Method for screening candidate pesticides using a receptor that binds Bacillus thuringiensis toxin

Abstract

The cDNA that encodes a glycoprotein receptor from the tobacco hornworm which binds a Bacillus thuringiensis toxin has been obtained and sequenced. The availability of this cDNA permits the retrieval of DNAs encoding homologous receptors in other insects and organisms as well as the design of assays for the cytotoxicity and binding affinity of potential pesticides and the development of methods to manipulate natural and/or introduced homologous receptors and, thus, to destroy target cells, tissues and/or organisms.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to receptors that bind toxins from Bacillus; thuringiensis and thus to pesticides and pest resistance. More particularly, the invention concerns recombinantly produced receptors that bind BT toxin and to their use in assays for improved pesticides, as well as in mediation of cell and tissue destruction, dissociation, dispersion, cell-to-cell association, and changes in morphology.

BACKGROUND ART

It has long been recognized that the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) produces bacteriocidal proteins that are toxic to a limited range of insects, mostly in the orders Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Diptera. Advantage has been taken of these toxins in controlling pests, mostly by applying bacteria to plants or transforming plants themselves so that they generate the toxins by virtue of their transgenic character. The toxins themselves are glycoprotein products of the cry gene as described by Höfte, H. et al. Microbiol Rev (1989) 53:242. It has been established that the toxins function in the brush-border of the insect midgut epithelial cells as described by Gill, S. S. et al. Annu Rev Entomol (1992) 37:615. Specific binding of BT toxins to midgut brush border membrane vesicles has been reported by Hofmann, C. et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (1988) 85:7844; Van Rie, J. et al. Eur J Biochem (1989) 186:239; and Van Rie, J. et al. Appl Environ Michrobiol (1990) 56:1378.

Presumably, the toxins generated by BT exert their effects by some kind of interaction with receptors in the midgut. The purification of a particular receptor from Manduca sexta was reported by the present inventors in an article by Vadlamudi, R. K. et al. J Biol Chem (1993) 268:12334. In this report, the receptor protein was isolated by immunoprecipitating toxin-binding protein complexes with toxin-specific antisera and separating the complexes by SDS-PAGE followed by electroelution. However, to date, there has been no structural information concerning any insect receptor which binds BT toxin, nor have, to applicants'knowledge, any genes encoding these receptors been recovered.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides recombinant materials for the production of BT toxin-binding receptors as well as methods to employ these materials to generate receptors for use in screening assays for candidate pesticides. Since the native cDNA sequence encoding this receptor, designated BT-R 1 , has been retrieved-from the tobacco hornworm, encoding DNA for receptors in other species of insects, as well as in other organisms, which have homology to hornworm receptor can be obtained.

Thus, in one aspect, the invention is directed to a polynucleotide in purified and isolated form which comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding a receptor that binds a BT toxin and other ligands and which has the requisite homology to the BT-R 1 protein.

In other aspects, the invention is directed to expression systems for nucleotide sequences encoding the receptor, to methods of producing the receptor recombinantly, to the receptor as thus produced, to antibodies specifically immunoreactive with the receptor, to assay methods useful for screening candidate pesticides, to antisense polynucleotides corresponding to the coding sequence, to methods of targeting tissues and/or cells using the binding characteristics of the receptor, and to methods of manipulating tissues and/or cells using the function of the receptor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1M (SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:2 ) show the nucleotide sequence and deduced amino acid sequence of cDNA encoding the BT-R 1 protein from M. sexta.

FIGS. 2A-2H (SEQ ID NO:2) show the amino acid sequence of BT-R 1 protein from M. sexta.

FIG. 3 (SEQ ID NO:8-11) shows a comparison of amino acid sequences from BT-R 1 (SEQ ID NO:2) to the sequences of other cadherins.

MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The invention provides, for the first time, sequence information concerning receptors that bind BT toxins in insect midguts.

The BT-R 1 cDNA clone retrieved as described in the examples below encodes a protein having an identical amino acid composition with that described for the native receptor. Furthermore, toxin-binding specificity and immunoreactivity are similar. The native 210 kD BT-R 1 specifically recognizes cryIA(b) toxin of BT-berliner; a K d value of 708 pM was obtained for the native protein.

The cryIA(b) toxin selectively kills M. sexta larvae with an LC 50 of 7.5 ng/cm 2 of diet surface. BT-R 1 binds the toxin under both reducing and nonreducing conditions and protease treatment of intestinal BBMV vesicles prepared from M. sexta showed that a 50 kD fragment of the 210 kD receptor is sufficient for toxin binding. The 50 kD toxin-binding domain is extracellular since the intestinal BBMV vesicles are oriented predominantly right side out as reported by Haase, W. H. et al. Biochem (1978) 172:57. This is consistent with the characteristics of the deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA clone described below, as well as with the binding of toxin to the surface of intact BT-R 1 transfected human embryonic 293 cells as described in Example 3.

Whereas a particular cDNA clone from the tobacco hornworm has been described as illustration, the availability of this sequence information permits retrieval of corresponding receptors responsive to BT and related toxins from other species. This is conveniently accomplished by using the cDNA obtained in the present invention as a probe for screening cDNA or genomic libraries under conditions of stringency which eliminate false positives and retrieve substantially only corresponding receptors with coding sequences that are homologous to the coding sequence for the receptor of the present invention. Thus, the BT-R 1 protein itself and receptor proteins encoded by a nucleotide sequence homologous to the native nucleotide sequence encoding BT-R 1 are provided by the invention. Alternatively, PCR-mediated cloning can be used; however, this method does not take advantage of the detailed and complete information that resides in the availability of the nucleotide sequence encoding the full-length receptor from M. sexta. Also, PCR-mediated cloning introduces errors in natural DNA sequences. Thus, by using the full-length cDNA as a probe under conditions of appropriate stringency, only nucleotide sequences encoding the corresponding receptors will be obtained. The standard hybridization conditions include hybridization with nonspecific DNA such as salmon DNA at 50° C. and washing at 45° C. To obtain corresponding receptors having the lowest detectable homology with the receptor from M. sexta, the cDNA probe is hybridized under conditions of low standard stringency (30-37° C. and 4-6×SSC. More closely related corresponding receptors are obtained by hybridizing the cDNA probe under moderate standard stringency conditions (40-50° C. in 1×SSC). A clone containing the cDNA insert for use as a probe was deposited at the American Type Culture Collection as ATCC 98173.

The distribution of receptors of appropriate homology in the animal kingdom is believed to be fairly wide. Indeed, it is thought that higher organisms such as mammals, including primates, contain corresponding receptors which are homologous to BT-R 1 but respond to modified forms of BT toxins. In addition, other parasites such as nematodes, both those that afflict plants and those that afflict animals, will contain corresponding receptors.

Although one of the advantages of the use of BT toxins as insecticides is its specificity for certain orders of insects, this specificity is believed to result from the particular structure of the BT toxin rather than the unavailability of a corresponding mechanism in other insect orders. Thus, modified forms of BT toxin would be effective with respect to insects which contain homologous but slightly different forms of the receptor from that of the BT-R 1 protein illustrated below.

As used herein, “A receptor that specifically binds a BT toxin” refers to a receptor which is homologous to the BT-R 1 protein illustrated herein and which binds to either BT toxins themselves or to BT toxins that are sufficiently modified so as to bind these receptors which provide the required homology to BT-R 1 .

The criteria for inclusion of a receptor in the present invention are the requirements that 1) it behave as a receptor —i.e., be capable of being displayed at the cell membrane; 2) it be sufficiently homologous to the BT-R 1 receptor described herein that a nucleotide sequence encoding the protein hybridizes under the stringency conditions described above to the nucleotide sequence encoding BT-R 1 as contained in the plasmid deposited at the American Type Culture Collection as ATCC 98173; and 3) when displayed on the surface of a cell, it is capable of binding a BT toxin or a modified form of BT toxin that exerts a cytotoxic effect either on the cell in which the receptor resides or in a tissue with which the cell is associated.

The structural characteristics of the “modified BT toxin” are defined by the functional property set forth above, but it may be convenient to design modified forms of BT toxin by conservative amino acid substitutions or other known protein-manipulating techniques applied to naturally occurring BT toxins.

The presence of similar receptors in noninsect organisms as well as other insects besides those harboring BT-R 1 is supported by the sequence similarity of the. BT-R 1 protein to that of the various members of the cadherin superfamily of proteins, which are membrane glycoproteins believed to mediate calcium-dependent cell aggregation and sorting. See, for example, Takeichi, M. Science (1991) 251:1451; and Takeichi, M. N Rev Biochem (1990) 59:237.

Included in this superfamily are desmoglien, desmocollins, the Drosophila fat tumor suppressor, human intestinal peptide transport protein and T-cadherin. All of these proteins share common extracellular motifs although their cytoplasmic domains differ. Goodwin, L. et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun (1990) 173:1224; Holton, J. L. et al. J Cell Sci (1990) 97:239; Bestal, D. J. J Cell Biol (1992) 119:451; Mahoney, P. A. et al. Cell (1991) 853; Dantzig, A. H. et al. Science (1994) 264:430; and Sano, K. et al. EMBO J (1993) 12:2249. Inclusion of BT-R 1 in the cadherin superfamily is further supported by the report that EDTA decreases the binding of cryIA(b) toxin of BT to the 210 kD receptor of M. sexta (Martinez-Ramirez, A. C. et al. Biochm Biophys Res Commun (1994) 201:782).

