Award details

202g: Identification, characterisation and molecular genetics of insecticidal bacterial toxins

Reference	BBS/E/H/00031421
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Mr Paul Jarrett
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Dr James Morgan
Institution	University of Warwick
Department	Warwick HRI
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	427,117
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1997
End date	31/03/2000
Duration	36 months

Abstract

With the need to reduce reliance on conventional chemical insecticides, new environmentally safe methods of pest control are urgently required. One successful alternative is the use of bacterial insect active toxins. The best examples of these are the toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis. However there is still an urgent need to identify new bacterial toxins with different modes of action, particularly to avoid the increasing problems of insect resistance and to widen the range of pests currently controlled by B. thuringiensis. Arising from recent studies we have identified a new group of proteinaceous insect active toxins, produced by the nematode associated bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophilus. Preliminary studies have shown the toxins to be complex, of high molecular weight and found to have excellent activity to a number of major pest species. More recently a second research group have independently identified a related but different group of insect active toxins produced by Photorhabdus luminescens. These findings have confirmed our own results, highlighting the research potential of this exciting and complex new group of bacterial insect toxins. It is especially relevant to the BBSRC Plants and Microbial Sciences Committee The primary output of the work will be to obtain a greater understanding of this novel group of insect toxins. Studies will be performed to determine the host range, mode of action and genetics of the toxins. The development of a new group of insect active protein toxins would be of great benefit for use in pest control. If successfully developed, these toxins could lead to a significant reduction in pesticide usage and would be important new genes for transfer into plants. New insect toxins are urgently required for use in crop protection, particularly for transfer and expression in transgenic plants. Therefore due to the commercial potential of these toxins, a number of patents have been filed to protect the intellectual property arising from these studies.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Biochemistry & Cell Biology (BCB)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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