In a large malaria endemic area in Panaji city, Goa, India, the weekly application of the biolarvicide Bacillus sphaericus (Strain 101, Serotype H 5a 5b) at the rate of 1 g/m2 in the main Anopheles stephensi larval habitats, viz., curing waters, masonry tanks, and sump tanks (under construction), from April to December 1993 resulted in a sharp decline in the habitat positivity (range 0.13-8.0%)...

Soil samples (n=500) collected from different areas of Pakistan were screened for various species of Bacillus by Gram staining, spore staining and by a number of biochemical tests. Seven identified species i.e. B. thuringiensis, B. sphaericus, B. brevis, B. firmus, B. coagulans, B. stearothermophilus and B. megaterium were then administered to the house flies, Musca domestica to ascertain and e...

cloning and expression of the l-phenylalanine dehydrogenase gene, from b. sphaericus in e. coli were done. the gene was cloned in the vector pet16b and transformed into e. coli bl21 (de3). the functional form of the l-phenylalanine dehydrogenase enzyme was purified by affinity purification techniques, taking advantage of the ability of this enzyme to bind to the nucleotide site affinity dye, re...

Bacillus sphaericus, a bacterium of biotechnological interest due to its ability to produce mosquitocidal toxins, is unable to use sugars as carbon source. However, ptsHI genes encoding HPr and EI proteins belonging to a PTS were cloned, sequenced and characterized. Both HPr and EI proteins were fully functional for phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent transphosphorylation in complementation assays us...

of B. sphaericru was based on the instar and age of the larvae, i.e., 2nd instar and early to middle-aged 4th instar larvae that fed on B. sphaeri,cuiwere susceptible, while late 4th instar larvae that ceased to feed and pupated prior to ingestion of B. splnerin r survived the bacillus bui succumbed to the effects of Arosurf MSF. Bioassays also indicated that effective dispersal of B. sphaericu...

Entomopathogenic bacteria isolated from Simulium larvae and adults from breeding sites in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were identified as 18 strains of Bacillus thuringiensis and one of B. sphaericus. Most of these strains were serotyped according to their flagellar antigens. However, nine of the B. thuringiensis samples, could not be serotyped and were designated as "aut...

This study aimed to analyze the final fermentation culture of Bacillus sphaericus 2362, standardize it and develop an active tablet formulation for use in urban mosquito breeding sites. It was performed in three phases: analysis and standardization of a B. sphaericus fermented culture; physical, chemical, and biological analysis of the active powder (solubility, residual humidity, particle size...

The Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa binary toxin of Bacillus sphaericus was recently discovered by its ability to kill Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito larvae through a novel interaction between its two components. We have investigated the target specificity of this toxin and show it to be non-toxic to coleopteran, lepidopteran and other dipteran insects, including closely related Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes...

Thirteen strains among 3 species of entomopathogenic bacteria were tested against 3 medically important mosquito species in French Polynesia. Two strains of Bacillus thuringiensis were highly toxic to Aedes polynesiensis, Aedes aegypti, and Culex quinquefasciatus. Six of 7 strains of Bacillus sphaericus tested were highly toxic to Cx. quinquefasciatus but not to the Aedes spp. Clostridium bifer...

Bacillus sphaericus is a spore-forming aerobic bacterium, several strains of which are pathogenic for mosquito larvae. During sporulation, the most active strains produce a crystal toxin with a high degree of larvicidal activity. The toxin is composed of two proteins of 51.4 and 41.9 kDa, which are encoded by highly conserved chromosomal genes. After B. sphaericus is ingested, these proteins ar...