It is noted below that the amino acid sequence of BT-R 1 reveals that a calcium-binding motif is present. This is consistent with the possibility that cells having, receptors to bind toxin may themselves survive although they render the tissues in which they are included permeable to solutes and thus effect disintegration of the tissue. Such a mechanism is proposed for the death of insects that ingest the toxin via the epithelial cells in their midgut by Knowles, B. H. et al. Biochim Biophys Acta (1987) 924:509. Such a mechanism is also supported in part by the results set forth in Example 4 hereinbelow which indicate that the effect of the toxin on embryonic 293cells modified to express the receptor at their surface is reversible.

Thus, in summary, the invention provides a family of receptors that is able to mediate the negative effects exerted by BT toxin or its modified forms on the cells expressing the receptor, by damaging the cells themselves and/or the tissue or organ of which the cells form a part. The receptor may be expressed natively at the surface of the target cells or the target cells may be modified to contain an expression system which will effect the display of receptor at the surface. The availability of this family of receptors and recombinant methods for its production and for the production of cells displaying it at their surfaces provides a number of opportunities to conduct screening assays for improved toxins, particularly insecticidal toxins, for generation of antibodies that can be useful as alternatives to chemotherapeutic agents for the destruction and/or dissociation of unwanted cells or tissues, and for the design of improved toxins and pharmaceuticals.

Screening Assays

The availability of the recombinant family of receptors of the present invention permits design of straightforward screening assays for toxins which will interact successfully with these receptors resulting in measurable effects on the cells in which the receptors reside. Briefly, suitable host cells, such as COS cells for transient expression, CHO cells for stable expression, and a variety of other mammalian and insect host cells can be modified to contain expression vectors appropriate to the hosts for the production of the receptors of the invention displayed on the surfaces of the cells. Since the receptors are natively membrane proteins, no particular design of the expression system is required in order to effect their disposition at the cell surface. Expression vectors suitable for any desired host are generally known in the art. For example, for mammalian expression, suitable control sequences include the SV40 and adenovirus promoters as constitutive promoters, the metallothionein inducible promoter, suitable enhancers, if desired, and termination signals and the like. For insect cells, the bacculovirus system is preferred. For other eucaryotic cells such as yeast, the glycolytic enzyme promoters and various amino acid synthesis promoters are commonly employed. Procaryotic cells such as E. coli also may be adapted for expression of the receptor in the assay of the invention, for instance by using a reporter gene under the control of cyclic AMP and operably linked to the receptor via protein G such that toxin binding will interrupt adenyl cyclase activity and thereby produce a detectable change in reporter gene activity. The assay system in a prokaryotic host may require further modification to compensate for lack of glycosylation which is known to occur in insect cells where the BT-R 1 protein is naturally expressed.

The cells are modified by transfection, retroviral infection, electroporation or other known means, to contain the desired expression system and then cultured under conditions wherein the receptor protein is produced and displayed. If desired, the cells are then recovered from the culture for use in the assay, or the culture itself can be used per se.

In the assays, the modified cells are contacted with the candidate toxin and the effect on metabolism or morphology is noted in the presence and absence of the candidate. The effect may be cytotoxic—i.e., the cells may themselves exhibit one of the indices of cell death, such as reduced thymidine uptake, slower increase in optical density of the culture, reduced exclusion of vital dyes (e.g., trypan blue), increased release of viability markers such as chromium and rubidium, and the like. The differential response between the toxin-treated cells and the cells absent the toxin is then noted. The strength of the toxin can be assessed by noting the strength of the response.

These assays may be conducted directly as described above or competitively with known toxins. For example, one approach might be to measure the diminution in binding of labeled BT cry toxin in the presence and absence of the toxin candidate.

In addition to simply screening candidates, the screen can be used to devise improved forms of toxins which are more specific or less specific to particular classes of insects as desired. The ability to determine binding affinity (K a and K d ) dissociation and association rates, and cytotoxic effects of a candidate allows quick, accurate and reproducible screening techniques for a large number of toxins and other ligands under identical conditions which was not possible heretofore. Such information will facilitate the selection of the most effective toxins and ligands for any given receptor obtained from any desired host cell.

Competition assays may also employ antibodies that are specifically immunoreactive with the receptor. Such antibodies can be prepared in the conventional manner by administering the purified receptor to a vertebrate animal, monitoring antibody titers and recovering the antisera or the antibody-producing cells for immortalization, to obtain immortalized cells capable of secreting antibodies of the appropriate specificity. Techniques for obtaining immortalized B cells and for screening them for secretion of the desired antibody are now conventional in the art. The resulting monoclonal antibodies may be more effective than the polyclonal antisera as competition reagents; furthermore, the availability of the immortalized cell line secreting the desired antibody assures uniformity of production of the same reagent over time. The information and the structural characteristics of toxins and ligands tested will permit a rational approach to designing more efficient toxins and ligands. Additionally, such assays will lead to a better understanding of the function and the structure/function relationship of both toxin/ligand and BT-R 1 analogs. In turn, this will allow the development of highly effective toxins/ligands. Ligands include natural and modified toxins, antibodies (anti-receptor and antiidiotypic antibodies which mimic a portion of a toxin that binds to a receptor, and whatever small molecules bind the receptors.

Therapeutic Strategies

Advantage may be taken of the ability of receptors to mediate the destruction, dissociation or association of cells, tissues or organs by utilizing the screening assay as a method to identify successful therapeutics in the treatment of, for example, malignancies, metastases and infectious microorganisms which naturally express receptors corresponding to BT-R 1 . The presence of receptors corresponding to the BT-R 1 receptor illustrated herein and members of the family of receptors included in the invention in the undesired cells may be exploited by first assessing the interaction of a proposed therapeutic with the receptors on these cells in culture and then identifying agents which successfully interact with the receptors as useful candidate reagents. Antibodies reactive with these receptors comprise a class of promising therapeutic candidates.

In some applications target cells, tissues, organs, and microorganisms which do not express an effective receptor corresponding to the BT-R 1 receptor may be transformed or transfected to express an effective corresponding receptor. These targets then will be killed or manipulated with toxin or other ligands. For instance, yeast cells to be used for toxin assays for a particular insect may be transformed with a genetic construct for expression of the receptor from that insect which corresponds to the BT-R 1 receptor.

In another aspect of the invention the receptors corresponding to BT-R 1 in certain target cells may be manipulated by modified toxin or other ligands to prevent the normal response to toxin (dissociation, damage and death of membranes, cell, tissues and organisms). For instance, a ligand which binds to a corresponding receptor in such a way that normal receptor function is inhibited would thereby prevent the receptor from initiating the usual destructive effects in the presence of a normal ligand such as a toxin. In other words, the invention enables development of competitive inhibitors of a toxin or other ligand which normally initiates destructive or other effects via a receptor corresponding to BT-R 1 .

The following examples are intended to illustrate but not to limit the invention.

EXAMPLE 1

Purification and Sequence Determination of BT-R 1 Protein

Midguts of M. sexta were extracted and the BT-R 1 protein purified according to the method of Vadlamudi, R. K. et al. J Biol Chem (1993) 268:1233, referenced above and incorporated herein by reference. The electroeluted band was confirmed to contain BT-R 1 protein by binding to 125 I-cryIA(b) toxin. In gel electrophoresis, the protein bound to toxin had an apparent weight of approximately 210 kD under reducing and nonreducing conditions.

The purified electroeluted BT-R 1 was subjected to cyanogen bromide digestion and the cyanogen bromide fragments separated on a 17% high-resolution tricine SDS-polyacrylamide gel as described by Schagger, H. et al. Anal Biochem (1987) 166:368. The separated fragments were transferred to Problott membranes (Applied Biosystems) and five bands were extracted and subjected to microsequencing using standard instrumentation. The amino acid sequences obtained were:

1. (Met) Leu Asp Tyr Glu Val Pro Glu Phe Gln Ser Ile Thr Ile Arg Val Val Ala Thr Asp Asn Asn Asp Thr Arg His Val Gly Val Ala (SEQ ID NO. 3);

2. (Met) X Glu Thr Tyr Glu Leu Ile Ile His Pro Phe Asn Tyr Tyr Ala (SEQ ID NO. 4);

3. (Met) X X X His Gln Leu Pro Leu Ala Gln Asp Ile Lys Asn His (SEQ ID NO. 5);

4. (Met) Phe/Pro Asn/Ile Val Arg/Tyr Val Asp Ile/Gly (SEQ ID NO. 6);

5. (Met) Asn Phe Phe/His Ser Val Asn Arg/Asp Glu (SEQ ID NO. 7).

