The Parasporal Body of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis: A Unique Phage Capsid-Associated Prokaryotic Insecticidal Organelle.

ABSTRACT: The three most important commercial bacterial insecticides are all derived from subspecies of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Specifically, Bt subsp. kurstaki (Btk) and Bt subsp. aizawai (Bta) are used to control larval lepidopteran pests. The third, Bt subsp. israelensis (Bti), is primarily used to control mosquito and blackfly larvae. All three subspecies produce a parasporal body (PB) during sporulation. The PB is composed of insecticidal proteins that damage the midgut epithelium, initiating a complex process that results in the death of the insect. Among these three subspecies of Bt, Bti is unique as it produces the most complex PB consisting of three compartments. Each compartment is bound by a multilaminar fibrous matrix (M

SUBMITTER: Rudd SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10669011 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature