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Bacillus thuringiensis The Bacteria, Bacillus Thuringiensis

Insects are responsible for several devastating diseases. Certain entomopathogenic bacteria are useful as biological pesticides. The bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis, produces a toxic proteinaceous crystal during sporulation. Upon this crystal's ingestion by an insect larvae, (-endotoxins are solubilized and activated. These toxins form a nonselective pore in the plasma membrane of the insect's midgut epithelium. Disruption of the membrane's transepithelial potential ultimately causes the insect's death. At present, various B. thuringiensis formulations are commercially available.

Insects such as mosquitoes and black flies transmit some of the world's most deadly diseases. Through the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms between humans and animals, these blood-sucking pests have caused inestimable damage. Over the last several decades numerous synthetic organic insecticides have been applied to this problem. Unfortunately, many of these chemicals themselves also create both health and environmental hazards. As a result, researchers have focused on alternative strategies for insect management. Of the different microorganisms that attack the pests, Bacillus thuringiensis has shown considerable potential as a biologic pesticide.

The various microorganisms that may be pathogenic for insects include an array of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Of the entomopathogenic bacteria, however, the sporeforming bacilli have the ability to infect and kill uncompromised, healthy insects. The most extensively studied of this group comprises the gram-positive bacteria, B. thuringiensis (1:489). A soil microorganism, B. thuringiensis occurs naturally throughout the world (4:1993). The bacteria is a facultative anaerobe: i.e., under anaerobic conditions, it can use nitrate as an electron acceptor. During its post-exponential growth phase, B. thuringiensis produces an intracellular inclusion. This proteinaceous crystal i...

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Bacillus thuringiensis The Bacteria, Bacillus Thuringiensis. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 06:08, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1690131.html