Shuffled Cry Toxin Proteins Expand Pest Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current genetically engineered crops that produce pesticidal proteins from Bacillus strains provide limited resistance to a narrow range of insect pests and may lead to resistance development in insects, necessitating the identification of alternative biological control agents.
Innovation Solution
Development of novel genes encoding shuffled Cry toxin polypeptides with altered spectra of activity, amount of pesticidal activity, mode of action, or site of action, which can be used to transform bacteria, plants, and other organisms to confer pesticidal activity against a broader range of insect pests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If genetically engineered crops produce pesticidal proteins from Bacillus strains, then insect resistance is improved, but the range of pest coverage is limited to a narrow spectrum
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the Cry toxin protein into distinct functional domains (N-terminal domain, C-terminal domain, and internal repeats). By separately modifying these domains through domain swapping, the invention creates hybrid proteins that combine different functional properties, thereby expanding pest coverage while maintaining insecticidal activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates multifunctional hybrid Cry toxins that can target multiple insect orders (Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera) simultaneously. The domain swapping approach allows a single protein to inherit complementary determining regions from different parent toxins, achieving broad-spectrum activity across diverse pest species.
2Productivity
If genetically engineered crops produce pesticidal proteins, then pest control effectiveness is improved, but insect resistance development occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent alters key parameters of the Cry toxin by swapping complementary determining regions (CDRs) between different parent proteins. This changes the binding specificity and mode of action of the toxin, creating variants with novel mechanisms that can overcome resistance developed to parental strains while maintaining or enhancing pesticidal activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent preemptively addresses resistance development by creating hybrid toxins with altered binding properties before resistance occurs. By domain swapping to produce toxins with different epitopes and mechanisms of action, the invention prepares alternative modes of attack that can counteract resistance selection pressure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If novel shuffled Cry toxin polypeptides are developed, then spectrum of activity is expanded, but protein structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the Cry toxin into modular domains with defined boundaries (N-terminal, C-terminal, and internal repeats). This segmentation allows systematic domain swapping where each domain can be independently modified and recombined, managing structural complexity through standardized modular interfaces while achieving diverse functional outcomes.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to the field of molecular biology. Provided are novel genes that encode pesticidal proteins. These pesticidal proteins and the nucleic acid sequences that encode them are useful in preparing pesticidal formulations and in the production of transgenic pest-resistant plants. Methods to create or alter pesticidal proteins are provided for altered or enhanced pesticidal activity.