Baculoviral polyhedrin-Bacillus thuringiensis toxin fusion protein: A protein-based bio-insecticide expressed in Escherichia coli

Previously, we found that baculoviral polyhedrin (Polh) used as a fusion partner for recombinant expression in Escherichia coli showed almost the same characteristics (rapid solubilization under alkaline conditions and specific degradation by specific alkaline proteases in insect midgut) as the native baculoviral Polh, and formed easily isolatable inclusion bodies. Here, Polh derived from the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) was fused with a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin protein (truncated Cry1Ac having toxin region as a model Bt toxin) for the novel generation of a new bio‐insecticide. The Polh–Cry1Ac fusion protein (∼99 kDa) was highly expressed (3.6‐fold induction as compared to E. coli‐derived single Cry1Ac (∼68 kDa)) as an insoluble inclusion body fraction in E. coli. Trypsin and α‐chymotrypsin, which have similar properties to the insect midgut alkaline proteases, rapidly degraded the Polh portion in vitro, leaving only the toxic Cry1Ac protein behind. In vivo, the Polh–Cry1Ac fusion protein showed high insecticidal activity against the pest, Plutella xylostella. Because this novel bio‐insecticide employs E. coli as the host, mass production at a low cost should be possible. Also, since this is a protein‐based insecticide, living modified organism (LMO) issues such as environmental and ecological safety can be avoided. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.