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Binding and activity ofBacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin to invertebrate cells

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Abstract

Fluorescein isothiocyanate was used as a label to detect delta-endotoxin ofBacillus thuringiensis subsp.thuringiensis andisraelensis in binding studies with different in vitro cell systems. Protoxin of the subspeciesthuringiensis could be labelled directly whereas the activated toxin had to be traced indirectly with labelled antibodies. Both protoxin and activated toxin bound to primary midgut cell cultures ofPieris brassicae larvae as well as to cells of an established culture ofDrosophila melanogaster. No binding with either toxin form could be observed with hemocytes ofP. brassicae. Biological activity as shown by the trypan blue viability assay was obtained only with the activated toxin against the midgut cells. Toxin of the subspeciesisraelensis reacted very unspecifically. Binding followed by rapid destruction was obtained with all the tested cultures.

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Abbreviations

FITC:

fluorescein isothiocyanate

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland

    Christina Hofmann & Peter Lüthy

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  1. Christina Hofmann
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  2. Peter Lüthy
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Hofmann, C., Lüthy, P. Binding and activity ofBacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin to invertebrate cells. Arch. Microbiol. 146, 7–11 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00690150

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00690150

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