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 Bacillus thuringiensis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 Bacillus thuringiensis
Spores and bipyramidal crystals of 
 Bacillusthuringiensis
morrisoni strain T08025
Scientific classification
Kingdom:EubacteriaPhylum:FirmicutesClass:BacilliOrder:BacillalesFamily:BacillaceaeGenus:
 Bacillus
Species:
thuringiensis
Binomial name
 Bacillus thuringiensis
Berliner 1915
 Bacillus thuringiensis
(or 
Bt
) is a Gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium, commonly used as a pesticide. Additionally,
 B. thuringiensis
also occurs naturally in the gut of caterpillars of various types of moths and butterflies,as well as on the dark surface of   plants.
[1]
Contents
[hide]
•
1 Discovery and Study
 
•
2 Use in pest control
•
3 Genetic engineering for pest control
o
3.1 Usage
o
3.2 Advantages
o
3.3 Health and safety
o
3.4 Limitations of Bt crops
3.4.1 Secondary pests
•
4 Possible problems
o
4.1 Lepidopteran toxicity
o
4.2 Wild maize genetic contamination
o
4.3 Hypothetical outbreeding
o
4.4 Possible link to Colony Collapse Disorder 
o
4.5 Soil microbial community impact
•
5 References
•
6 See also
•
7 External links
[edit] Discovery and Study
 B. thuringiensis
was discovered 1901 in Japan by Ishiwata and 1911 in Germany by ErnstBerliner, who discovered a disease called
Schlaffsucht 
in flour moth caterpillars.
 B.thuringiensis
is closely related to 
 B. cereus
, a soil bacterium, and
 B. anthracis
, the causeof anthrax: the three organisms differ mainly in their  plasmids. Like other members of the genus, all three are aerobes capable of producing endospores.
[1]
Zakharyan R.A et al. (1976,1977,1979) first reported the presence of plasmids in
 B.thuringiensis
and suggested involvement of the plasmids in endospore/crystal formation.They also described the presence of large plasmid in the Cry+ variant of 
 B.thuringiensis
.
[2][3][4]
Upon sporulation,
 B. thuringiensis
forms crystals of  proteinaceousinsecticidal δ-endotoxins (Cry toxins) which are encoded by
cry
genes,
[5]
. It was determined that the"cry" genes are harbored in the plasmids in most strains of 
 B. thuringiensis
[6][7][8]
Crytoxins have specific activities against species of the ordersLepidoptera(moths and butterflies),Diptera(flies and mosquitoes),Coleoptera(beetles),hymenoptera(wasps,   bees, antsandsawflies) andnematodes. Thus,
 B. thuringiensis
serves as an importantreservoir of Cry toxins and
cry
genes for production of biological insecticides and insect-resistantgenetically modified crops. When insects ingest toxin crystals the alkaline pH of their digestive tract causes the toxin to become activated. It becomes inserted into theinsect's gut cell membranes forming a pore resulting in swelling, cell lysis and eventuallykilling the insect.
[9][10]
[edit] Use in pest control
 
Spores and crystalline insecticidal  proteins  produced by
 B. thuringiensis
have been usedto control insect pests since the 1920s.
[11]
They are now used as specificinsecticidesunder trade names such as Dipel and Thuricide. Because of their specificity, these pesticides are regarded asenvironmentally friendly, with little or no effect onhumans, wildlife,  pollinators, and most other  beneficial insects. TheBelgiancompany Plant Genetic Systemswas the first company (in 1985) to develop genetically engineered (tobacco)  plants with insect tolerance by expressing
cry
genes from
 B. thuringiensis
.
[12][13]
 B. thurigiensis
-based insecticides are often applied as liquid sprays on crop plants, wherethe insecticide must be ingested to be effective. It is thought that the solubilized toxinsform pores in the midgut epithelium of susceptible larvae. Recent research has suggestedthat the midgut bacteria of susceptible larvae are required for 
 B. thuringiensis
insecticidalactivity.
[14]
 Bacillus thuringiensis
serovar 
israelensis
, a strain of 
 B. thuringiensis
is widely used as alarvicideagainstmosquito larvae, where it is also considered an environmentally friendly method of mosquito control.
[edit] Genetic engineering for pest control
Bt-toxins present in peanutleaves (bottom image) protect it from extensive damagecaused byEuropean corn borer  larvae(top image).
[15]
[edit] Usage
Bt crops (in corn and cotton) were planted on 281,500 km² in 2006 (165,600 km² of Btcorn and 115900 km² of Bt cotton). This was equivalent to 11.1% and 33.6% respectivelyof global plantings of corn and cotton in 2006.
[16]
Claims of major benefits to farmers,including poor farmers in developing countries, have been made by advocates of thetechnology, and have been challenged by opponents. The task of isolating impacts of thetechnology is complicated by the prevalence of biased observers, and by the rarity of controlled comparisons (such as identical seeds, differing only in the presence or absenceof the Bt trait, being grown in identical situations). The main Bt crop being grown bysmall farmers in developing countries is cotton, and a recent exhaustive review of findings on Bt cotton by respected and unbiased agricultural economists concluded that"the overall balance sheet, though promising, is mixed. Economic returns are highlyvariable over years, farm type, and geographical location".
[17]
Environmental impacts appear to be positive during the first ten years of Bt crop use(1996-2005). One study concluded that insecticide use on cotton and corn during this period fell by 35.6 million kg of insecticide active ingredient which is roughly equal tothe amount of pesticide applied to arable crops in the EU in one year. Using theEnvironmental Impact Quotient (EIQ) measure of the impact of pesticide use on theenvironment,
[18]
 the adoption of Bt technology over this ten year period resulted in 24.3%
of 00

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