Response of midgut epithelial cells to Cry1Aa is toxin-dependent and depends on the interplay between toxic action and the host apoptotic response

JAK/STAT signaling regulated intestinal regeneration defends insect pests against pore-forming toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis

A variety of coordinated host-cell responses are activated as defense mechanisms against pore-forming toxins (PFTs). Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a worldwide used biopesticide whose efficacy and precise application methods limits its use to replace synthetic pesticides in agricultural settings. Here, we analyzed the intestinal defense mechanisms of two lepidopteran insect pests after intoxication with sublethal dose of Bt PFTs to find out potential functional genes. We show that larval intestinal epithelium was initially damaged by the PFTs and that larval survival was observed after intestinal epithelium regeneration. Further analyses showed that the intestinal regeneration caused by Cry9A protein is regulated through c-Jun NH (2) terminal kinase (JNK) and Janus tyrosine kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathways. JAK/STAT signaling regulates intestinal regeneration through proliferation and differentiation of intestinal stem cells to defend three different Bt proteins including Cry9A, Cry1F or Vip3A in both insect pests, Chilo suppressalis and Spodoptera frugiperda. Consequently, a nano-biopesticide was designed to improve pesticidal efficacy based on the combination of Stat double stranded RNA (dsRNA)-nanoparticles and Bt strain. This formulation controlled insect pests with better effect suggesting its potential use to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides in agricultural settings for pest control.

Transcriptome reveal the response to Cry1Ac toxin in susceptible Bombyx mori

Bombyx mori as a representative in Lepidoptera is an important economic insect in agriculture production. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a bacterial pathogen in silkworm production. Understanding how silkworm respond to Bt-toxin can provide guidance to cultivate resistant silkworm strains. Cry1Ac is one type of Bt-toxin. In current research, Dazao, a susceptible B. mori strain to Bt-toxin, was treated by Cry1Ac toxin and compared its transcriptome with untreated samples. This analysis detected 1234 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene Ontology, KEGG, and UniProt keyword enrichment analysis showed that DEGs include ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, stress response, cuticle, and protein synthesis, and folding process. Five ABC genes were upregulated after Cry1Ac treatment including ABCA2, ABCA3, and ABCC4. They are also known as the transporters of Bt-toxin in lepidopteran insect. Expression of cuticle proteins was significantly increased at 6 h after Cry1Ac treatment. Sex-specific storage-proteins and heat shock protein were also upregulated in Cry1Ac treated samples. Our data provide an expression profile about the response of Cry1Ac toxin in susceptible B. mori strain.

Response Mechanisms of Invertebrates to Bacillus thuringiensis and Its Pesticidal Proteins

Extensive use of chemical insecticides adversely affects both environment and human health. One of the most popular biological pest control alternatives is bioinsecticides based on Bacillus thuringiensis This entomopathogenic bacterium produces different protein types which are toxic to several insect, mite, and nematode species. Currently, insecticidal proteins belonging to the Cry and Vip3 groups are widely used to control insect pests both in formulated sprays and in transgenic crops. However, the benefits of B. thuringiensis-based products are threatened by insect resistance evolution. Numerous studies have highlighted that mutations in genes coding for surrogate receptors are responsible for conferring resistance to B. thuringiensis Nevertheless, other mechanisms may also contribute to the reduction of the effectiveness of B. thuringiensis-based products for managing insect pests and even to the acquisition of resistance. Here, we review the relevant literature reporting how invertebrates (mainly insects and Caenorhabditis elegans) respond to exposure to B. thuringiensis as either whole bacteria, spores, and/or its pesticidal proteins.

