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Palma L, Sauka DH, Berry C, Peralta C. Positive selection analysis of Cyt proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis: A conservative trend driven by negative (purifying) selection. Toxicon 2024; 247:107853. [PMID: 38972359 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.107853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive entomopathogenic bacterium that produces different pesticidal proteins: vegetative insecticidal proteins (Vpb1/Vpa2, Vip3, and Vpb4) during vegetative growth, which are secreted to the culture medium, and δ-endotoxins (Cry and Cyt) during sporulation, which accumulate into parasporal crystals. Cyt proteins are the smaller subset of δ-endotoxins targeting Diptera species. While Cry and Vip3 proteins undergo positive selection, our analysis suggests that Cyt proteins evolve following a conservative trend driven negative (purifying) selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leopoldo Palma
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina; Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigación y Transferencia Agroalimentaria y Biotecnológica (IMITAB), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Villa María (UNVM), Villa María, 1555, Argentina; Laboratorio de Control Biotecnológico de Plagas, Instituto BIOTECMED, Departamento de Genética, Universitat de València, Burjassot, València, 46100, Spain.
| | - Diego Herman Sauka
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina; Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Instituto de Microbiología y Zoología Agrícola (IMYZA), Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, 1686, Argentina
| | - Colin Berry
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Cecilia Peralta
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina; Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigación y Transferencia Agroalimentaria y Biotecnológica (IMITAB), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Villa María (UNVM), Villa María, 1555, Argentina; Laboratorio de Control Biotecnológico de Plagas, Instituto BIOTECMED, Departamento de Genética, Universitat de València, Burjassot, València, 46100, Spain
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Bacteria-derived pesticidal proteins active against hemipteran pests. J Invertebr Pathol 2022; 195:107834. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2022.107834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Loth K, Parisot N, Paquet F, Terrasson H, Sivignon C, Rahioui I, Ribeiro Lopes M, Gaget K, Duport G, Delmas AF, Aucagne V, Heddi A, Calevro F, da Silva P. Aphid BCR4 Structure and Activity Uncover a New Defensin Peptide Superfamily. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012480. [PMID: 36293341 PMCID: PMC9604261 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) are among the most detrimental insects for agricultural plants, and their management is a great challenge in agronomical research. A new class of proteins, called Bacteriocyte-specific Cysteine-Rich (BCR) peptides, provides an alternative to chemical insecticides for pest control. BCRs were initially identified in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. They are small disulfide bond-rich proteins expressed exclusively in aphid bacteriocytes, the insect cells that host intracellular symbiotic bacteria. Here, we show that one of the A. pisum BCRs, BCR4, displays prominent insecticidal activity against the pea aphid, impairing insect survival and nymphal growth, providing evidence for its potential use as a new biopesticide. Our comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses indicate that BCRs are restricted to the aphid lineage. The 3D structure of BCR4 reveals that this peptide belongs to an as-yet-unknown structural class of peptides and defines a new superfamily of defensins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Loth
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
- UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université d’Orléans, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Nicolas Parisot
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Françoise Paquet
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Hugo Terrasson
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Isabelle Rahioui
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Karen Gaget
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Gabrielle Duport
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Agnès F. Delmas
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Vincent Aucagne
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Abdelaziz Heddi
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Federica Calevro
- Univ Lyon, INRAE, INSA Lyon, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Pedro da Silva
- Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, INRAE, BF2I, UMR 203, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
- Correspondence:
