cry1 genes from Bacillus thuringiensis: specificity determination and implications for primer design

• Published in: Biotechnology letters Vol. 31; no. 12; pp. 1891 - 1897
• Main Authors: Davolos, Camila C, Guidelli-Thuler, Ana M, de Abreu, Irlan L, Sena, Janete A. D, Lemos, Manoel V. F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.12.2009; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Applied Microbiology; Bacillus thuringiensis; Bacillus thuringiensis - genetics; Bacteria; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Base Sequence; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biological control; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; DNA Primers - genetics; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; Endotoxins - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics; Genotype; Hemolysin Proteins - genetics; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Mode of action; Molecular biology; Molecular Sequence Data; Original Research Paper; Pest control; Pests; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sequence Alignment; DNA homology; Cry proteins; subclasses; PCR; DNA sequencing; cry1 subclasses; Bacillus thuringiensis; Primer; Homology; Bacillaceae; Protein; Cry protein; Design; Polymerase chain reaction; Specificity; Bacillales; Gene; DNA; Bacteria; Sequencing
• ISSN: 0141-5492; 1573-6776
• DOI: 10.1007/s10529-009-0088-0

Some pest management programs employ PCR to identify cry1 genes from Bacillus thuringiensis to predict bacterial toxicity towards different insect pests. However, due to changes on the mode of action of the Cry proteins, new primers had to be designed to detect the new genes. Therefore, an ‘in-silico' study of genetic sequences from five cry1 subclasses was carried out and characterized by molecular tools. The design of new primers allows for more precise selection of B. thuringiensis isolates, helping to better direct the programs employing biological control.