EXPRESSION OF CHROMOSOMALLY INSERTED BACILLUS-THURINGIENSIS-ISRAELENSIS TOXIN GENES IN BACILLUS-SPHAERICUS

Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis delta-endotoxin genes were inserted into transposon Tn917 in plasmid pTV51Ts and cloned into the chromoso me of Bacillus sphaericus 2362. Many of the transformants reacted with antibody to the 135-, 128-, 65-, and 28-kDa B.t.israelensis toxin pro teins and were approximately 10 times more toxic to A, aegypti larvae than the untransformed host. Some of the transformants differed physio logically and morphologically from the wild-type B. sphaericus. The to xicity of the transformed phenotype was maintained through many transf ers in the absence of selective pressure. (C) 1998 Academic Press.