Bacillus thuringiensis Gene for Lepidopteran 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 those from the order Lepidoptera, necessitating the development of alternative biopesticides with broader insecticidal activity.

Innovation Solution

The use of nucleic acids encoding novel pesticidal polypeptides from Bacillus thuringiensis genes to produce transformed microorganisms and plants that express insecticidal proteins, providing enhanced pesticidal activity against a variety of insect pests, including those from the order Lepidoptera, through optimized nucleotide sequences and mutagenized polypeptides.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If broad-spectrum chemical insecticides are used to control insect pests, then pest control effectiveness is improved, but environmental hazards increase

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

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of pesticides by using naturally occurring Bacillus thuringiensis genes and their variants to produce pesticidal polypeptides with different toxicological profiles than synthetic chemicals, maintaining effectiveness while reducing environmental harm

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by creating pesticidal polypeptides with specific activity profiles targeting particular insect orders (Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera) rather than broad-spectrum chemicals, thereby reducing non-target environmental impact while maintaining control effectiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If genetically engineered crops producing Bt pesticidal proteins are deployed, then environmental friendliness is improved, but the range of insect pests controlled is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental friendlinessVSAvoidrange of insect pests controlled
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by isolating and characterizing multiple Bt genes (Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1D, Cry2A, Cry2B, Cry2C, 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) with activity against multiple insect orders, enabling a single biopesticide platform to control diverse pest populations across different crop types

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

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies dynamics by creating a flexible gene platform where nucleotide sequences can be optimized for different expression systems and pest targets, allowing the same basic approach to be dynamically adapted to control different insect pests through sequence variation rather than requiring fundamentally different solutions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If conventional Bt toxins are used for pest control, then simplicity of application is maintained, but insecticidal activity against diverse Lepidoptera pests is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimplicity of applicationVSAvoidinsecticidal activity against diverse Lepidoptera pests
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the molecular parameters of Bt toxins by isolating and characterizing genes encoding polypeptides with enhanced or modified insecticidal properties, particularly against Lepidoptera, while maintaining the same application simplicity as conventional Bt products

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS8283524B2Bacillus thuringiensis gene with lepidopteran activity
Publication Date: 2012.10.09 CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE LLC

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. 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.