Insecticidal Toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis

Dear Colleagues,

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) belongs to the Bacillus cereus sensu lato group that also includes other six closely-related species: B. cereus sensu stricto, B. anthracis, B. weihenstephanensis, B. cytotoxicus, B. mycoides and B. pseudomycoides. The feature that distinguishes Bt from the other members of the Bacillus cereus group is its entomopathogenic properties. Bt produces insecticidal-endotoxin proteins (Cry and Cyt) during sporulation phase as parasporal crystals and also Vip toxins during vegetative phase of growth. Different proteins not related phylogenetically comprise the Cry family. Among these, the 3-Domain Cry toxins (3d-Cry), binary Cry toxins (Bin-Cry) and Mtx toxins (Mtx-Cry) showed insecticidal properties. In addition, novel insecticidal proteins have been described in other organisms. The aim of this Special Issue is to offer an overview of the current knowledge about all these families of proteins produced by Bt and other organisms, and discuss how evolution of these protein families create such a diverse arsenal of toxins. Review and research articles about their structures and the novel insights in the understanding of their mechanism of action will be welcome. One of the major concerns regarding the use of Bt is the generation of insect populations resistant to these toxins, studies focused to understand the resistance mechanisms and the proposed strategies and rational procedures to cope with resistance to these toxins are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Alejandra Bravo
Guest Editor

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