Loss of control of the culturable bacteria in the hindgut of Bombyx mori after Cry1Ab ingestion

Bt protein, produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, can bind receptors to destroy the physiological functions of the insect midgut. It is unknown whether Bt can also target the hindgut and influence its defense against fecal bacteria. Here we show that Crystal protein 1Ab (Cry1Ab), a Bt protein, was detected in the larval hindgut contents of Bombyx mori after ingestion of this toxin protein. The number of fecal bacteria that can be inhibited by the hindgut prophenoloxidase-induced melanization was significantly enhanced after oral ingestion of Cry1Ab. Although the hindgut contents became brown, the activity of hindgut phenoloxidase was decreased. LC-MS/MS analysis of the hindgut lumen contents revealed that many new proteins including several proteases were newly secreted. The enhanced secretion of proteases cleaved prophenoloxidase to decrease its activity, including the corresponding activity to inhibit the fecal bacteria. In addition, after ingestion of Cry1Ab, the pylorus (between the midgut and hindgut) could not autonomously contract due to the physical detachment of the acellular cuticle-like membrane from the epidermal cells, which prevented the movement of food from the midgut to the hindgut. Some cells in the cryptonephry of the hindgut became swollen and degraded, possibly due to the presence of Cry1Ab in the hindgut. These findings demonstrate that the inhibition of feces bacteria by the hindgut prophenoloxidase-induced melanization is out of control after Cry1Ab ingestion.

Possible Insecticidal Mechanism of Cry41-Related Toxin against Myzus persicae by Enhancing Cathepsin B Activity

Cry toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis are well known for their high insecticidal activities against Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera; however, their activities against Aphididae are very low. Recently, it has been reported that a Cry41-related toxin exhibited moderate activity against the aphid Myzus persicae, and thus, it is highly desirable to uncover its unique mechanism. In this paper, we report that Cathepsin B, calcium-transporting ATPase, and symbiotic bacterial-associated protein ATP-dependent-6-phosphofructokinase were pulled down from the homogenate of M. persicae as unique proteins that possibly bound to Cry41-related toxin. Cathepsin B has been reported to cleave and inactivate antiapoptotic proteins and plays a role in caspase-initiated apoptotic cascades. In this study, Cathepsin B was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified, and in vitro interaction between recombinant Cathepsin B and Cry41-related toxin was demonstrated. Interestingly, we found that addition of Cry41-related toxin obviously enhanced Cathepsin B activity. We propose a model for the mechanism of Cry41-related toxin as follows: Cry41-related toxin enters the aphid cells and enhances Cathepsin B activity, resulting in acceleration of apoptosis of aphid cells.

Improved insect resistance against Spodoptera litura in transgenic sweetpotato by overexpressing Cry1Aa toxin

Overexpressing the Cry1Aa gene in sweetpotato significantly reduced pest damage through disrupting the integrity of the midgut of Spodoptera litura larvae for resistance against target Lepidoptera insect pests in sweetpotato. Sweetpotato is susceptible to insect pests and diseases leading to yield losses during pest outbreaks. Lepidoptera insects such as S litura are especially important pests of sweetpotato. The effect of Cry1Aa gene on S. litura was investigated by overexpressing Cry1Aa gene in sweetpotato to relieve symptoms due to pest damage. When transgenic leaves were fed to the larvae of S. litura, the growth of the larvae was reduced, the larval quality decreased, and mortality was increased compared with the larvae that fed on wild-type leaves. Further anatomical analysis revealed that the columnar cells of the midgut epithelium of the BT group were significantly damaged, loosened, or disordered. Furthermore, the integrity of the midgut was destroyed. In addition, when potted seedlings of the wild-type and BT sweetpotato were inoculated with the same number of S. litura larvae, wild-type plants died on the eighth day after infestation, while BT transgenic lines still grew normally. This study showed that transgenic sweetpotato overexpressing Cry1Aa can prevent S. litura infestation, and thus increase the yield of sweetpotato.

Function and Role of ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters as Receptors for 3D-Cry Toxins

When ABC transporter family C2 (ABCC2) and ABC transporter family B1 (ABCB1) were heterologously expressed in non-susceptible cultured cells, the cells swelled in response to Cry1A and Cry3 toxins, respectively. Consistent with the notion that 3D-Cry toxins form cation-permeable pores, Bombyx mori ABCC2 (BmABCC2) facilitated cation-permeable pore formation by Cry1A when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Furthermore, BmABCC2 had a high binding affinity (KD) to Cry1Aa of 3.1 × 10-10 M. These findings suggest that ABC transporters, including ABCC2 and ABCB1, are functional receptors for 3D-Cry toxins. In addition, the Cry2 toxins most distant from Cry1A toxins on the phylogenetic tree used ABC transporter A2 as a receptor. These data suggest that 3D-Cry toxins use ABC transporters as receptors. In terms of inducing cell swelling, ABCC2 has greater activity than cadherin-like receptor. The pore opening of ABC transporters was hypothesized to be linked to their receptor function, but this was repudiated by experiments using mutants deficient in export activity. The synergistic relationship between ABCC2 and cadherin-like receptor explains their ability to cause resistance in one species of insect.

