Structural analysis of mosquitocidal toxin sequences from a Bacillus thuringiensis native strain

LOPEZ RP; BERÓN CM

Tours

Congreso; International Congress on Invertebrate Pathology and Microbial Control and the 49th Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology; 2016

Society for Invertebrate Pathology

Insect-borne diseases, particularly those transmitted by mosquitoes, are among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in humans. Therefore, the management of the insect populations is a critical step in the control of the diseases they transmit. The application of different management strategies of mosquito populations is essential for the control of these viral and parasitic diseases. In a previous work, we characterized an Argentinian Bacillus thuringiensis strain (FCC 41) that exhibited mosquitocidal activity against Aedes aegypti, Culex pipiens, Culex apicinus and Ochlerotatus albifasciatus, and harbored Cry24Ca and Cry50-like proteins in its parasporal body. In this work, we analyzed the proteins coding sequences present in FCC 41 strain and described the presence of orf2-like sequences downstream the cry genes, identified as cry40-orf2-like and cry39-orf2-like respectively. Structural analyses based on protein models were performed using bioinformatics tools and the hypothetical domain regions were identified, particularly the presence of exposed regions of domain II. We will clone and express cry genes and orf-2-like regions in heterologous systems in order to determine their toxicological activity and function in the crystallization and/or stability. These toxins could be used for the insect vector control programs of public health importance.Supported by ANPCyT (PICT No 2013-0431), CONICET (PIP 112 20110100963) and Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata Project (15/E692 - EXA742/15).