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Díaz-Valerio S, Lev Hacohen A, Schöppe R, Liesegang H. IDOPS, a Profile HMM-Based Tool to Detect Pesticidal Sequences and Compare Their Genetic Context. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:664476. [PMID: 34276598 PMCID: PMC8279765 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.664476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biopesticide-based crop protection is constantly challenged by insect resistance. Thus, expansion of available biopesticides is crucial for sustainable agriculture. Although Bacillus thuringiensis is the major agent for pesticide bioprotection, the number of bacteria species synthesizing proteins with biopesticidal potential is much higher. The Bacterial Pesticidal Protein Resource Center (BPPRC) offers a database of sequences for the control of insect pests, grouped in structural classes. Here we present IDOPS, a tool that detects novel biopesticidal sequences and analyzes them within their genetic environment. The backbone of the IDOPS detection unit is a curated collection of high-quality hidden Markov models that is in accordance with the BPPRC nomenclature. IDOPS was positively benchmarked with BtToxin_Digger and Cry_Processor. In addition, a scan of the UniProtKB database using the IDOPS models returned an abundance of new pesticidal protein candidates distributed across all of the structural groups. Gene expression depends on the genomic environment, therefore, IDOPS provides a comparative genomics module to investigate the genetic regions surrounding pesticidal genes. This feature enables the investigation of accessory elements and evolutionary traits relevant for optimal toxin expression and functional diversification. IDOPS contributes and expands our current arsenal of pesticidal proteins used for crop protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefani Díaz-Valerio
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anat Lev Hacohen
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Raphael Schöppe
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Heiko Liesegang
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Potential for Bacillus thuringiensis and Other Bacterial Toxins as Biological Control Agents to Combat Dipteran Pests of Medical and Agronomic Importance. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12120773. [PMID: 33291447 PMCID: PMC7762171 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12120773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The control of dipteran pests is highly relevant to humans due to their involvement in the transmission of serious diseases including malaria, dengue fever, Chikungunya, yellow fever, zika, and filariasis; as well as their agronomic impact on numerous crops. Many bacteria are able to produce proteins that are active against insect species. These bacteria include Bacillus thuringiensis, the most widely-studied pesticidal bacterium, which synthesizes proteins that accumulate in crystals with insecticidal properties and which has been widely used in the biological control of insects from different orders, including Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera. In this review, we summarize all the bacterial proteins, from B. thuringiensis and other entomopathogenic bacteria, which have described insecticidal activity against dipteran pests, including species of medical and agronomic importance.
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Panwar BS, Kaur S. Structural characterization and heterologous expression of a new cyt gene cloned from Bacillus thuringiensis. J Mol Model 2019; 25:136. [PMID: 31028552 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-019-3994-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains produce Cry (crystal) and Cyt (cytolytic) proteins belonging to the group of bacterial toxins known as pore-forming toxins (PFTs), which interact with midgut cells of target insects to create pores, disruption of ion homeostasis and eventual death. PFTs have synergistic insecticidal activities and have been used as biopesticides against agriculturally important insects. Identification of new Cyt proteins is important because of their specific toxicity towards hemipteran pests, against which the Cry proteins are not effective. We have structurally characterized a cyt (cyt1007) gene from an Indian Bt isolate SK-1007. The presence of a "Bacillus thuringiensis toxin" domain and maximum identity of 36% with Cyt2Ca in the deduced amino acid sequence indicated Cyt1007 protein to be a new member of Cyt family. Three dimensional (3D) modeling (PMDB ID: PM0081490) revealed that it adopts a typical ferredoxin-like fold, and is composed of a single domain of α/β architecture, in which a single β sheet is surrounded by two α helical layers. The putative lipid binding site and probable mode of action of Cyt1007 protein were predicted through comparative analysis with other Cyt toxins and their distant homologs Evf (Erwinia virulence factor) and VVA2 (Volvatoxin A2). Heterologous expression of cyt1007 gene as a 25 kDa protein in Escherichia coli was achieved at high levels in both soluble and insoluble fractions. Affinity chromatography-based purification yielded 83.6% purified Cyt1007 protein, which can be used for downstream applications for the investigation of its toxicity. Graphical abstract Steps in the structural characterization and heterologous expression of a new cyt gene cloned from Bacillus thuringiensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhupendra S Panwar
- ICAR-National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Sarvjeet Kaur
- ICAR-National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India.