Cell lines as models for the study of Cry toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis

Cell lines have been use extensively for the study of the mode of action of different pore forming toxins produced by different bacterial species. Bacillus thuringiensis Cry toxins are not the exception and their mechanism of action has been analyzed in different cell lines. Here we review the data obtained with different cell lines, including those that are naturally susceptible to the three domain Cry toxins (3d-Cry) and other non-susceptible cell lines that have been transformed with 3d-Cry toxin binding molecules cloned from the susceptible insects. The effects on Cry toxin action after expressing different insect gut proteins, such as glycosyl-phosphatidyl-inositol (GPI) anchored proteins (like alkaline phosphatase (ALP) aminopeptidase (APN)), or trans-membrane proteins (like cadherin (CAD) or ATP-binding cassette subfamily C member 2 (ABCC2) transporter) in cell lines showed that, with few exceptions, expression of GPI-anchored proteins do not correlated with increased susceptibility to the toxin, while the expression of CAD or ABCC2 proteins correlated with induced susceptibility to Cry toxins in the transformed cells lines. Also, that the co-expression of CAD and ABCC2 transporter induced a synergistic effect in the toxicity of 3d-Cry toxins. Overall the data show that in susceptible cell lines, the 3d-Cry toxins induce pore formation that correlates with toxicity. However, the intracellular responses remain controversial since it was shown that the same 3d-Cry toxin in different cell lines activated different responses such as adenylate cyclase-PKA death response or apoptosis. Parasporins are Cry toxins that are toxic to cancer cell lines that have structural similarities with the insecticidal Cry toxins. They belong to the 3d-Cry toxin or to MTX-like Cry toxin families but also show important differences with the insecticidal Cry proteins. Some parasporins are pore-forming toxins, and some activate apoptosis. In this review we summarized the results of the different studies about the Cry toxins mode of action using cultured cell lines and discuss their relation with the studies performed in insect larvae.

Changes in gene expression and apoptotic response in Spodoptera exigua larvae exposed to sublethal concentrations of Vip3 insecticidal proteins

The insecticidal Vip3 proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), along with the classical Bt Cry proteins, are currently used in Bt-crops to control insect pests, since they do not share the same mode of action. Here we characterized the response of Spodoptera exigua larvae after Vip3 challenge. The expression profile of 47 genes was analyzed in larvae challenged with three concentrations of Vip3Ca. Results showed that the up-regulated genes were mainly involved in immune response, whereas the down-regulated genes were mainly involved in the digestion process. Other mechanisms of cellular response to the damage such as apoptosis were analyzed. For this analysis, sections from the midguts were examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The nuclei of the midgut epithelial cells were stained at the highest concentration of the Vip3Ca protein and at lower concentrations of Vip3Aa in agreement with the different potency of the two proteins. In addition, apoptosis was also examined by the analysis of the expression of five caspase genes. The present study shows that exposure of S. exigua larvae to sublethal concentrations of Vip3 proteins activates different insect response pathways which trigger the regulation of some genes, APN shedding, and apoptotic cell death.

Alpha-arylphorin is a mitogen in the Heliothis virescens midgut cell secretome upon Cry1Ac intoxication