EXAMPLE 2

Recovery of cDNA

An M. sexta cDNA library was constructed from midgut tissue in λgt10 using the Superscript Choice System according to the manufacturer's instructions (Life Technologies, Inc.). Degenerate oligonucleotide probes were constructed based on the peptid sequences determined in Example 1 using the methods and approach described in Zhang, S. et al. Gene (1991) 105:61. Synthetic oligonucleotides corresponding to peptides 1-3 of Example 1 were labeled with γ 32 P using polynucleotide kinase and used as probes as described in the standard cloning manual of Maniatis, T. et al. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 2nd ed. 1989). A clone hybridizing to all three probes identified from 40 positive clones as hybridizing to all three of the probes was plaque-purified from a screen of 4×10 5 recombinants and subcloned into pBluescript (Stratagene). It contained an insert of 5571 bp.

Double-stranded cDNA in pBluescript was sequenced in both directions by the dideoxy termination method with Sequanase (USB) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The sequencing showed an open reading frame of 4584 base pairs of 1528 amino acids along with a polyadenylation signal at position 5561. The nucleic acid sequence is shown in FIGS. 1A-1M and the deduced amino acid sequence is shown in FIGS. 2A-2H .

Thus, the deduced protein has a molecular mass of 172 kD and a pI of approximately 4.5. The amino acid sequences of the cyanogen bromide fragments of native receptor match perfectly within the deduced amino acid sequence. The open reading frame begins with an ATG that is flanked by the consensus translation initiation sequence GAGATGG for eucaryotic mRNAs as described by Kozak, M. Nucleic Acids Res (1987) 15:8125.

As shown in FIGS. 2A-2H , the deduced amino acid sequence includes a putative signal preceding the mature N-terminus Asn-Glu-Arg-etc. Eleven repeats are shown in the extracellular region upstream of the membrane domain at positions 1406-1427.

FIG. 3 compares the BT-R 1 sequence obtained herein with other members of the cadherin family. The other cadherins are mouse P cadherin (MP-EC1 ); Drosophila fat EC18 (fat EC-18) and protocadherin (PC42-EC-2), and human intestinal transporter.(EC-11) (HPT-1-EC-1). Conserved residues are boxed.

To confirm that the sequenced clone encoded full-length BT-R 1 protein, total mRNA was prepared from midguts of M. sexta subjected to Northern blot by hybridization with the antisense 4.8 kb SacI fragment of the BT-R 1 cDNA clone. The Northern blot analysis was conducted by hybridizing to the antisense probe: at 42° C. and 50% formamide, 5×Denhardt's Reagent, 5×SSCP and 50 μg/ml salmon sperm DNA. The filter was then washed two times with 1×SSC+0.1% SDS and two times with 0.15×SSC+0.1% SDS at 42° C. Each wash was roughly 20 minutes. The filter was then exposed to X-ray film for 24 hours. The 4.8 kb probe hybridized to a single 5.6 kb band.

The BT-R 1 clone was translated using rabbit reticulolysate and the resulting translated products were immunoprecipitated with antisera raised against native protein encoded by BT-R 1 . For the in vitro translation, pBluescript plasmid containing BT-R 1 cDNA was linearized and transcribed with T 3 polymerase (Pharmacia). The translation was conducted according to manufacturer's instructions with nuclease-treated rabbit reticulolysate (Life Technologies, Inc.). After one hour of incubation 30° C., the reaction mixture was combined with an equal volume of SDS buffer or lysed with 50 mM Tris buffer containing 1% NP40 and 250 mM NaCl (pH 8.0) for immunoprecipitation. Preimmune serum was used as a control. Translation and immunoprecipitation products were electrophoresed on a 7.5% SDS-polyacrylamide gel fixed, treated with Enhance (Dupont NEN), dried and exposed to X-ray film for 12 hours.

Two protein bands of approximately 172 kD and 150 kD as determined by SDS-PAGE were obtained; it is postulated that the 150 kD translation product was due to initiation of translation from an internal methionine at amino acid 242. This is consistent with the observations of Kozak, M. Mol Cell Biol (1989) 9:5073.

Thus, both results confirm that a full-length clone was obtained.

EXAMPLE 3

Recombinant Production and Characteristics of the BT-R 1 Protein

The BT-R 1 cDNA clone was subcloned into the mammalian expression vector pcDNA3 (Invitrogen) and the construct transfected into COS-7 cells. Membranes isolated from tie COS-7 transfectants were solubilized, electrophoresed and ligand blotted with 125 I-cryIA(b) toxin. The cells were harvested 60 hours after transfection, washed with phosphate-buffered saline and lysed by freezing in liquid nitrogen. Cell membranes were prepared by differential centrifugation as described by Elshourbagy, N. A. et al. J Biol Chem (1993) 266:3873. Control cells were COS-7 cells transfected with pcDNA3.

The cell membranes (10 μg) were separated on 7.5% SDS-PAGE blotted to a nylon membrane and blocked with Tris-buffered saline containing 5% nonfat dry milk powder, 5% glycerol and 1% Tween-20. The nylon membrane was then incubated with 125 I-cryIA(b) toxin (2×10 5 cpm/ml) for two hours with blocking buffer, dried and exposed to X-ray film at −70° C. The labeled toxin bound to a 210±5 kD protein; the 210 kD band was observed only in lanes containing membranes prepared from either M. sexta or COS-7 cells transfected with the. BT-R 1 cDNA construct containing 4810 bp of cDNA comprising the open reading frame.

The discrepancy between the 210 kD protein expressed and the calculated 172 kD molecular weight is due to glycosylation of the protein; in vitro translation of the cDNA clone, as described above, which does not result in glycosylation, does produce the 172 kD protein. To verify this, the COS-7 produced protein was subjected to digestion with N-glycosidase-F by first denaturing the purified protein by boiling in 1% SDS for 5 minutes followed by addition of NP-40 to a final concentration of 1% in the presence of 0.1% SDS, and then incubating the denatured protein in sodium phosphate buffer, pH 8.5 at 37° C. with N-glycosidase-F for 10 hours. Controls were incubated under the same conditions without enzyme. Digestion products were separated on a 7.5% SDS-PAGE and stained with Coomassie brilliant blue. This glycosidase treatment reduced the molecular weight of BT-R 1 protein from 210 to 190 kD; this indicates N-glycosylation at some of the 16 consensus N-glycosylation sites in the protein. Treatment of BT-R 1 with O-glycosidase and neuraminidase did not alter the mobility of the protein.

In addition, embryonic 293 cells were transfected with the BT-R 1 cDNA clone in pcDNA3 and incubated with the labeled toxin (0.32 nM) in the presence of increasing concentrations (0 to 10 −6 M) of unlabeled toxin. Nonspecific binding was measured as bound radioactivity in the presence of 1 μM unlabeled toxin. A value for the dissociation constant (K d ) of 1015 pM was determined by Scatchard analysis; this is approximately the same value that was obtained for the natural receptor as described by Vadlamudi, R. K. et al. J Biol Chem (1993) (supra).

EXAMPLE 4

Physiological Effect of BT Toxin on Modified Embryonic 293 Cells

Both unmodified embryonic 293 cells, and 293 cells which have been modified to produce the BT-R 1 receptor as described in Example 3, when cultured in vitro form adherent star-shaped clusters. When BT toxin (200 nM) is added to serum-free medium, the clusters round up and release from the plastic surfaces of the culture dish. This effect is also observed under known conditions of cytotoxicity for 293 cells. The foregoing effect is observed only when the cells are cultured in serum-free medium since the toxin binds to serum and would thus be ineffective under conditions where serum is present.

However, in the presence of anti-receptor antisera, this effect of BT toxin is blocked. Also, when serum is added back to a culture of modified E293 cells which has been treated in serum-free conditions with the toxin, the cells revert to their normal star-shaped adherent cluster shapes. This indicates that the effect of the toxin is reversible.

