Bt Insecticidal Polypeptides for Broad-Spectrum Crop Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for new Bacillus thuringiensis toxins with a broader range of insecticidal activity against insect pests, particularly those effective against a variety of insects from the order Lepidoptera, and for biopesticides with improved insecticidal activity.
Innovation Solution
Compositions and methods utilizing nucleotide sequences that encode insecticidal peptides to produce transformed microorganisms and plants expressing insecticidal polypeptides, including optimized codons for enhanced expression in host plants, and engineered mutations to introduce specific amino acid sequences for improved pesticidal activity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If broad-spectrum chemical insecticides are used to control insect pests, then insect pest populations are impacted, but environmental hazards and pollution increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical insecticides with a biological control agent (Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria) that produces insecticidal crystal proteins. This substitution eliminates the environmental hazards of synthetic chemicals while maintaining pest control effectiveness through the natural toxic activity of Bt crystal proteins against insect pests.
Solution Approach 2:
The Bt bacteria produce their own insecticidal crystal proteins during growth, which are then ingested by insect pests. The proteins activate toxins within the insect's own digestive system, using the pest's biological processes against itself. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for external chemical applications and reduces environmental pollution.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If biopesticides from Bacillus strains are used as alternatives to chemical pesticides, then environmental friendliness and target specificity improve, but insecticidal activity range remains narrow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a multi-functional Bt biopesticide formulation containing four different crystal protein toxins (Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab, and Cry3A) that target different insect orders. This universal approach allows a single biopesticide product to control diverse pest species including Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera, expanding the activity range while maintaining environmental safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple Bt crystal protein toxins into a composite biopesticide formulation. Each toxin targets specific insect groups, and their combination creates a broad-spectrum biopesticide that maintains the environmental benefits of biological control while achieving wide insecticidal activity across multiple pest orders and species.
3Reliability
If genetically engineered crops producing Bt pesticidal proteins are deployed, then commercially successful insect resistance is achieved, but resistance is limited to narrow range of insect pests
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops transgenic crop plants that simultaneously produce multiple Bt crystal protein toxins (Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab, and/or Cry3A) to provide universal protection against diverse insect pests. This multi-toxin approach expands the range of protected crops and pests beyond what single-toxin Bt crops can achieve, while maintaining the environmental benefits of biological control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the genetic parameters of crop plants by introducing multiple Bt toxin genes and optimizing their expression. This allows the crops to produce a broader spectrum of pesticidal proteins, expanding the range of insect pests controlled while maintaining effectiveness against each target species through optimized protein expression levels and combinations.
Data Source
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 Lepidoptera and 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.