Insecticidal crystal (Cry) proteins produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) target cells in the midgut epithelium of susceptible larvae. While the mode of action of Cry toxins has been extensively investigated, the midgut response to Cry intoxication and its regulation are not well characterized. In this work, we describe the secreted proteome (secretome) of primary mature midgut cell cultures from Heliothis virescens larvae after exposure to Cry1Ac toxin compared to control buffer treatment. The Cry1Ac-induced secretome caused higher proliferation and differentiation and an overall reduction in total cell mortality over time in primary H. virescens midgut stem cell cultures when compared to treatment with control buffer secretome. Differential proteomics identified four proteins with significant differences in abundance comparing Cry1Ac-treated and control secretomes. The most significant difference detected in the Cry1Ac secretome was an arylphorin subunit alpha protein not detected in the control secretome. Feeding of purified alpha-arylphorin to H. virescens larvae resulted in midgut hyperplasia and significantly reduced susceptibility to Cry1Ac toxin compared to controls. These data identify alpha-arylphorin as a protein with a new putative role in the midgut regeneration process in response to Cry1Ac intoxication and possibly pathogen/abiotic stress, identifying alpha-arylphorin as a potential gene to target with insecticidal gene silencing for pest control.

An Overview of Mechanisms of Cry Toxin Resistance in Lepidopteran Insects

Arthropods have the capacity to evolve resistance to insecticides and insecticidal traits in genetically modified crops. Resistance development among Lepidoptera is a common phenomenon, and a repertoire of resistance mechanisms to various Cry toxins have been identified from laboratory, greenhouse, and field studies in this insect order. Elucidation of such resistance mechanisms is crucial for developing IRM (insect resistance management) strategies to ensure sustainable use of genetically modified crops. This mini review provides a comprehensive overview of mechanisms of resistance that have been reported for lepidopteran pests. This study demonstrated that resistance mechanisms are highly complex, and the most common mechanism of resistance is altered binding sites. It is yet to be established whether all these altered binding sites are regulated by an MAPK signaling pathway, which might suggest a universal mechanism of resistance in lepidopterans.

Responses of the cutworm Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to two Bt corn hybrids expressing Cry1Ab

To examine the responses of the secondary lepidopteran pest Spodoptera litura to two Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn hybrids [5422Bt1 (Event Bt11), 5422CBCL (MON810)] expressing Cry1Ab, larval bioassays with Cry1Ab toxin, corn leaves or kernels and bagging on corn plants were conducted. The results showed that larvae displayed a similar performance when fed kernels, but not leaves of 5422Bt1, 5422CBCL and their near-isogenic non-Bt corn (5422). Significantly higher Cry1Ab amounts were detected in larvae fed leaves than kernels of both Bt hybrids, with different molecular weights of protein band in plants (72 and 90 kDa for 5422Bt1 and 5422CBCL, respectively), gut contents (65 kDa), feces (50 kDa), which indicated that larvae had lower ingestion, higher degradation and excretion of Cry1Ab when fed kernels not leaves of both Bt hybrids. Significantly higher levels of cadherin-like receptors and alkaline phosphatase transcripts were detected in larvae fed leaves than kernels of two Bt hybrids. Catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S-transferase activities in larvae fed 5422Bt1 leaves were significantly higher than that of 5422 treatments. Therefore, S. litura had low susceptibility to 5422Bt1 and 5422CBCL when larvae fed kernels not leaves of Bt corn. Additionally, S. litura presented a much stronger tolerance to 5422CBCL than 5422Bt1.

Water influx via aquaporin directly determines necrotic cell death induced by the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry toxin

The Bacillus thuringiensis Cry toxin causes swelling and necrosis in insect cells, but the route(s) and significance of the water influx involved in its cytotoxicity are unclear. Here, we assessed the role of aquaporins (AQPs), known as water channels, in Cry toxin intoxication. An AQP inhibitor did not interfere with any known process to form the toxin pore, but it diminished the cell swelling and loss of membrane integrity induced by the Cry toxin. Overexpression of AQPs facilitated water influx and cytotoxicity. Our results demonstrate that water influx via aquaporin directly determines necrotic cell death induced by the Cry toxin.

