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Bacillus thuringiensis: A Broader View of Its Biocidal Activity:...
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Bacillus thuringiensis: A Broader View of Its Biocidal Activity: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Bacterial Toxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 2938

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Leopoldo Palma

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Biotecnología y Biomedicina (BIOTECMED), Department of Genetics, Universitat de València, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
Interests: biological control of insect pests; crop protection; entomopathohenic bacteria; Bacillus thuriniensis; Xenorhabdus spp.; insecticidal proteins; pore forming toxins; insect resistance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Diego Herman Sauka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Instituto de Microbiología y Zoología Agrícola (IMYZA), Hurlingham, Buenos Aires B1686, Argentina
Interests: Bacillus thuringiensis; microbial entomopathogens; insecticidal proteins; insect pest control; bioinsecticides
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Primitivo Caballero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology, Universidad Pública de Navarra, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
2. Departamento de Investigación y Desarrollo, Bioinsectis SL, 31110 Noain, Spain
Interests: Bacillus thuringiensis; insect viruses; baculovirus; entomopathogens; entomopathogenic bacteria; Biological control; insect pests; crop protection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a Gram-positive entomopathogenic bacterium, stands as the standard of microbial insecticides, boasting diverse strains equipped with plasmids housing an array of insecticidal genes. Over time, Bt-derived products have become the most widely marketed microbial insecticides, leveraging their efficacy in combating a multitude of insect pests.

The repertoire of encoded pesticidal proteins extends to both crystal and vegetative insecticidal proteins, demonstrating high toxicity across a wide spectrum of invertebrates. These proteins have been incorporated into crops, thus endowing them with resistance against some of the most destructive insect species globally.

Despite initial success, the relentless exposure of targeted insects to Bt crops has led to the emergence of resistance to commonly used insecticidal proteins. This phenomenon has prompted global screening programs in search of Bt strains that harbor novel insecticidal proteins. The objective is not only to counteract insect resistance, but also to expand the host range, thus fortifying the effectiveness of Bt-based insecticides.

In line with these developments, we are thrilled to present the second version of our Special Issue, entitled “Bacillus thuringiensis: A Broader View of Its Biocidal Activity: 2nd Edition”. This edition will delve into the detailed characterization of isolated Bt strains and novel insecticidal proteins, unveiling their unique biocidal activities, structural information and mode of action. The focus extends beyond mere insect resistance management to encompass the augmentation of host spectrums, thereby paving the way for sustainable and comprehensive pest control strategies.

Dr. Leopoldo Palma
Dr. Diego Herman Sauka
Prof. Dr. Primitivo Caballero
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxins is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • Bacillus thuringiensis
  • pesticidal proteins
  • crystal proteins
  • vegetative insecticidal proteins
  • invertebrate pests
  • biological control
  • crop protection

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 5760 KiB  
Article
The Proteolytic Activation, Toxic Effects, and Midgut Histopathology of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ia Protoxin in Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
by Camilo Ayra-Pardo, Victor Ramaré, Ana Couto, Mariana Almeida, Ricardo Martins, José Américo Sousa and Maria João Santos
Toxins 2025, 17(2), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17020084 - 12 Feb 2025
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Abstract
The red palm weevil (RPW; Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a destructive pest affecting palms worldwide, capable of causing significant economic losses and ecological damage in managed palm ecosystems. Current management heavily relies on synthetic insecticides, but their overuse fosters resistance. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) offers [...] Read more.
The red palm weevil (RPW; Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a destructive pest affecting palms worldwide, capable of causing significant economic losses and ecological damage in managed palm ecosystems. Current management heavily relies on synthetic insecticides, but their overuse fosters resistance. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) offers a promising alternative, producing toxins selective against various insect orders, including Coleoptera. However, no specific Bt toxin has yet been identified for RPW. This study investigates the toxicity against RPW larvae of the Bt Cry1Ia protoxin, known for its dual activity against Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. A laboratory RPW colony was reared for two generations, ensuring a reliable insect source for bioassays. Cry1Ia was expressed as a 6xHis-tagged fusion protein in Escherichia coli and purified using nickel affinity. Incubation with RPW larval gut proteases for 24 h produced a stable core of ~65 kDa. Diet-incorporation bioassays revealed high Cry1Ia toxicity in neonate larvae. In contrast, the lepidopteran-active Cry1Ac protoxin, used as a robust negative control, was completely degraded after 24 h of in vitro proteolysis and showed no toxicity in bioassays. Cry1Ia-fed larvae exhibited significant midgut cell damage, characteristic of Bt intoxication. These findings highlight Cry1Ia’s strong potential for integration into RPW management programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacillus thuringiensis: A Broader View of Its Biocidal Activity: 2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 2376 KiB  
Article
Distinct Impact of Processing on Cross-Order Cry1I Insecticidal Activity
by Dafne Toledo, Yolanda Bel, Stefanie Menezes de Moura, Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes, Maria Fatima Grossi de Sa, Aida Robles-Fort and Baltasar Escriche
Toxins 2025, 17(2), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17020067 - 3 Feb 2025
Viewed by 898
Abstract
The insecticidal Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis are used in biopesticides or transgenic crops for pest control. The Cry1I protein family has unique characteristics of being produced during the vegetative rather than sporulation phase, its protoxins forming dimers in solution, and exhibiting dual [...] Read more.
The insecticidal Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis are used in biopesticides or transgenic crops for pest control. The Cry1I protein family has unique characteristics of being produced during the vegetative rather than sporulation phase, its protoxins forming dimers in solution, and exhibiting dual toxicity against lepidopteran and coleopteran pests. The Cry1Ia protoxin undergoes sequential proteolysis from the N- and C-terminal ends, producing intermediate forms with insecticidal activity, while in some cases, the fully processed toxin is inactive. We investigated the oligomerization and toxicity of Cry1Ia intermediate forms generated through trypsinization (T-Int) and larval gut fluid (GF-Int) treatments, as well as the fully trypsinized protein (toxin). Heterologously expressed intermediate forms assembled into oligomers and showed similar toxicity to Cry1Ia protoxin against Ostrinia nubilalis (European corn borer) larvae, while the toxin form was ~30 times less toxic. In contrast, bioassays with Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Colorado potato beetle) larvae did not show significant differences in toxicity among Cry1Ia protoxin, T-Int, GF-Int, and fully processed toxin. These results suggest that the Cry1I mode of action differs by insect order, with N-terminal cleavage affecting toxicity against lepidopteran but not coleopteran larvae. This knowledge is essential for designing pest control strategies using Cry1I insecticidal proteins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacillus thuringiensis: A Broader View of Its Biocidal Activity: 2nd Edition)
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