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Functional expression of an alpha anti‐insect scorpion neurotoxin in insect cells and lepidopterous larvae
Author(s) -
Chejanovsky Nor,
Zilberberg Noam,
Rivkin Hadasah,
Zlotkin Eliahu,
Gurevitz Michael
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(95)01263-4
Subject(s) - autographa californica , recombinant dna , biology , insect , helicoverpa armigera , nuclear polyhedrosis virus , trichoplusia , spodoptera littoralis , virology , baculoviridae , spodoptera , virus , complementary dna , noctuidae , microbiology and biotechnology , larva , botany , biochemistry , gene
The Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus alpha anti‐insect toxin (LqhαIT) cDNA was engineered into the Autographa californica Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (AcNPV) genome. Insect cells infected with the recombinant virus secreted a functional LqhαIT polypeptide. Spodoptera littoralis and Heliothis armigera larvae injected with recombinant budded virus, showed typical intoxication symptoms. This recombinant virus showed enhanced insecticidal potency against H. armigera larvae compared with wild type AcNPV. The present expression system will facilitate: (1) the future elucidation of structural elements involved in its prominent anti‐insect toxicity; and (2) the future design of genetically modified alpha toxins with improved anti‐insect selectivity.