Single amino acid insertions in extracellular loop 2 of Bombyx mori ABCC2 disrupt its receptor function for Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac but not Cry1Aa toxins

In a previous report, seven Cry1Ab-resistant strains were identified in the silkworm, Bombyx mori; these strains were shown to have a tyrosine insertion at position 234 in extracellular loop 2 of the ABC transporter C2 (BmABCC2). This insertion was confirmed to destroy the receptor function of BmABCC2 and confer the strains resistance against Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac. However, these strains were susceptible to Cry1Aa. In this report, we examined the mechanisms of the loss of receptor function of the transporter by expressing mutations in Sf9 cells. After replacement of one or two of the five amino acid residues in loop 2 of the susceptible BmABCC2 gene [BmABCC2_S] with alanine, cells still showed susceptibility, retaining the receptor function. Five mutants with single amino acid insertions at position 234 in BmABCC2 were also generated, resulting in loop 2 having six amino acids, which corresponds to replacing the tyrosine insertion in the resistant BmABCC2 gene [BmABCC2_R(+(234)Y)] with another amino acid. All five mutants exhibited loss of function against Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac. These results suggest that the amino acid sequence in loop 2 is less important than the loop size (five vs. six amino acids) or loop structure for Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac activity. Several domain-swapped mutant toxins were then generated among Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, and Cry1Ac, which are composed of three domains. Swapped mutants containing domain II of Cry1Ab or Cry1Ac did not kill Sf9 cells expressing BmABCC2_R(+(234)Y), suggesting that domain II of the Cry toxin is related to the interaction with the receptor function of BmABCC2. This also suggests that different reactions against Bt-toxins in some B. mori strains, that is, Cry1Ab resistance or Cry1Aa susceptibility, are attributable to structural differences in domain II of Cry1A toxins.

Characterization of an insecticidal toxin and pathogenicity of Pseudomonas taiwanensis against insects

Pseudomonas taiwanensis is a broad-host-range entomopathogenic bacterium that exhibits insecticidal activity toward agricultural pests Plutella xylostella, Spodoptera exigua, Spodoptera litura, Trichoplusia ni and Drosophila melanogaster. Oral infection with different concentrations (OD = 0.5 to 2) of wild-type P. taiwanensis resulted in insect mortality rates that were not significantly different (92.7%, 96.4% and 94.5%). The TccC protein, a component of the toxin complex (Tc), plays an essential role in the insecticidal activity of P. taiwanensis. The ΔtccC mutant strain of P. taiwanensis, which has a knockout mutation in the tccC gene, only induced 42.2% mortality in P. xylostella, even at a high bacterial dose (OD = 2.0). TccC protein was cleaved into two fragments, an N-terminal fragment containing an Rhs-like domain and a C-terminal fragment containing a Glt symporter domain and a TraT domain, which might contribute to antioxidative stress activity and defense against macrophagosis, respectively. Interestingly, the primary structure of the C-terminal region of TccC in P. taiwanensis is unique among pathogens. Membrane localization of the C-terminal fragment of TccC was proven by flow cytometry. Sonicated pellets of P. taiwanensis ΔtccC strain had lower toxicity against the Sf9 insect cell line and P. xylostella larvae than the wild type. We also found that infection of Sf9 and LD652Y-5d cell lines with P. taiwanensis induced apoptotic cell death. Further, natural oral infection by P. taiwanensis triggered expression of host programmed cell death-related genes JNK-2 and caspase-3.

Effect of low levels of Bacillus thuringiensis exposure on the growth, food consumption and digestion efficiencies of Trichoplusia ni resistant and susceptible to Bt

It is becoming increasingly clear that the impact of low doses of an environmental stressor, such as Bacillus thuringiensis, can often not be predicted from high dose experiments, and the impact of these effects on the evolution of resistance has received little attention. In the present study, we examined the effect of low levels of B. thuringiensis exposure on the growth, food consumption and digestion efficiencies of Trichoplusia ni resistant and susceptible to Bt. Larvae were fed on specified Bt concentrations continually for 3 days. Resistant larvae exhibited increases in diet consumption, weight gain and conversion of ingested food to biomass in response to feeding continually on some of the Bt concentrations. The positive effect of feeding on low levels of Bt on the growth of resistant larvae was modulated by initial larval size and the amount of food consumed. In contrast, susceptible larvae exhibited reductions in growth and frass production at all tested Bt concentrations. Further studies are needed to determine the role of accelerated growth on the evolution of Bt resistance in T. ni populations and to evaluate the importance of life-history responses to sublethal concentrations in the context of insecticide resistance management.

