Claims
- 1. A process for identifying a recombinant DNA sequence encoding a modified B.t. crystal protein toxin which has an altered host range or increased toxicity against at least one target lepidopteran insect host comprising the steps of:
- (a) replacing at least a part of a variable region of a first parent DNA sequence encoding a lepidopteran active B.t. crystal protein toxin with at least a part of a variable region of at least one other patent DNA sequence encoding a different lepidopteran active B.t. crystal protein toxin to obtain a recombinant DNA sequence encoding a modified B.t. crystal protein toxin which is different from any of said crystal protein toxins encoded by said parent DNA sequences;
- (b) producing said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin from said recombinant DNA sequence; and
- (c) assaying said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin to verify whether said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin has an altered host range or increased toxicity against at least one target lepidopteran insect host as compared to any of said crystal protein toxins encoded by said parent DNA sequences; whereby, if verified, said recombinant DNA sequence is identified as one encoding a modified B.t. crystal protein toxin having an altered host range or increased toxicity.
- 2. A recombinant DNA sequence encoding a modified B.t. crystal protein toxin which has an altered host range or increased toxicity against at least one target lepidopteran insect host, wherein said recombinant DNA sequence is produced by the process of:
- (a) replacing at least a part of a variable region of a first parent DNA sequence encoding a lepidopteran active B.t. crystal protein toxin with at least a part of a variable region of at least one other parent DNA sequence encoding a different lepidopteran active B.t. crystal protein toxin to obtain a recombinant DNA sequence encoding a modified B.t. crystal protein toxin which is different from any of said crystal protein toxins encoded by said parent DNA sequences;
- (b) producing said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin from said recombinant DNA sequence;
- (c) assaying said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin to verify whether said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin has an altered host range or increased toxicity against at least one target lepidopteran insect host as compared to any of said crystal protein toxins encoded by said parent DNA sequences; whereby, if verified, said recombinant DNA sequence is identified as one encoding a modified B.t. crystal protein toxin having an altered host range or increased toxicity; and
- (d) obtaining additional copies of said recombinant DNA sequence.
- 3. A process for identifying a recombinant DNA sequence encoding a modified B.t. crystal protein toxin which has an altered host range or increased toxicity against at least one target lepidopteran insect host comprising the steps of:
- (a) replacing at least a part of a variable region of a first parent DNA sequence encoding a lepidopteran active B.t. crystal protein toxin with at least a part of a variable region of at least one other parent DNA sequence encoding a different lepidopteran active B.t. crystal protein toxin to obtain a recombinant DNA sequence encoding a modified B.t. crystal protein toxin which is different from any of said crystal protein toxins encoded by said parent DNA sequences;
- (b) producing said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin from said recombinant DNA sequence;
- (c) assaying said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin to verify whether said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin has an altered host range or increased toxicity against at least one target lepidopteran insect host as compared to any of said crystal protein toxins encoded by said parent DNA sequences; and
- (d) repeating the foregoing steps (a)-(c) until said modified B.t. crystal protein is verified to have an altered host range or increased toxicity against at least one target lepidopteran insect host as compared to any of said crystal protein toxins encoded by said parent DNA sequences, whereby the recombinant DNA sequence encoding said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin is identified as one encoding a modified B.t. crystal protein toxin having an altered host range or increased toxicity.
- 4. A recombinant DNA sequence encoding a modified B.t. crystal protein toxin which has an altered host range or increased toxicity against at least one target lepidopteran insect host, wherein said recombinant DNA sequence is produced by the process of:
- (a) replacing at least a part of a variable region of a first parent DNA sequence encoding a lepidopteran active B.t. crystal protein toxin with at least a part of a variable region of at least one other parent DNA sequence encoding a different lepidopteran active B.t. crystal protein toxin to obtain a recombinant DNA sequence encoding a modified B.t. crystal protein toxin which is different from any of said crystal protein toxins encoded by said parent DNA sequences;
- (b) producing said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin from said recombinant DNA sequence;
- (c) assaying said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin to verify whether said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin has an altered host range or increased toxicity against at least one target lepidopteran insect host as compared to any of said crystal protein toxins encoded by said parent DNA sequences;
- (d) repeating the foregoing steps (a)-(c) until said modified B.t. crystal protein is verified to have an altered host range or increased toxicity against at least one target lepidopteran insect host as compared to any of said crystal protein toxins encoded by said parent DNA sequences, whereby the recombinant DNA sequence encoding said modified B.t. crystal protein toxin is identified as one encoding a modified B.t. crystal protein toxin having an altered host range or increased toxicity; and
- (e) obtaining additional copies of said recombinant DNA sequence.
- 5. The process of claim 1, wherein the first parent DNA sequence encodes B.t. var. kurstaki HD-73 crystal protein toxin, the other parent DNA sequence encodes B.t. var. kurstaki HD-1 crystal protein toxin, and the modified B.t. crystal protein toxin has increased insect toxicity to an insect selected from the group consisting of Trichnoplusia ni, Spodoptera exigua, and Heliothis zea.
- 6. A recombinant DNA encoding a modified B.t. crystal protein toxin having pesticidal activity, said toxin comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.
- 7. The recombinant DNA according to claim 6, said DNA comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1.
CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/580,781, filed on Dec. 29, 1995, now abandoned; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/420,615, filed on Apr. 10, 1995, now abandoned; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/097,808, filed on Jul. 27, 1993, now abandoned; which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 07/980,128, filed on Nov. 23, 1992, now abandoned; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/803,920, filed on Dec. 6, 1991, now abandoned; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/356,599, filed on May 24, 1989, now abandoned; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 06/904,572, filed on Sep. 5, 1986, now abandoned; which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 06/808,129, filed on Dec. 12, 1985, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
4448885 |
Schnepf et al. |
May 1984 |
|
4467036 |
Schnepf et al. |
Aug 1984 |
|
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
Schnepf He, et al. Bacillus thuringiensis toxins: regulation, activities and structural diversity. Curr. Opinions Biotech. 6: 305-312, 1995. |
Schnepf, H. Ernest and H.R. Whiteley (1981) "Cloning and expression of the Bacillus thuringiensis crystal protein gene in Escherichia coli", Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 78(5):2893-2897. |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
980128 |
Nov 1992 |
|
Continuations (6)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
580781 |
Dec 1995 |
|
Parent |
420615 |
Apr 1995 |
|
Parent |
097808 |
Jul 1993 |
|
Parent |
803920 |
Dec 1991 |
|
Parent |
356599 |
May 1989 |
|
Parent |
904572 |
Sep 1986 |
|
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
808129 |
Dec 1985 |
|