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Development of a Recombinant Baculovirus Expressing an Insect-Selective Neurotoxin: Potential for Pest Control

Bio/Technology volume 9, pages 848–852 (1991)Cite this article

Abstract

Recombinant nuclear polyhedrosis viruses (NPVs) expressing insect-selective toxins, hormones, or enzymes could enhance their insecticidal properties. We have constructed a recombinant, polyhedrin-positive Autographa californica NPV (AcNPV) that is orally infectious and expresses an insect-selective toxin (AalT), isolated from the scorpion Androctonus australis, under the control of the p10 promoter. Bioassays with the recombinant baculovirus on 2nd instar larvae of Heliothis virescens demonstrated a significant decrease in the time to kill (LT50 88.0 hours) compared to wild-type AcNPV (LT50 125 hours). Production of AalT was confirmed by western blot analysis of larval hemolymph from infected H. virescens, and bioassays with larvae of Sarcophaga falculata.

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Author notes

  1. B. D. Hammock and S. Maeda: Corresponding authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, 95616

    B. F. McCutchen, P. V. Choudary, S. G. Kamita, B. D. Hammock & S. Maeda

  2. Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis, 95616

    B. F. McCutchen & B. D. Hammock

  3. Centers for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

    P. V. Choudary

  4. Ciba-Geigy Agricultural Biotechnology Unit, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709

    R. Crenshaw, D. Maddox, N. Palekar, S. Volrath & E. Fowler

Authors
  1. B. F. McCutchen
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  4. D. Maddox
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  5. S. G. Kamita
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  7. S. Volrath
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  8. E. Fowler
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  9. B. D. Hammock
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  10. S. Maeda
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McCutchen, B., Choudary, P., Crenshaw, R. et al. Development of a Recombinant Baculovirus Expressing an Insect-Selective Neurotoxin: Potential for Pest Control. Nat Biotechnol 9, 848–852 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0991-848

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0991-848

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