Novel Delta-Endotoxin Genes for Crop Pest Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a continuous need for new forms of pesticidal toxins to control insect pests effectively in agriculture, as existing methods may not fully address the devastation caused by insects and improve crop yields.
Innovation Solution
The development of novel genes encoding pesticidal proteins, specifically delta-endotoxins, which can be used to transform bacteria and plants to confer pest resistance or tolerance, including the use of nucleic acid molecules, vectors, and host cells to produce these proteins, thereby controlling lepidopteran, hemipteran, coleopteran, nematode, or dipteran pests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing pesticidal methods are used, then current pest control capabilities are maintained, but they do not fully address the devastation caused by insects and improve crop yields
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides pest control into multiple functional domains by developing distinct toxin families (Cry, Cyt, Cdi) with different mechanisms of action and target specificities. Each toxin family addresses different pest orders and resistance patterns, allowing segmented deployment against diverse pest populations to maximize crop protection and yield
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies toxin parameters including amino acid sequence variations, expression levels, and delivery mechanisms to enhance pesticidal activity. By changing the molecular parameters of the toxins and their delivery systems, the invention achieves improved pest control efficacy and crop yield protection beyond existing methods
2Reliability
If novel toxin genes are developed and expressed in organisms, then pest resistance and tolerance are enhanced, but the complexity of genetic transformation and protein production increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops universal expression systems and vector platforms that can deliver multiple different toxin genes (Cry, Cyt, Cdi families) across various host organisms including plants, bacteria, and insects. This multi-functional approach allows a single transformation system to provide broad-spectrum pest resistance against multiple pest orders through different toxin mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses bacterial expression systems and protein purification intermediaries to produce pesticidal toxins before delivery to target organisms. This intermediary production approach simplifies the overall complexity by separating toxin synthesis from final delivery, allowing standardized production and quality control of active pesticidal proteins
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 pesticidal proteins provide enhanced pest resistance or tolerance in organisms, effectively killing or impairing pests, thereby improving agricultural yields and reducing pest-related damage.
Implementation Method 1
This toxin binds to apical brush border receptors in the midgut of the target larvae and inserts into the apical membrane creating ion channels or pores, resulting in larval death.
Data Source
AI summary
Compositions and methods for conferring pesticidal activity to bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues and seeds are provided. Compositions comprising a coding sequence for a toxin polypeptide are provided. The coding sequences can be used in DNA constructs or expression cassettes for transformation and expression in plants and bacteria. Compositions also comprise transformed bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues, and seeds. In particular, isolated toxin nucleic acid molecules are provided. Additionally, amino acid sequences corresponding to the polynucleotides are encompassed, and antibodies specifically binding to those amino acid sequences. In particular, the present invention provides for isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising nucleotide sequences encoding the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:4-7, or the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, 2, or 3, as well as variants and fragments thereof.