The carbohydrate content of purified Bacillus thuriniensis subsp. israelensis crystal toxin was determined by six biochemical tests, column chromatography on an amino acid analyzer, and the binding of 11 fluorescent lectins. The crystals contained approximately 1.0% neutral sugars and 1.7% amino sugars. The amino sugars consisted of 70% glucosamine and 30% galactosamine. No N-acetylneuraminic a...

Insect vectors of human diseases are subject to diseases of their own caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoans, and nematodes. Over the past 30 years, many members of these groups have been evaluated as vector control agents, particularly for mosquito control. Most pathogens and nematodes occur primarily in larvae, and are only effective against this stage. The principal candidate control...

The shrimp Leander tenuicornis is abundant in southeastern Queensland intertidal marsh pools and was chosen as an indicator species for toxicological studies with pesticides. Acute toxicity to this crustacean of temephos and 3 pesticide compounds under evaluation for registration in Australia (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis, s-methoprene, and pyriproxyfen) was tested in 96-h laboratory...

Optimization of chicken feather (CF) based culture medium for the production of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) biomass in combination with the agro industrial by-product (coconut cake, CC) and manganese chloride (MnCl2) has been evaluated. The biomass yield of Bti spore/crystal toxin was highest (12.06 g/L) from the test medium (CF+CC+MnCl2) compared to the reference medium (Lu...

BACKGROUND The detrimental effects of chemical insecticides on the environment and human health have lead to the call for biological alternatives. Today, one of the most promising solutions is the use of spray formulations based on Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) in insect control programs. As a result, the amounts of Bti spread in the environment are expected to increase worldw...

Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis is the most widely used microbial control agent against mosquitoes and blackflies. Its insecticidal success is based on an arsenal of toxins, such as Cry4A, Cry4B, Cry11A, and Cyt1A, harbored in the parasporal crystal of the bacterium. A fifth toxin, Cry10Aa, is synthesized at very low levels; previous attempts to clone and express Cry10Aa were limited,...