BACILLUS-THURINGIENSIS AND ITS PESTICIDAL CRYSTAL PROTEINS

During the past decade the pesticidal bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis has been the subject of intensive research. These efforts have yielde d considerable data about the complex relationships between the struct ure, mechanism of action, and genetics of the organism's pesticidal cr ystal proteins, and a coherent picture of these relationships is begin ning to emerge. Other studies have focused on the ecological role of t he B. thuringiensis crystal proteins, their performance in agricultura l and other natural settings, and the evolution of resistance mechanis ms in target pests. Armed with this knowledge base and with the tools of modem biotechnology, researchers are now reporting promising result s in engineering more-useful toxins and formulations, in creating tran sgenic plants that express pesticidal activity, and in constructing in tegrated management strategies to insure that these products are utili zed with maximum efficiency and benefit.