11 1 5582 DNA M. sexta CDS (197)...(5348) 1gaccaatcgg agtgtggtga atttttggaa aatattttgt gcggttcctt tagttgtgta 60atatagtact ttagttacaa atttggaata atttggcagc aaaaccatct gcagcaacaa 120aatcatctgc agctgcgaaa tcatctgcag cagcaaaagc atcttcagga gcgagaaaag 180ccccaaataa tgtgag atg gca gtt gac gtc cga atc gct gcc ttc ctg ctg 232 Met Ala Val Asp Val Arg Ile Ala Ala Phe Leu Leu 1 5 10gtg ttt ata gcg cct gca gtt tta gct caa gag aga tgt ggg tat atg 280Val Phe Ile Ala Pro Ala Val Leu Ala Gln Glu Arg Cys Gly Tyr Met 15 20 25acc gcc atc cca agg cta cca cga ccg gat aat ttg cca gta cta aat 328Thr Ala Ile Pro Arg Leu Pro Arg Pro Asp Asn Leu Pro Val Leu Asn 30 35 40ttt gaa ggc cag aca tgg agt cag agg ccc ctg ctc ccc gcc ccg gag 376Phe Glu Gly Gln Thr Trp Ser Gln Arg Pro Leu Leu Pro Ala Pro Glu 45 50 55 60cgg gat gac ctg tgc atg gac gcc tac cac gtg ata aca gcc aac ctc 424Arg Asp Asp Leu Cys Met Asp Ala Tyr His Val Ile Thr Ala Asn Leu 65 70 75ggc acg cag gtc atc tac atg gat gaa gag ata gaa gac gaa atc acc 472Gly Thr Gln Val Ile Tyr Met Asp Glu Glu Ile Glu Asp Glu Ile Thr 80 85 90atc gcc ata ctt aat tat aac gga cca tca act ccg ttc att gaa ctg 520Ile Ala Ile Leu Asn Tyr Asn Gly Pro Ser Thr Pro Phe Ile Glu Leu 95 100 105cca ttt tta tcc ggt tcg tac aat ctg ctg atg ccg gtc atc agg aga 568Pro Phe Leu Ser Gly Ser Tyr Asn Leu Leu Met Pro Val Ile Arg Arg 110 115 120gtt gac aac ggg gag tgg cat ctc atc atc acg caa aga cag cat tac 616Val Asp Asn Gly Glu Trp His Leu Ile Ile Thr Gln Arg Gln His Tyr125 130 135 140gag ttg ccc ggc atg cag cag tac atg ttc aat gtg cgc gtg gac ggc 664Glu Leu Pro Gly Met Gln Gln Tyr Met Phe Asn Val Arg Val Asp Gly 145 150 155cag tcg ctg gtg gca ggc gtg tct ctc gct atc gtc aac ata gat gac 712Gln Ser Leu Val Ala Gly Val Ser Leu Ala Ile Val Asn Ile Asp Asp 160 165 170aac gcg ccc atc ata caa aac ttc gag cct tgc cgg gtt cct gaa ctg 760Asn Ala Pro Ile Ile Gln Asn Phe Glu Pro Cys Arg Val Pro Glu Leu 175 180 185ggc gag cca ggg ttg aca gaa tgc aca tac caa gta tcg gac gcg gac 808Gly Glu Pro Gly Leu Thr Glu Cys Thr Tyr Gln Val Ser Asp Ala Asp 190 195 200gga cgg atc agc aca gag ttc atg acg ttc agg atc gac agc gtt cgt 856Gly Arg Ile Ser Thr Glu Phe Met Thr Phe Arg Ile Asp Ser Val Arg205 210 215 220ggc gac gag gag acc ttc tac atc gaa cgg acg aat atc ccc aac caa 904Gly Asp Glu Glu Thr Phe Tyr Ile Glu Arg Thr Asn Ile Pro Asn Gln 225 230 235tgg atg tgg cta aat atg acc ata ggc gtt aat acc tcg ctc aac ttc 952Trp Met Trp Leu Asn Met Thr Ile Gly Val Asn Thr Ser Leu Asn Phe 240 245 250gtc acc agt ccg ctg cat ata ttc agc gtg aca gcc ctg gac tcg ctc 1000Val Thr Ser Pro Leu His Ile Phe Ser Val Thr Ala Leu Asp Ser Leu 255 260 265ccg aac acc cac acg gtg act atg atg gtg caa gtg gcg aat gtg aac 1048Pro Asn Thr His Thr Val Thr Met Met Val Gln Val Ala Asn Val Asn 270 275 280agc cgt ccg ccg cgc tgg ctg gag atc ttc gct gtc caa cag ttt gaa 1096Ser Arg Pro Pro Arg Trp Leu Glu Ile Phe Ala Val Gln Gln Phe Glu285 290 295 300gag aaa tct tac caa aac ttc aca gtg agg gcg atc gac gga gac act 1144Glu Lys Ser Tyr Gln Asn Phe Thr Val Arg Ala Ile Asp Gly Asp Thr 305 310 315gag atc aat atg cct atc aac tac agg ctg atc aca aat gag gaa gac 1192Glu Ile Asn Met Pro Ile Asn Tyr Arg Leu Ile Thr Asn Glu Glu Asp 320 325 330aca ttc ttc agc att gag gcc ctg cct ggt gga aaa agc ggg gct gta 1240Thr Phe Phe Ser Ile Glu Ala Leu Pro Gly Gly Lys Ser Gly Ala Val 335 340 345ttc ctc gtg tcg cca att gac cgc gac aca ctg caa cga gag gtg ttt 1288Phe Leu Val Ser Pro Ile Asp Arg Asp Thr Leu Gln Arg Glu Val Phe 350 355 360cca ctt acg atc gtc gct tac aaa tat gat gag gag gcc ttc tcc aca 1336Pro Leu Thr Ile Val Ala Tyr Lys Tyr Asp Glu Glu Ala Phe Ser Thr365 370 375 380tca aca aac gtg gtc atc att gtg aca gac atc aac gac caa aga cct 1384Ser Thr Asn Val Val Ile Ile Val Thr Asp Ile Asn Asp Gln Arg Pro 385 390 395gaa cct ata cac aag gaa tat cga ctg gca atc atg gag gag acg ccc 1432Glu Pro Ile His Lys Glu Tyr Arg Leu Ala Ile Met Glu Glu Thr Pro 400 405 410ctg acc ctc aac ttc gat aaa gaa ttc gga ttt cat gat aag gat tta 1480Leu Thr Leu Asn Phe Asp Lys Glu Phe Gly Phe His Asp Lys Asp Leu 415 420 425ggt caa aac gct cag tac acg gtg cgt cta gag agc gtg gac cct cca 1528Gly Gln Asn Ala Gln Tyr Thr Val Arg Leu Glu Ser Val Asp Pro Pro 430 435 440ggc gct gct gag gca ttc tac ata gcg cct gaa gtc ggc tac cag cga 1576Gly Ala Ala Glu Ala Phe Tyr Ile Ala Pro Glu Val Gly Tyr Gln Arg445 450 455 460cag acc ttc atc atg ggc acc ctc aat cac tcc atg ctg gat tac gaa 1624Gln Thr Phe Ile Met Gly Thr Leu Asn His Ser Met Leu Asp Tyr Glu 465 470 475gtg cca gag ttt cag agt att acg att cgg gtg gta gcg acc gac aac 1672Val Pro Glu Phe Gln Ser Ile Thr Ile Arg Val Val Ala Thr Asp Asn 480 485 490aac gac acg agg cac gtg ggc gtc gcg ttg gtt cac att gac ctc atc 1720Asn Asp Thr Arg His Val Gly Val Ala Leu Val His Ile Asp Leu Ile 495 500 505aat tgg aac gat gag cag ccg atc ttc gaa cac gcc gtg cag acc gtc 1768Asn Trp Asn Asp Glu Gln Pro Ile Phe Glu His Ala Val Gln Thr Val 510 515 520acc ttc gac gag act gaa ggc gag ggg ttc ttc gtc gcc aag gcg gtt 1816Thr Phe Asp Glu Thr Glu Gly Glu Gly Phe Phe Val Ala Lys Ala Val525 530 535 540gca cac gac aga gac atc ggg gat gtc gtc gag cat act tta ttg ggt 1864Ala His Asp Arg Asp Ile Gly Asp Val Val Glu His Thr Leu Leu Gly 545 550 555aac gct gtt aac ttc ctg acc atc gac aaa ctc acc ggc gac atc cgc 1912Asn Ala Val Asn Phe Leu Thr Ile Asp Lys Leu Thr Gly Asp Ile Arg 560 565 570gtc tca gct aac gac tcc ttc aac tac cat cga gaa agt gaa tta ttt 1960Val Ser Ala Asn Asp Ser Phe Asn Tyr His Arg Glu Ser Glu Leu Phe 575 580 585gtg cag gtg cga gct aca gac acg ctg ggc gaa ccc ttc cac acg gcg 2008Val Gln Val Arg Ala Thr Asp Thr Leu Gly Glu Pro Phe His Thr Ala 590 595 600acg tca cag ctg gtc ata cga cta aat gac atc aac aac acg cca ccc 2056Thr Ser Gln Leu Val Ile Arg Leu Asn Asp Ile Asn Asn Thr Pro Pro605 610 615 620acc tta cgg ctg cct cga ggc agt ccc caa gtg gag gag aac gtg cct 2104Thr Leu Arg Leu Pro Arg Gly Ser Pro Gln Val Glu Glu Asn Val Pro 625 630 635gat ggc cac gtc atc acc cag gag tta cgc gcc acc gac ccc gac acc 2152Asp Gly His Val Ile Thr Gln Glu Leu Arg Ala Thr Asp Pro Asp Thr 640 645 650acg gcc gat ctg cgc ttc gag ata aac tgg gac acc tct ttc gcc acc 2200Thr Ala Asp Leu Arg Phe Glu Ile Asn Trp Asp Thr Ser Phe Ala Thr 655 660 665aag caa ggc cgc cag gct aac ccc gac gag ttt agg aat tgc gtg gaa 2248Lys Gln Gly Arg Gln Ala Asn Pro Asp Glu Phe Arg Asn Cys Val Glu 670 675 680atc gag acc atc ttc ccc gag att aac aac cgg gga ctg gct atc ggc 2296Ile Glu Thr Ile Phe Pro Glu Ile Asn Asn Arg Gly Leu Ala Ile Gly685 690 695 700cgc gtt gta gcg cgc gaa atc aga cac aac gtg acc ata gac tac gag 2344Arg Val Val Ala Arg Glu Ile Arg His Asn Val Thr Ile Asp Tyr Glu 705 710 715gag ttt gag gtc ctc tcc ctc aca gtg agg gtg cgt gac ctt aac acc 