Bacillus thuringiensis Biotechnology

Index Of Contributors.- Preface.- PART I BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS: AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFETY ALTERNATIVE.- 1 Discovery and description of Bacillus thuringiensis.- 1 .1 Introduction.-  1.2 A brief History and Discovery of Bacillus thuringiensis.- 1.3 A Description of B. thuringiensis.- 1.4 Conclusions.- References.- 2 Bacillus thuringiensis applications in agriculture.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Methods of application of Bt and its products in agriculture.- 2.3 Advantages of using Bt products over chemical agents in agricultural  practices.- 2.4 Threat to continuous use of Bt as biological control agent.- 2.5 Strategies to ensure continuing use of Bt and its products in agriculture.- References.- 3 Risk Assessment of Bt Transgenic Crops.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Perceived risks with Bt transgenic crops.- 3.3 Risk analysis of Bt transgenic crops.- 3.4 Oversight of Bt Transgenic crops.- 3.5 Conclusion and Future Prospects.- References.- 4 Use and efficacy of Bt compared to less environmentally safe alternatives .- 4.1 Biopesticide Classification.- 4.2 Biopesticide Market Survey.- 4.3 Use of Bt in IPM.- 4.4 Use and Efficacy of Bt.- References.-  5 Protein Engineering of Bacillus thuringiensis δ-Endotoxins .- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Protein Engineering of Bt δ-endotoxins.- 5.3 Conclusions.- 5.4 Perspectives.- References.- PART II  GENETICS OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS.-  6 Evolution of the Bacillus cereus group.- 6.1 The Bacillus cereus group.- 6.2 B. cereus group phylogeny.- 6.3 Bacillus cereus group genome sequencing.- 6.4 Bacillus cereus group bacteria – pathogens and symbionts.- 6.5 What distinguishes the species in the B. cereus group?.- 6.6 Importance of plasmids to B. cereus group biology.- References.- 7 Bacillus thuringiensis genetics and phages - from transduction and sequencing to recombineering .- 7.1 Introduction: a dramatic story of the Bacillus cereus genetics.- 7.2 Phage-mediated gene transduction.- 7.3 Phage-mediated gene transduction in the B. cereus group.- 7.4 Recombineering perspectives for the B. cereus group.- References.-  8 Conjugation in Bacillus thuringiensis: insights into the plasmids exchange process.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2  Conjugation as a tool to understand the ecology of B. cereus group.- 8.3 Conclusion and Perspectives.- References.- 9  Shuttle vectors of Bacillus thuringiensis .- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 Plasmids in Bacillus thuringiensis.- 9.3 Shuttle vectors of Bacillus thuringiensis.- 9.4 Transformation of Bacillus thuringiensis.- References.-  10 Construction and application in plasmid vectors of Bacillus cereus group .- 10.1 Introduction.- 10.2 Shuttle plasmid vectors in the B. cereus group.- 10.3 Integration vectors in the B. cereus group.- 10.4 Resolution vectors in the B. cereus group.- 10.5 High-effective expression vectors in the B. cereus group.- 10.6 Conclusion.- References.-  11 Recombination in Bacillus thuringiensis.- 11.1 Introduction.- 11.2 Site Specific Recombination in B. thuringiensis.- 11.3 Homologous Recombination in B. thuringiensis.- 11.4 Conclusion.- References.-  12 Genetic improvement of Bt strains and development of novel biopesticides.- 12.1 Introduction.- 12.2 Discovery of new Bt strains harbouring novel cry genes.- 12.3 Engineering of novel Cry proteins.- 12.4 Construction of new Bt strains by conjugation.- 12.5 Expression of Bt cry genes in heterologous microbial hosts.- 12.6 Development of recombinant Bt strains.- 12.7 Development of asporogenic Bt strains.- 12.8 Concluding remarks.- References.- PART III BT AS BIOPESTICIDE: APPLICATIONS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY.-  13 Genetically Modified Bacillus thuringiensis Biopesticides .- 13.1 Introduction.- 13.2 Strategies for constructing genetically modified Bt strains for engineered biopesticide development.- 13.3 Bt engineered strains with high toxicity or broader insecticidal spectrum.- 13.4 Multifunctional Bt engineered strains.- 13.5 Genetically modified Bt strains with delayed pest resistance.- References.- 14 Bacillus thuringiensis Recombinant Insecticidal Protein Production.- 14.1 Introduction.- 14.2 Pesticidal Protein Expression in Gram Negative Hosts.- 14.3 Pesticidal Protein Expression in B. thuringiensis.- 14.4 Bacterial expression applications summary.- 14.5 Expression in Transgenic Plants.- 14.6 Plant Expression Summary.- 14.7 Conclusion.- Bibliography.- 15 Bt crops: past and future .- 15.1 Introduction.- 15.2 Developments conducive to Bt crops.- 15.3 Commercialization and performance of “first generation” Bt crops.- 15.4 Risks associated with the use of Bt crops.- 15.5 “Second” and “third” generation Bt crops.- 15.6 Conclusions and future prospects.- References.- 16 A Review of the Food Safety of Bt Crops.- 16.1 Background.- 16.2 Regulatory guidance for the safety assessment of Cry proteins.- 16.3 The Species-specific acute mode of action of Cry proteins.- 16.4 Potential digestibility of Cry proteins.- 16.5 Toxicology testing of Cry proteins.- 16.6 Assessment of food processing on Cry protein biological activity.- 16.7 Human dietary exposure assessment for Cry proteins in Bt crops.- 16.8 Toxicology feeding studies in rodents fed Bt crops.- 16.9 Food and Feed Safety Benefits of Bt Crops.- 16.10 Conclusions.- References.- PART IV OTHER BACILLUS SPECIES IN BIOTECHNOLOGY.- 17 The most important Bacillus species in biotechnology.- 17.1 Introduction.- 17.2 Most important biotechnological applications of Bacillus species.- 17.3 Conclusions and perspectives.- References.-  18 Secondary metabolites of Bacillus: potentials in biotechnology.- 18.1 Introduction.- 18.2 The most important secondary metabolites of Bacillus species.- 18.3 Other metabolites and activities of Bacillus species.- 18.4 Secondary metabolites from marine Bacilli.- 18.5 Safety evaluation and risk assessment.- 18.6 Conclusion and perspectives.- References.- 19 Future challenges and prospects of Bacillus thuringiensis.- 19.1 Introduction.- 19.2 Chitinases of B. thuringiensis in environment and food industry.- 19.3 Bacteriocins of Bacillus thuringiensis.- References.