Bacillus thuringiensis Nucleic Acids for Coleopteran Pest Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for controlling insect pests in agriculture rely heavily on chemical pesticides, which pose environmental hazards and have limited effectiveness against a broad range of insect pests, particularly Coleoptera, necessitating the development of alternative biopesticides with broader insecticidal activity.

Innovation Solution

The use of nucleic acids encoding novel insecticidal peptides from Bacillus thuringiensis genes to produce transformed microorganisms and plants that express enhanced pesticidal polypeptides, providing increased resistance to Coleopteran pests and other insect species.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If broad-spectrum chemical insecticides are used to control insect pests, then insect pest populations are reduced, but environmental hazards increase and target specificity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsect pest control effectivenessVSAvoidenvironmental hazards
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and utilizes only the specific pesticidal protein components from Bacillus thuringiensis that target insect pests, separating them from the entire bacterial organism. This extraction allows for targeted delivery of insecticidal activity while eliminating environmental hazards associated with broad-spectrum chemical insecticides and whole microbial applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by engineering crops to produce specific pesticidal proteins only in the plant tissues where pest damage occurs (leaves, stems, roots). This localized production ensures that insect control effectiveness is achieved precisely where needed, while minimizing environmental exposure and hazards compared to systemic chemical insecticides.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If Bacillus thuringiensis strains are used for biopesticide control, then target specificity improves and environmental hazards reduce, but insecticidal activity range remains narrow

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental hazardsVSAvoidinsecticidal activity range
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by designing crop plants that can produce multiple different pesticidal proteins from various Bacillus thuringiensis strains simultaneously. This multi-functionality allows a single genetically engineered crop to provide protection against a broad spectrum of insect pests (Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera) while maintaining the environmental safety and target specificity of biopesticides.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates composite pesticidal systems by combining multiple pesticidal protein genes from different Bacillus thuringiensis strains within a single crop plant. This composite approach integrates the insecticidal activities of various strains (Cry1, Cry2, Cry3, Cry4, Cry5, Cry6, Cry7, Cry8, Cry9, Cry10, Cry11, Cry12, Cry13, Cry14, Cry15, Cry16, Cry17, Cry18, Cry19, Cry20, Cry21, Cry22, Cry23, Cry24, Cry25, Cry26, Cry27, Cry28, Cry29, Cry30, Cry31, Cry32, Cry33, Cry34, Cry35, Cry36, Cry37, Cry38, Cry39, Cry40, Cry41, Cry42, Cry43, Cry44, Cry45, Cry46, Cry47, Cry48, Cry49, Cry50, Cry51, Cry52, Cry53, Cry54, Cry55, Cry56, Cry57, Cry58, Cry59, Cry60, Cry61, Cry62, Cry63, Cry64, Cry65, Cry66, Cry67, Cry68, Cry69, Cry70, Cry71, Cry72, Cry73, Cry74, Cry75, Cry76, Cry77, Cry78, Cry79, Cry80, Cry81, Cry82, Cry83, Cry84, Cry85, Cry86, Cry87, Cry88, Cry89, Cry90, Cry91, Cry92, Cry93, Cry94, Cry95, Cry96, Cry97, Cry98, Cry99, Cry100) to achieve broad-spectrum insecticidal activity while maintaining the environmental benefits of biopesticides.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If genetically engineered crops producing single pesticidal protein are deployed, then resistance to specific pests is achieved, but effectiveness against broader insect species is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepest resistance effectivenessVSAvoidrange of insect pests controlled
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates composite pesticidal systems by combining multiple pesticidal protein genes from different Bacillus thuringiensis strains within a single crop plant. This composite approach integrates the insecticidal activities of various strains to achieve broad-spectrum insecticidal activity while maintaining the environmental benefits of biopesticides.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies universality by designing crop plants that can produce multiple different pesticidal proteins from various Bacillus thuringiensis strains simultaneously. This multi-functionality allows a single genetically engineered crop to provide protection against a broad spectrum of insect pests while maintaining the environmental safety and target specificity of biopesticides.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS7619064B2Bacillus thuringiensis gene with coleopteran activity
Publication Date: 2009.11.17 PIONEER HI BREED INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

The invention provides nucleic acids, and variants and fragments thereof, obtained from strains of Bacillus thuringiensis encoding polypeptides having pesticidal activity against insect pests, including Coleoptera. Particular embodiments of the invention provide isolated nucleic acids encoding pesticidal proteins, pesticidal compositions, DNA constructs, and transformed microorganisms and plants comprising a nucleic acid of the embodiments. These compositions find use in methods for controlling pests, especially plant pests.