2392Glu Phe Glu Val Leu Ser Leu Thr Val Arg Val Arg Asp Leu Asn Thr 720 725 730gtc tac gga gac gac tac gac gaa tcg atg ctc aca ata act ata atc 2440Val Tyr Gly Asp Asp Tyr Asp Glu Ser Met Leu Thr Ile Thr Ile Ile 735 740 745gat atg aac gac aac gcg ccg gtg tgg gtg gag ggg act ctg gag cag 2488Asp Met Asn Asp Asn Ala Pro Val Trp Val Glu Gly Thr Leu Glu Gln 750 755 760aac ttc cga gtc cgc gag atg tcg gcg ggc ggg ctc gtg gtg ggc tcc 2536Asn Phe Arg Val Arg Glu Met Ser Ala Gly Gly Leu Val Val Gly Ser765 770 775 780gtg cgc gcg gac gac atc gac gga ccg ctc tac aac caa gtg cga tac 2584Val Arg Ala Asp Asp Ile Asp Gly Pro Leu Tyr Asn Gln Val Arg Tyr 785 790 795acc att ttc cct cgt gaa gac aca gat aag gac ctg ata atg atc gac 2632Thr Ile Phe Pro Arg Glu Asp Thr Asp Lys Asp Leu Ile Met Ile Asp 800 805 810ttc ctc acg ggt caa att tcc gtg aac aca agc ggc gcc atc gac gcg 2680Phe Leu Thr Gly Gln Ile Ser Val Asn Thr Ser Gly Ala Ile Asp Ala 815 820 825gat act cct cca cgc ttc cac ctc tac tat aca gtg gtc gct agt gac 2728Asp Thr Pro Pro Arg Phe His Leu Tyr Tyr Thr Val Val Ala Ser Asp 830 835 840cga tgc tcg aca gaa gat cct gca gat tgc ccc cct gac ccg act tat 2776Arg Cys Ser Thr Glu Asp Pro Ala Asp Cys Pro Pro Asp Pro Thr Tyr845 850 855 860tgg gaa acc gaa gga aat atc aca atc cac atc acc gac acg aac aac 2824Trp Glu Thr Glu Gly Asn Ile Thr Ile His Ile Thr Asp Thr Asn Asn 865 870 875aag gtc ccg cag gcg gaa acg act aag ttc gat acc gtc gtg tat att 2872Lys Val Pro Gln Ala Glu Thr Thr Lys Phe Asp Thr Val Val Tyr Ile 880 885 890tac gag aac gca acc cac tta gac gag gtg gtc act ctg ata gcc agt 2920Tyr Glu Asn Ala Thr His Leu Asp Glu Val Val Thr Leu Ile Ala Ser 895 900 905gat ctt gac aga gac gaa ata tac cac acg gtg agc tac gtc atc aat 2968Asp Leu Asp Arg Asp Glu Ile Tyr His Thr Val Ser Tyr Val Ile Asn 910 915 920tat gca gtg aac cct cga ctg atg aac ttc ttc tcc gtg aac cga gag 3016Tyr Ala Val Asn Pro Arg Leu Met Asn Phe Phe Ser Val Asn Arg Glu925 930 935 940acc ggc ctg gtg tac gtg gac tat gag acc cag ggt agt ggc gag gtg 3064Thr Gly Leu Val Tyr Val Asp Tyr Glu Thr Gln Gly Ser Gly Glu Val 945 950 955ctg gac cgt gat ggt gat gaa cca acg cac cgt atc ttc ttc aac ctc 3112Leu Asp Arg Asp Gly Asp Glu Pro Thr His Arg Ile Phe Phe Asn Leu 960 965 970atc gac aac ttc atg ggg gaa gga gaa ggt aac aga aat cag aac gac 3160Ile Asp Asn Phe Met Gly Glu Gly Glu Gly Asn Arg Asn Gln Asn Asp 975 980 985aca gaa gtt ctc gtt atc ttg ttg gat gtg aat gac aat gct cct gaa 3208Thr Glu Val Leu Val Ile Leu Leu Asp Val Asn Asp Asn Ala Pro Glu 990 995 1000ttg cca ccg ccg agc gaa ctc tct tgg act ata tct gag aac ctt aag 3256Leu Pro Pro Pro Ser Glu Leu Ser Trp Thr Ile Ser Glu Asn Leu Lys1005 1010 1015 1020cag ggc gtc cgt ctt gaa cca cat atc ttc gcc ccg gac cgc gac gag 3304Gln Gly Val Arg Leu Glu Pro His Ile Phe Ala Pro Asp Arg Asp Glu 1025 1030 1035ccc gac aca gac aac tcc agg gtc ggc tac gag atc ctg aac ctc agc 3352Pro Asp Thr Asp Asn Ser Arg Val Gly Tyr Glu Ile Leu Asn Leu Ser 1040 1045 1050acg gag cgg gac atc gaa gtg ccg gag ctg ttt gtg atg ata cag atc 3400Thr Glu Arg Asp Ile Glu Val Pro Glu Leu Phe Val Met Ile Gln Ile 1055 1060 1065gcg aac gtc acg gga gag ctg gag acc gcc atg gac ctc aag gga tat 3448Ala Asn Val Thr Gly Glu Leu Glu Thr Ala Met Asp Leu Lys Gly Tyr 1070 1075 1080tgg ggg acg tac gct ata cat ata cgg gca ttc gac cac ggc att ccg 3496Trp Gly Thr Tyr Ala Ile His Ile Arg Ala Phe Asp His Gly Ile Pro1085 1090 1095 1100caa atg tcc atg aac gag aca tat gag ctg atc atc cat ccg ttc aac 3544Gln Met Ser Met Asn Glu Thr Tyr Glu Leu Ile Ile His Pro Phe Asn 1105 1110 1115tac tac gcg cct gag ttc gtc ttc ccg acc aac gat gcc gtc ata cga 3592Tyr Tyr Ala Pro Glu Phe Val Phe Pro Thr Asn Asp Ala Val Ile Arg 1120 1125 1130ctt gcg agg gaa cga gct gta atc aat gga gtt cta gcg aca gtg aac 3640Leu Ala Arg Glu Arg Ala Val Ile Asn Gly Val Leu Ala Thr Val Asn 1135 1140 1145gga gag ttc ttg gag cgg ata tcg gcg act gat ccg gac gga ctc cac 3688Gly Glu Phe Leu Glu Arg Ile Ser Ala Thr Asp Pro Asp Gly Leu His 1150 1155 1160gcg ggc gtc gtc acc ttc caa gtg gta ggc gat gag gaa tca caa cgg 3736Ala Gly Val Val Thr Phe Gln Val Val Gly Asp Glu Glu Ser Gln Arg1165 1170 1175 1180tac ttt caa gta gtt aac gat ggc gag aac ctc ggc tcg ttg agg tta 3784Tyr Phe Gln Val Val Asn Asp Gly Glu Asn Leu Gly Ser Leu Arg Leu 1185 1190 1195ctg caa gcc gtt cca gag gag atc agg gag ttc cgg ata acg att cgc 3832Leu Gln Ala Val Pro Glu Glu Ile Arg Glu Phe Arg Ile Thr Ile Arg 1200 1205 1210gct aca gac cag gga acg gac cca gga ccg ctg tcc acg gac atg acg 3880Ala Thr Asp Gln Gly Thr Asp Pro Gly Pro Leu Ser Thr Asp Met Thr 1215 1220 1225ttc aga gtt gtt ttt gtg ccc acg caa gga gaa cct aga ttc gcg tcc 3928Phe Arg Val Val Phe Val Pro Thr Gln Gly Glu Pro Arg Phe Ala Ser 1230 1235 1240tca gaa cat gct gtc gct ttc ata gaa aag agt gcc ggc atg gaa gag 3976Ser Glu His Ala Val Ala Phe Ile Glu Lys Ser Ala Gly Met Glu Glu1245 1250 1255 1260tct cac caa ctt cct cta gca caa gac atc aag aac cat ctc tgt gaa 4024Ser His Gln Leu Pro Leu Ala Gln Asp Ile Lys Asn His Leu Cys Glu 1265 1270 1275gac gac tgt cac agc att tac tat cgt att atc gat ggc aac agc gaa 4072Asp Asp Cys His Ser Ile Tyr Tyr Arg Ile Ile Asp Gly Asn Ser Glu 1280 1285 1290ggt cat ttc ggc ctg gat cct gtt cgc aac agg ttg ttc ctg aag aaa 4120Gly His Phe Gly Leu Asp Pro Val Arg Asn Arg Leu Phe Leu Lys Lys 1295 1300 1305gag ctg ata agg gaa caa agt gcc tcc cac act ctg caa gtg gcg gct 4168Glu Leu Ile Arg Glu Gln Ser Ala Ser His Thr Leu Gln Val Ala Ala 1310 1315 1320agt aac tcg ccc gat ggt ggc att cca ctt cct gct tcc atc ctt act 4216Ser Asn Ser Pro Asp Gly Gly Ile Pro Leu Pro Ala Ser Ile Leu Thr1325 1330 1335 1340gtc act gtt acc gtg agg gag gca gac cct cgt cca gtg ttt gtg agg 4264Val Thr Val Thr Val Arg Glu Ala Asp Pro Arg Pro Val Phe Val Arg 1345 1350 1355gaa ttg tac acc gca ggg ata tcc aca gcg gac tcc atc ggc aga gag 4312Glu Leu Tyr Thr Ala Gly Ile Ser Thr Ala Asp Ser Ile Gly Arg Glu 1360 1365 1370ctg ctc aga tta cat gcg acc cag tct gaa ggc tcg gcc att act tat 4360Leu Leu Arg Leu His Ala Thr Gln Ser Glu Gly Ser Ala Ile Thr Tyr 1375 1380 1385gct ata gac tac gat aca atg gta gtg gac ccc agc ctg gag gca gtg 4408Ala Ile Asp Tyr Asp Thr Met Val Val Asp Pro Ser Leu Glu Ala Val 1390 1395 1400aga cag tcg gct ttc gta ctg aac gct caa acc gga gtg ctg acg ctt 4456Arg Gln Ser Ala Phe Val Leu Asn Ala Gln Thr Gly Val Leu Thr Leu1405 1410 1415 1420aat atc cag ccc acg gcc acg atg cat gga ctg ttc aaa ttc gaa gtc 4504Asn Ile Gln Pro Thr Ala Thr Met His Gly Leu Phe Lys Phe Glu Val 1425 1430 1435aca gct act gac acg gcc ggc gct cag gac cgc acc gac gtc acc gtg 4552Thr Ala Thr Asp Thr Ala Gly Ala Gln Asp Arg Thr Asp Val Thr Val 1440 1445 1450tac gtg gta tcc tcg cag aac cgc gtc tac ttc gtg ttc gtc aac acg 4600Tyr Val Val Ser Ser Gln