A protein engineering of Bacillus thuringiensis δ-endotoxin by conjugating with 4"-O-succinoyl abamectin

Conjugation of Bacillus thuringiensis δ-endotoxin (Bt toxin) with other toxins for insect pest control has been proposed as a new efficient strategy with increasing insecticidal toxicity and target range and delay the onset of insect resistance. A modified method was investigated by conjugating Bt toxin with 4"-O-succinoyl abamectin to form a new biocide which was named as BtA. 'Zero-length' cross-linker EDC in combination with NHS activated 4"-O-succinoyl abamectin and extended half-life period of active intermediate for binding to Bt toxin. The dissociation constant for 4"-O-succinoyl abamectin binding to Bt toxin was 6.44 μM by fluorescence quenching analysis. BtA showed a higher insecticidal toxicity against Plutella xylostella, while the relative-toxicity multiple of BtA to Bt toxin was calculated as 5.6. The interaction between Bt toxins with their receptors played a key role in toxicity of Bt toxins. The binding analysis showed the dissociation rate for the binding of BtA to its receptors (7.495 × 10(-3) S(-1)) was twice slower than that of Bt toxin (1.695 × 10(-2) S(-1)). The relative dissociation constant of BtA to Bt toxin was only 29% for the binding to the receptors. These results demonstrated that BtA bound to the receptor in BBMV with significantly higher affinity compared with Bt toxin.

Expression of Cry1Aa in cassava improves its insect resistance against Helicoverpa armigera

Lepidopteran insects affect cassava production globally, especially in intercropping system. The expression of Cry toxins in transgenic crops has contributed to an efficient control of insect pests, leading to a significant reduction in chemical insecticide usage. Helicoverpa armigera is a Lepidopteran pest that feeds on a wide range of plants like cotton and cassava. In the present study, transgenic cassava plants over-expressing Cry1Aa, which we named as Bt cassava, were developed and used to evaluate its efficacy against H. armigera as a model. Insect feeding assays were carried out to test the effects of Bt cassava leaves on the development and survival of H. armigera. Significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the survival and weight were detected on larvae fed with Bt cassava leaves in comparison with those fed with wild-type cassava leaves. The higher expression of Cry1Aa in transgenic cassava caused the lethal effect in larvae, in contrast to the normal growth and development of adults and pupation observed when fed with wild-type leaves. Morphological observation on the larval midguts showed that the consumption of Bt cassava affected the gut integrity of H. armigera. The columnar cells of the midgut epithelium were dramatically damaged and showed loose or disordered structure. Their cytoplasms become highly vacuolated and contained disorganized microvilli. Our study demonstrated that the transgenic cassava expressing the Cry1Aa is effective in controlling H. armigera. Our Bt transgenic cassava plant would provide a long-term beneficial effect on all crops in intercropping system, which in-turn, will be profitable to the farmers.

Electrical hypothesis of toxicity of the Cry toxins for mosquito larvae

Many electrical properties of insect larval guts have been studied, but their importance for toxicity of the Cry-type toxins has never been reported in the literature. In the present work, we observed potential-dependent permeabilization of plasma membrane by several polycationic peptides derived from the Cry11Bb protoxin. The peptide BTM-P1d, all D-type amino acid analogue of the earlier reported peptide BTM-P1, demonstrated high membrane-permeabilizing activity in experiments with isolated rat liver mitochondria, RBC (red blood cells) and mitochondria in homogenates of Aedes aegypti larval guts. Two larger peptides, BTM-P2 and BTM-P3, as well as the Cry11Bb protoxin treated with the protease extract of mosquito larval guts showed similar effects. Only protease-resistant BTM-P1d, in comparison with other peptides, displayed A. aegypti larval toxicity. Taking into account the potential-dependent mechanism of membrane permeabilization by studied fragments of the Cry11Bb protoxin and the literature data related to the distribution of membrane and transepithelial potentials in the A. aegypti larval midgut, we suggest an electrical hypothesis of toxicity of the Cry toxins for mosquito larvae. According to this hypothesis, the electrical field distribution is one of the factors determining the midgut region most susceptible for insertion of activated toxins into the plasma membrane to form pores. In addition, potential-dependent penetration of short active toxin fragments into the epithelial cells could induce permeabilization of mitochondria and subsequent apoptosis or necrosis.