Chimeric Cry Proteins for Broad-Spectrum Pest Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pest control methods, including chemical pesticides and biological agents like Bacillus thuringiensis, often have narrow spectra of activity and can lead to resistance in insect pests, necessitating the development of new agents that target a broader range of economically important insect pests while being environmentally friendly.
Innovation Solution
Development of novel Bacillus thuringiensis isolates and chimeric genes encoding Cry proteins with enhanced pesticidal activity, including mutant or variant proteins with broader spectra of activity, optimized for expression in transgenic organisms, to control a variety of plant pests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional Bacillus thuringiensis strains or their insecticidal proteins are used, then environmentally-acceptable insect control is achieved, but the spectrum of activity remains narrow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates chimeric Cry proteins that combine functional domains from different Cry proteins to achieve multi-functionality. Specifically, the invention fuses the N-terminal domain of Cry1Ab (which binds to cadherin receptors in lepidopteran insects) with the C-terminal domain of Cry3A (which is toxic to coleopteran insects), resulting in a single protein that can control both lepidopteran and coleopteran pest orders, thereby expanding the spectrum of activity while maintaining environmental acceptability.
2Reliability
If repeated use of the same pesticidal agents is employed, then pest control is maintained, but resistance development in insect pests occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent alters the molecular structure of pesticidal proteins by creating chimeric Cry proteins with novel amino acid sequences that differ from conventional Cry proteins. This structural parameter change results in new modes of action that are effective against insects but do not cross-resist with existing Cry protein-based insecticides, thereby maintaining reliable pest control while preventing resistance development.
3Adaptability or versatility
If chemical pesticides are used for pest control, then broad spectrum activity is achieved, but environmental harm increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates composite pesticidal proteins by fusing domains from different Cry proteins into chimeric structures. These composite proteins combine the receptor-binding capability of Cry1Ab with the toxicity mechanism of Cry3A, achieving broad-spectrum activity against multiple insect orders while maintaining the environmental benefits of biological insecticides, thus avoiding the environmental harm associated with chemical pesticides.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The novel Cry proteins effectively inhibit the survival, growth, and reproduction of economically important insect pests, providing enhanced protection for crops and reducing the risk of resistance development.
Implementation Method 1
After ingestion by a pest, the crystals are typically solubilized to release protoxins
Implementation Method 2
the released protoxins are processed by proteases in the insect gut, for example trypsin and chymotrypsin, to produce a proteaseresistant core Cry protein toxin
Implementation Method 3
Domains II and III are involved in receptor recognition and binding
Implementation Method 4
Domain I, typically consists of seven alpha helices and is involved in membrane insertion and pore formation
Data Source
AI summary
Novel insecticidal proteins that are toxic to lepidopteran pests are disclosed. The DNA encoding the insecticidal proteins can be used to transform prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms to express the insecticidal proteins. The recombinant organisms or compositions containing the recombinant organisms or the insecticidal proteins alone or in combination with an appropriate agricultural carrier can be used to control lepidopteran pests in various environments.