Asn Arg Val Tyr Phe Val Phe Val Asn Thr 1455 1460 1465ctg caa cag gtc gaa gac aac aga gac ttt atc gcg gac acc ttc agc 4648Leu Gln Gln Val Glu Asp Asn Arg Asp Phe Ile Ala Asp Thr Phe Ser 1470 1475 1480gct ggg ttc aac atg acc tgc aac atc gac caa gtg gtg ccc gct aac 4696Ala Gly Phe Asn Met Thr Cys Asn Ile Asp Gln Val Val Pro Ala Asn1485 1490 1495 1500gac ccc gtc acc ggc gtg gcg ctg gag cac agc acg cag atg cgc ggc 4744Asp Pro Val Thr Gly Val Ala Leu Glu His Ser Thr Gln Met Arg Gly 1505 1510 1515cac ttc ata cgg gac aac gta ccc gta ctc gct gat gag ata gaa cag 4792His Phe Ile Arg Asp Asn Val Pro Val Leu Ala Asp Glu Ile Glu Gln 1520 1525 1530atc cgt agt gac cta gtc ctc ctg agc tcg ata caa aca acg ctg gcg 4840Ile Arg Ser Asp Leu Val Leu Leu Ser Ser Ile Gln Thr Thr Leu Ala 1535 1540 1545gcg cga tcg ctg gtg ttg cag gac ttg ttg acc aac tcc agc ccg gac 4888Ala Arg Ser Leu Val Leu Gln Asp Leu Leu Thr Asn Ser Ser Pro Asp 1550 1555 1560tcg gcg cct gac tcg agc ctc acg gtg tac gtg ctg gcc tca ctg tct 4936Ser Ala Pro Asp Ser Ser Leu Thr Val Tyr Val Leu Ala Ser Leu Ser1565 1570 1575 1580gct gtg ctc ggt ttc atg tgc ctt gtg cta ctg ctt acc ttc atc atc 4984Ala Val Leu Gly Phe Met Cys Leu Val Leu Leu Leu Thr Phe Ile Ile 1585 1590 1595agg act aga gcg cta aac cga cgg ttg gaa gcc ctg tcg atg acg aag 5032Arg Thr Arg Ala Leu Asn Arg Arg Leu Glu Ala Leu Ser Met Thr Lys 1600 1605 1610tac ggc tca ctg gac tct gga ttg aac cgc gcc ggc atc gcc gcc ccc 5080Tyr Gly Ser Leu Asp Ser Gly Leu Asn Arg Ala Gly Ile Ala Ala Pro 1615 1620 1625ggc acc aac aaa cac act gtg gaa ggc tcc aac cct atc ttc aat gaa 5128Gly Thr Asn Lys His Thr Val Glu Gly Ser Asn Pro Ile Phe Asn Glu 1630 1635 1640gca ata aag acg cca gat tta gat gcc att agc gag ggt tcc aac gac 5176Ala Ile Lys Thr Pro Asp Leu Asp Ala Ile Ser Glu Gly Ser Asn Asp1645 1650 1655 1660tct gat ctg atc ggc atc gaa gat ctt ccg cac ttt ggc aac gtc ttc 5224Ser Asp Leu Ile Gly Ile Glu Asp Leu Pro His Phe Gly Asn Val Phe 1665 1670 1675atg gat cct gag gtg aac gaa aag gca aat ggt tat ccc gaa gtc gca 5272Met Asp Pro Glu Val Asn Glu Lys Ala Asn Gly Tyr Pro Glu Val Ala 1680 1685 1690aac cac aac aac aac ttc gct ttc aac ccg act ccc ttc tcg cct gag 5320Asn His Asn Asn Asn Phe Ala Phe Asn Pro Thr Pro Phe Ser Pro Glu 1695 1700 1705ttc gtt aac gga cag ttc aga aag atc t agaagataac aacactagtt 5368Phe Val Asn Gly Gln Phe Arg Lys Ile 1710 1715aagatcatta attttggagt ttggaattaa gatttttgaa aggatagttg tgataagcct 5428gtgattttta aaactgtaat tgaaaaaaaa aattgagacc tccatttaag ctcttgctct 5488catctcatca aattttataa aatgccatta gtcattaaga tactcgattt aatttaagat 5548tatttaagat attatgtaaa ataaatatat tgtc 5582 2 1717 PRT M. sexta 2Met Ala Val Asp Val Arg Ile Ala Ala Phe Leu Leu Val Phe Ile Ala 1 5 10 15Pro Ala Val Leu Ala Gln Glu Arg Cys Gly Tyr Met Thr Ala Ile Pro 20 25 30Arg Leu Pro Arg Pro Asp Asn Leu Pro Val Leu Asn Phe Glu Gly Gln 35 40 45Thr Trp Ser Gln Arg Pro Leu Leu Pro Ala Pro Glu Arg Asp Asp Leu 50 55 60Cys Met Asp Ala Tyr His Val Ile Thr Ala Asn Leu Gly Thr Gln Val65 70 75 80Ile Tyr Met Asp Glu Glu Ile Glu Asp Glu Ile Thr Ile Ala Ile Leu 85 90 95Asn Tyr Asn Gly Pro Ser Thr Pro Phe Ile Glu Leu Pro Phe Leu Ser 100 105 110Gly Ser Tyr Asn Leu Leu Met Pro Val Ile Arg Arg Val Asp Asn Gly 115 120 125Glu Trp His Leu Ile Ile Thr Gln Arg Gln His Tyr Glu Leu Pro Gly 130 135 140Met Gln Gln Tyr Met Phe Asn Val Arg Val Asp Gly Gln Ser Leu Val145 150 155 160Ala Gly Val Ser Leu Ala Ile Val Asn Ile Asp Asp Asn Ala Pro Ile 165 170 175Ile Gln Asn Phe Glu Pro Cys Arg Val Pro Glu Leu Gly Glu Pro Gly 180 185 190Leu Thr Glu Cys Thr Tyr Gln Val Ser Asp Ala Asp Gly Arg Ile Ser 195 200 205Thr Glu Phe Met Thr Phe Arg Ile Asp Ser Val Arg Gly Asp Glu Glu 210 215 220Thr Phe Tyr Ile Glu Arg Thr Asn Ile Pro Asn Gln Trp Met Trp Leu225 230 235 240Asn Met Thr Ile Gly Val Asn Thr Ser Leu Asn Phe Val Thr Ser Pro 245 250 255Leu His Ile Phe Ser Val Thr Ala Leu Asp Ser Leu Pro Asn Thr His 260 265 270Thr Val Thr Met Met Val Gln Val Ala Asn Val Asn Ser Arg Pro Pro 275 280 285Arg Trp Leu Glu Ile Phe Ala Val Gln Gln Phe Glu Glu Lys Ser Tyr 290 295 300Gln Asn Phe Thr Val Arg Ala Ile Asp Gly Asp Thr Glu Ile Asn Met305 310 315 320Pro Ile Asn Tyr Arg Leu Ile Thr Asn Glu Glu Asp Thr Phe Phe Ser 325 330 335Ile Glu Ala Leu Pro Gly Gly Lys Ser Gly Ala Val Phe Leu Val Ser 340 345 350Pro Ile Asp Arg Asp Thr Leu Gln Arg Glu Val Phe Pro Leu Thr Ile 355 360 365Val Ala Tyr Lys Tyr Asp Glu Glu Ala Phe Ser Thr Ser Thr Asn Val 370 375 380Val Ile Ile Val Thr Asp Ile Asn Asp Gln Arg Pro Glu Pro Ile His385 390 395 400Lys Glu Tyr Arg Leu Ala Ile Met Glu Glu Thr Pro Leu Thr Leu Asn 405 410 415Phe Asp Lys Glu Phe Gly Phe His Asp Lys Asp Leu Gly Gln Asn Ala 420 425 430Gln Tyr Thr Val Arg Leu Glu Ser Val Asp Pro Pro Gly Ala Ala Glu 435 440 445Ala Phe Tyr Ile Ala Pro Glu Val Gly Tyr Gln Arg Gln Thr Phe Ile 450 455 460Met Gly Thr Leu Asn His Ser Met Leu Asp Tyr Glu Val Pro Glu Phe465 470 475 480Gln Ser Ile Thr Ile Arg Val Val Ala Thr Asp Asn Asn Asp Thr Arg 485 490 495His Val Gly Val Ala Leu Val His Ile Asp Leu Ile Asn Trp Asn Asp 500 505 510Glu Gln Pro Ile Phe Glu His Ala Val Gln Thr Val Thr Phe Asp Glu 515 520 525Thr Glu Gly Glu Gly Phe Phe Val Ala Lys Ala Val Ala His Asp Arg 530 535 540Asp Ile Gly Asp Val Val Glu His Thr Leu Leu Gly Asn Ala Val Asn545 550 555 560Phe Leu Thr Ile Asp Lys Leu Thr Gly Asp Ile Arg Val Ser Ala Asn 565 570 575Asp Ser Phe Asn Tyr His Arg Glu Ser Glu Leu Phe Val Gln Val Arg 580 585 590Ala Thr Asp Thr Leu Gly Glu Pro Phe His Thr Ala Thr Ser Gln Leu 595 600 605Val Ile Arg Leu Asn Asp Ile Asn Asn Thr Pro Pro Thr Leu Arg Leu 610 615 620Pro Arg Gly Ser Pro Gln Val Glu Glu Asn Val Pro Asp Gly His Val625 630 635 640Ile Thr Gln Glu Leu Arg Ala Thr Asp Pro Asp Thr Thr Ala Asp Leu 645 650 655Arg Phe Glu Ile Asn Trp Asp Thr Ser Phe Ala Thr Lys Gln Gly Arg 660 665 670Gln Ala Asn Pro Asp Glu Phe Arg Asn Cys Val Glu Ile Glu Thr Ile 675 680 685Phe Pro Glu Ile Asn Asn Arg Gly Leu Ala Ile Gly Arg Val Val Ala 690 695 700Arg Glu Ile Arg His Asn Val Thr Ile Asp Tyr Glu Glu Phe Glu Val705 710 715 720Leu Ser Leu Thr Val Arg Val Arg Asp Leu Asn Thr Val Tyr Gly Asp 725 730 735Asp Tyr Asp Glu Ser Met Leu Thr Ile Thr Ile Ile Asp Met Asn Asp 740 745 750Asn Ala Pro Val Trp Val Glu Gly Thr Leu Glu Gln Asn Phe Arg Val 755 760 765Arg Glu Met Ser Ala Gly Gly Leu Val Val Gly Ser Val Arg Ala Asp 770 775 780Asp Ile Asp Gly Pro Leu Tyr Asn Gln Val Arg Tyr Thr Ile Phe Pro785 790 795 800Arg Glu Asp Thr Asp Lys Asp Leu Ile Met Ile Asp Phe Leu Thr Gly 805 810 815Gln Ile Ser Val Asn Thr Ser Gly Ala Ile Asp Ala Asp Thr Pro Pro 820 825 830Arg Phe His Leu Tyr Tyr Thr Val Val Ala Ser Asp Arg Cys Ser Thr 835 840 845Glu Asp Pro Ala Asp Cys Pro Pro Asp Pro Thr Tyr Trp Glu Thr Glu 850 855 860Gly Asn Ile Thr Ile His