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Wang J, Zhou X, Guo K, Zhang X, Lin H, Montalva C. Transcriptomic insight into pathogenicity-associated factors of Conidiobolus obscurus, an obligate aphid-pathogenic fungus belonging to Entomopthoromycota. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2018; 74:1677-1686. [PMID: 29337410 DOI: 10.1002/ps.4861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conidiobolus obscurus is a widespread fungal entomopathogen with aphid biocontrol potential. This study focused on a de novo transcriptomic analysis of C. obscurus. RESULTS A number of pathogenicity-associated factors were annotated for the first time from the assembled 17 231 fungal unigenes, including those encoding subtilisin-like proteolytic enzymes (Pr1s), trypsin-like proteases, metalloproteases, carboxypeptidases and endochitinases. Many of these genes were transcriptionally up-regulated by at least twofold in mycotized cadavers compared with the in vitro fungal cultures. The resultant transcriptomic database was validated by the transcript levels of three selected pathogenicity-related genes quantified from different in vivo and in vitro material in real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The involvement of multiple Pr1 proteases in the first stage of fungal infection was also suggested. Interestingly, a unique cytolytic (Cyt)-like δ-endotoxin gene was highly expressed in both mycotized cadavers and fungal cultures, and was more or less distinct from its homologues in bacteria and other fungi. CONCLUSION Our findings provide the first global insight into various pathogenicity-related genes in this obligate aphid pathogen and may help to develop novel biocontrol strategy against aphid pests. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianghong Wang
- National Joint Local Engineering Laboratory for High-Efficient Preparation of Biopesticide, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, Lin'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- National Joint Local Engineering Laboratory for High-Efficient Preparation of Biopesticide, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, Lin'an, People's Republic of China
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Kai Guo
- National Joint Local Engineering Laboratory for High-Efficient Preparation of Biopesticide, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, Lin'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinqi Zhang
- National Joint Local Engineering Laboratory for High-Efficient Preparation of Biopesticide, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, Lin'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Haiping Lin
- National Joint Local Engineering Laboratory for High-Efficient Preparation of Biopesticide, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, Lin'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Cristian Montalva
- Instituto de Bioquímica y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
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Moreno-Cencerrado A, Tharad S, Iturri J, Promdonkoy B, Krittanai C, Toca-Herrera JL. Time influence on the interaction between Cyt2Aa2 and lipid/cholesterol bilayers. Microsc Res Tech 2016; 79:1017-1023. [PMID: 27474495 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.22736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Protein-membrane interactions are still an important topic of investigation. One of the suitable experimental techniques used by the scientific community to address such question is atomic force microscopy. In a previous work, we have reported that the binding mechanism between the cytolytic and antimicrobial protein (Cyt2Aa2) and lipid/cholesterol bilayers was concentration-dependent, leading to either the formation of holes in the bilayer or aggregates. Here we study such binding mechanism as a function of time at low protein concentrations (10 µg/mL). We demonstrate that although holes are formed during the first stages of the protein-lipid interaction, a reparation process due to molecular mobility in the bilayer leads to a homogenous and isotropic protein-lipid/cholesterol layer within 3 hr. The combination of imaging, force spectroscopy, and phase contrast delivered information about topography dynamics (molecular mobility), layer thickness, and mechanical properties of the protein-lipid/cholesterol system. These results highlight the importance of the observation time in (such type of) protein-lipid interactions (at low protein concentrations).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Moreno-Cencerrado
- Institute for Biophysics, Department of Nanobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Muthgasse 11, Vienna, 1190, Austria
| | - Sudarat Tharad
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, 25/25 Phuttamonthon 4 Road, Salaya Campus, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Jagoba Iturri
- Institute for Biophysics, Department of Nanobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Muthgasse 11, Vienna, 1190, Austria
| | - Boonhiang Promdonkoy
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 113 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
| | - Chartchai Krittanai
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, 25/25 Phuttamonthon 4 Road, Salaya Campus, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - José L Toca-Herrera
- Institute for Biophysics, Department of Nanobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Muthgasse 11, Vienna, 1190, Austria.
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Understanding the structure and function of Bacillus thuringiensis toxins. Toxicon 2015; 109:1-3. [PMID: 26548713 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2015.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
As biological control agents take an expanding share of the pesticides market and the production of insect-resistant crops increases, it is essential to understand the structure and function of the active agents, the invertebrate-active toxins that are the fundamental ingredients of these control systems. The potential for these agents in industry, agriculture and medicine necessitates a thorough investigation of their activity.
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