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. 2000 Mar;66(3):1093-7.
doi: 10.1128/AEM.66.3.1093-1097.2000.

Cyt1A from Bacillus thuringiensis synergizes activity of Bacillus sphaericus against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

M C Wirth  1 , B A Federici, W E Walton
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Cyt1A from Bacillus thuringiensis synergizes activity of Bacillus sphaericus against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

M C Wirth et al. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2000 Mar.

Abstract

Bacillus sphaericus is a mosquitocidal bacterium recently developed as a commercial larvicide that is used worldwide to control pestiferous and vector mosquitoes. Whereas B. sphaericus is highly active against larvae of Culex and Anopheles mosquitoes, it is virtually nontoxic to Aedes aegypti, an important vector species. In the present study, we evaluated the capacity of the cytolytic protein Cyt1A from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis to enhance the toxicity of B. sphaericus toward A. aegypti. Various combinations of these two materials were evaluated, and all were highly toxic. A ratio of 10:1 of B. sphaericus to Cyt1A was 3, 600-fold more toxic to A. aegypti than B. sphaericus alone. Statistical analysis showed this high activity was due to synergism between the Cyt1A toxin and B. sphaericus. These results suggest that Cyt1A could be useful in expanding the host range of B. sphaericus.

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Figures

FIG. 1
FIG. 1
Dose-response regression lines of B. sphaericus (strain 2362) technical powder and combinations of different ratios of B. sphaericus and Cyt1A spore-crystal powder from B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis toward larvae of the mosquito A. aegypti.
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