Ile Thr Asp Thr Asn Asn Lys Val Pro Gln865 870 875 880Ala Glu Thr Thr Lys Phe Asp Thr Val Val Tyr Ile Tyr Glu Asn Ala 885 890 895Thr His Leu Asp Glu Val Val Thr Leu Ile Ala Ser Asp Leu Asp Arg 900 905 910Asp Glu Ile Tyr His Thr Val Ser Tyr Val Ile Asn Tyr Ala Val Asn 915 920 925Pro Arg Leu Met Asn Phe Phe Ser Val Asn Arg Glu Thr Gly Leu Val 930 935 940Tyr Val Asp Tyr Glu Thr Gln Gly Ser Gly Glu Val Leu Asp Arg Asp945 950 955 960Gly Asp Glu Pro Thr His Arg Ile Phe Phe Asn Leu Ile Asp Asn Phe 965 970 975Met Gly Glu Gly Glu Gly Asn Arg Asn Gln Asn Asp Thr Glu Val Leu 980 985 990Val Ile Leu Leu Asp Val Asn Asp Asn Ala Pro Glu Leu Pro Pro Pro 995 1000 1005Ser Glu Leu Ser Trp Thr Ile Ser Glu Asn Leu Lys Gln Gly Val Arg 1010 1015 1020Leu Glu Pro His Ile Phe Ala Pro Asp Arg Asp Glu Pro Asp Thr Asp1025 1030 1035 1040Asn Ser Arg Val Gly Tyr Glu Ile Leu Asn Leu Ser Thr Glu Arg Asp 1045 1050 1055Ile Glu Val Pro Glu Leu Phe Val Met Ile Gln Ile Ala Asn Val Thr 1060 1065 1070Gly Glu Leu Glu Thr Ala Met Asp Leu Lys Gly Tyr Trp Gly Thr Tyr 1075 1080 1085Ala Ile His Ile Arg Ala Phe Asp His Gly Ile Pro Gln Met Ser Met 1090 1095 1100Asn Glu Thr Tyr Glu Leu Ile Ile His Pro Phe Asn Tyr Tyr Ala Pro1105 1110 1115 1120Glu Phe Val Phe Pro Thr Asn Asp Ala Val Ile Arg Leu Ala Arg Glu 1125 1130 1135Arg Ala Val Ile Asn Gly Val Leu Ala Thr Val Asn Gly Glu Phe Leu 1140 1145 1150Glu Arg Ile Ser Ala Thr Asp Pro Asp Gly Leu His Ala Gly Val Val 1155 1160 1165Thr Phe Gln Val Val Gly Asp Glu Glu Ser Gln Arg Tyr Phe Gln Val 1170 1175 1180Val Asn Asp Gly Glu Asn Leu Gly Ser Leu Arg Leu Leu Gln Ala Val1185 1190 1195 1200Pro Glu Glu Ile Arg Glu Phe Arg Ile Thr Ile Arg Ala Thr Asp Gln 1205 1210 1215Gly Thr Asp Pro Gly Pro Leu Ser Thr Asp Met Thr Phe Arg Val Val 1220 1225 1230Phe Val Pro Thr Gln Gly Glu Pro Arg Phe Ala Ser Ser Glu His Ala 1235 1240 1245Val Ala Phe Ile Glu Lys Ser Ala Gly Met Glu Glu Ser His Gln Leu 1250 1255 1260Pro Leu Ala Gln Asp Ile Lys Asn His Leu Cys Glu Asp Asp Cys His1265 1270 1275 1280Ser Ile Tyr Tyr Arg Ile Ile Asp Gly Asn Ser Glu Gly His Phe Gly 1285 1290 1295Leu Asp Pro Val Arg Asn Arg Leu Phe Leu Lys Lys Glu Leu Ile Arg 1300 1305 1310Glu Gln Ser Ala Ser His Thr Leu Gln Val Ala Ala Ser Asn Ser Pro 1315 1320 1325Asp Gly Gly Ile Pro Leu Pro Ala Ser Ile Leu Thr Val Thr Val Thr 1330 1335 1340Val Arg Glu Ala Asp Pro Arg Pro Val Phe Val Arg Glu Leu Tyr Thr1345 1350 1355 1360Ala Gly Ile Ser Thr Ala Asp Ser Ile Gly Arg Glu Leu Leu Arg Leu 1365 1370 1375His Ala Thr Gln Ser Glu Gly Ser Ala Ile Thr Tyr Ala Ile Asp Tyr 1380 1385 1390Asp Thr Met Val Val Asp Pro Ser Leu Glu Ala Val Arg Gln Ser Ala 1395 1400 1405Phe Val Leu Asn Ala Gln Thr Gly Val Leu Thr Leu Asn Ile Gln Pro 1410 1415 1420Thr Ala Thr Met His Gly Leu Phe Lys Phe Glu Val Thr Ala Thr Asp1425 1430 1435 1440Thr Ala Gly Ala Gln Asp Arg Thr Asp Val Thr Val Tyr Val Val Ser 1445 1450 1455Ser Gln Asn Arg Val Tyr Phe Val Phe Val Asn Thr Leu Gln Gln Val 1460 1465 1470Glu Asp Asn Arg Asp Phe Ile Ala Asp Thr Phe Ser Ala Gly Phe Asn 1475 1480 1485Met Thr Cys Asn Ile Asp Gln Val Val Pro Ala Asn Asp Pro Val Thr 1490 1495 1500Gly Val Ala Leu Glu His Ser Thr Gln Met Arg Gly His Phe Ile Arg1505 1510 1515 1520Asp Asn Val Pro Val Leu Ala Asp Glu Ile Glu Gln Ile Arg Ser Asp 1525 1530 1535Leu Val Leu Leu Ser Ser Ile Gln Thr Thr Leu Ala Ala Arg Ser Leu 1540 1545 1550Val Leu Gln Asp Leu Leu Thr Asn Ser Ser Pro Asp Ser Ala Pro Asp 1555 1560 1565Ser Ser Leu Thr Val Tyr Val Leu Ala Ser Leu Ser Ala Val Leu Gly 1570 1575 1580Phe Met Cys Leu Val Leu Leu Leu Thr Phe Ile Ile Arg Thr Arg Ala1585 1590 1595 1600Leu Asn Arg Arg Leu Glu Ala Leu Ser Met Thr Lys Tyr Gly Ser Leu 1605 1610 1615Asp Ser Gly Leu Asn Arg Ala Gly Ile Ala Ala Pro Gly Thr Asn Lys 1620 1625 1630His Thr Val Glu Gly Ser Asn Pro Ile Phe Asn Glu Ala Ile Lys Thr 1635 1640 1645Pro Asp Leu Asp Ala Ile Ser Glu Gly Ser Asn Asp Ser Asp Leu Ile 1650 1655 1660Gly Ile Glu Asp Leu Pro His Phe Gly Asn Val Phe Met Asp Pro Glu1665 1670 1675 1680Val Asn Glu Lys Ala Asn Gly Tyr Pro Glu Val Ala Asn His Asn Asn 1685 1690 1695Asn Phe Ala Phe Asn Pro Thr Pro Phe Ser Pro Glu Phe Val Asn Gly 1700 1705 1710Gln Phe Arg Lys Ile 1715 3 30 PRT M. sexta 3Met Leu Asp Tyr Glu Val Pro Glu Phe Gln Ser Ile Thr Ile Arg Val 1 5 10 15Val Ala Thr Asp Asn Asn Asp Thr Arg His Val Gly Val Ala 20 25 30 4 16 PRT M. sexta VARIANT (1)...(16) Xaa = Any Amino Acid 4Met Xaa Glu Thr Tyr Glu Leu Ile Ile His Pro Phe Asn Tyr Tyr Ala 1 5 10 15 5 16 PRT M. sexta VARIANT (1)...(16) Xaa = Any Amino Acid 5Met Xaa Xaa Xaa His Gln Leu Pro Leu Ala Gln Asp Ile Lys Asn His 1 5 10 15 6 8 PRT M. sexta VARIANT (1)...(8) Xaa = Any Amino Acid 6Met Xaa Xaa Val Xaa Val Asp Xaa 1 5 7 9 PRT M. sexta VARIANT (1)...(9) Xaa = Any Amino Acid 7Met Asn Phe Xaa Ser Val Asn Xaa Glu 1 5 8 109 PRT M. sexta 8Glu Trp Val Met Pro Pro Ile Phe Val Pro Glu Asn Gly Lys Gly Pro 1 5 10 15Phe Pro Gln Arg Leu Asn Gln Leu Lys Ser Asn Lys Asp Arg Gly Thr 20 25 30Lys Ile Phe Tyr Tyr Ser Ile Thr Gly Pro Gly Ala Asp Ser Pro Pro 35 40 45Glu Gly Val Phe Thr Ile Glu Lys Glu Ser Gly Trp Leu Leu Leu His 50 55 60Met Pro Leu Asp Arg Glu Lys Ile Val Lys Tyr Glu Leu Tyr Gly His65 70 75 80Ala Val Ser Glu Asn Gly Ala Ser Val Glu Glu Pro Met Asn Ile Ser 85 90 95Ile Ile Val Thr Asp Gln Asn Asp Asn Lys Pro Lys Phe 100 105 9 105 PRT M. sexta 9Glu Asp Thr Val Tyr Ser Phe Asp Ile Asp Glu Asn Ala Gln Arg Gly 1 5 10 15Tyr Gln Val Gly Gln Ile Val Ala Arg Asp Ala Asp Leu Gly Gln Asn 20 25 30Ala Gln Leu Ser Tyr Gly Val Val Ser Asp Trp Ala Asn Asp Val Phe 35 40 45Ser Leu Asn Pro Gln Thr Gly Met Leu Thr Leu Thr Ala Arg Leu Asp 50 55 60Tyr Glu Glu Val Gln His Tyr Ile Leu Ile Val Gln Ala Gln Asp Asn65 70 75 80Gly Gln Pro Ser Leu Ser Thr Thr Ile Thr Val Tyr Cys Asn Val Leu 85 90 95Asp Leu Asn Asp Asn Ala Pro Ile Phe 100 105 10 92 PRT M. sexta 10Ala Ser Pro Val Ile Thr Leu Ala Ile Pro Glu Asn Thr Asn Gly Ser 1 5 10 15Leu Phe Pro Ile Pro Leu Ala Ser Asp Arg Asp Ala Asn Glu Leu Gln 20 25 30Val Ala Glu Asp Gln Glu Glu Lys Gln Pro Gln Leu Ile Val Met Gly 35 40 45Asn Leu Asp Arg Glu Arg Trp Asp Ser Tyr Asp Leu Thr Ile Lys Val 50 55 60Gln Asp Gly Gly Ser Pro Pro Arg Ala Thr Ser Ala Leu Leu Arg Val65 70 75 80Thr Val Leu Asp Thr Asn Asp Asn Ala Pro Lys Phe 85 90 11 106 PRT M. sexta 11Ile Val Thr Glu Asn Ile Trp Lys Ala Pro Lys Pro Val Glu Met Val 1 5 10 15Glu Asn Ser Thr Pro His Pro Ile Lys Ile Thr Gln Val Arg Trp Asn 20 25 30Asp Pro Gly Ala Gln Tyr Ser Leu Val Asp Lys Glu Lys Leu Pro Arg 35 40 45Phe Pro Phe Ser Ile Asp Gln Glu Gly Asp Ile Tyr Val Thr Gln Pro 50 55 60Ile Asp Arg Glu Glu Lys Asp Ala Tyr Val Phe Tyr Ala Val Ala Lys65 70 75 80Asp Glu Tyr Gly Lys Pro Leu Ser Tyr Pro Leu Glu Ile His Val Lys 85 90 95Val Lys Asp Asn Asp Asn Pro Pro Thr Cys 100 105

Claims

1. A method to assess the binding affinity of a candidate pesticide for an insect receptor that binds Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) toxin, which method comprises:(a) contacting said candidate pesticide with cells that express BT toxin receptor at their surface and which have been prepared by culturing host cells transformed with a recombinant expression system that expresses a BT toxin-binding receptor-encoding polynucleotide, which receptor has the amino acid sequence of the receptor shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, or wherein the receptor is encoded by DNA that hybridizes to the full length cDNA nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 under conditions comprising hybridization conditions of 42° C. and 50% formamide, 5×Denhardt's Reagent, 5×SSCP and 50 μg/ml salmon sperm DNA and washing conditions of 1×SSC+0.1% SDS and 0.15×SSC+0.1% SDS at 42° C. or an equivalent thereto, which expression system comprises, operably linked to said receptor-encoding DNA, an expression control sequence operable in said host cells, and wherein said culturing is performed under conditions that permit production of said receptor, said contacting being under conditions which permit binding of said candidate pesticide to said receptor on said cells; and (b) measuring the binding affinity of said candidate pesticide bound to said cells.

2. A method to assess the cytotoxicity of a candidate pesticide which comprises:(a) contacting said candidate with cells that express BT toxin receptor at their surface and which have been prepared by culturing host cells transformed with a recombinant expression system that expresses a BT toxin-binding receptor-encoding polynucleotide, which receptor has the amino acid sequence of the receptor shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, or wherein the receptor is encoded by DNA that hybridizes to the full length cDNA nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 under conditions comprising hybridization conditions of 42° C. and 50% formamide, 5×Denhardt's Reagent, 5×SSCP and 50 μg/ml salmon sperm DNA and washing conditions of 1×SSC+0.1% SDS and 0.15×SSC+0.1% SDS at 42° C. or an equivalent thereto, which expression system comprises, operably linked to said receptor-encoding DNA, an expression control sequence operable in said host cells, and wherein said culturing is performed under conditions that permit production of said receptor, said contacting being under conditions which permit binding of said candidate pesticide to said receptor on said cells; and (b) measuring the cytotoxicity effect of said candidate pesticide on said cells in terms of cell death indices including reduced thymidine uptake, slower increases in optical cell density, reduced exclusion of vital dyes, and increased release of viability markers.