biotechnology of Bacillus thuringiensis. Crit Rev Biotechnol. 1987;6(2):163–232. doi: 10.3109/07388558709113596. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Carozzi N. B., Kramer V. C., Warren G. W., Evola S., Koziel M. G. Prediction of insecticidal activity of Bacillus thuringiensis strains by polymerase chain reaction product profiles. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1991 Nov;57(11):3057–3061. doi: 10.1128/aem.57.11.3057-3061.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DeLucca A. J., 2nd, Simonson J. G., Larson A. D. Bacillus thuringiensis distribution in soils of the United States. Can J Microbiol. 1981 Sep;27(9):865–870. doi: 10.1139/m81-137. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Donovan W. P., Gonzalez J. M., Jr, Gilbert M. P., Dankocsik C. Isolation and characterization of EG2158, a new strain of Bacillus thuringiensis toxic to coleopteran larvae, and nucleotide sequence of the toxin gene. Mol Gen Genet. 1988 Nov;214(3):365–372. doi: 10.1007/BF00330468. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Höfte H., Whiteley H. R. Insecticidal crystal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis. Microbiol Rev. 1989 Jun;53(2):242–255. doi: 10.1128/mr.53.2.242-255.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Karamanlidou G., Lambropoulos A. F., Koliais S. I., Manousis T., Ellar D., Kastritsis C. Toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis to laboratory populations of the olive fruit fly (Dacus oleae). Appl Environ Microbiol. 1991 Aug;57(8):2277–2282. doi: 10.1128/aem.57.8.2277-2282.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Laemmli U. K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680–685. doi: 10.1038/227680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lambert B., Höfte H., Annys K., Jansens S., Soetaert P., Peferoen M. Novel Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal protein with a silent activity against coleopteran larvae. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1992 Aug;58(8):2536–2542. doi: 10.1128/aem.58.8.2536-2542.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Martin P. A., Travers R. S. Worldwide Abundance and Distribution of Bacillus thuringiensis Isolates. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 Oct;55(10):2437–2442. doi: 10.1128/aem.55.10.2437-2442.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Meadows M. P., Ellis D. J., Butt J., Jarrett P., Burges H. D. Distribution, Frequency, and Diversity of Bacillus thuringiensis in an Animal Feed Mill. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1992 Apr;58(4):1344–1350. doi: 10.1128/aem.58.4.1344-1350.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Smith R. A., Couche G. A. The Phylloplane as a Source of Bacillus thuringiensis Variants. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1991 Jan;57(1):311–315. doi: 10.1128/aem.57.1.311-315.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Tailor R., Tippett J., Gibb G., Pells S., Pike D., Jordan L., Ely S. Identification and characterization of a novel Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin entomocidal to coleopteran and lepidopteran larvae. Mol Microbiol. 1992 May;6(9):1211–1217. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1992.tb01560.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Travers R. S., Martin P. A., Reichelderfer C. F. Selective Process for Efficient Isolation of Soil Bacillus spp. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1987 Jun;53(6):1263–1266. doi: 10.1128/aem.53.6.1263-1266.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES