Investigation of the Cry4B-prohibitin interaction in Aedes aegypti cells

Curr Microbiol. 2012 Oct;65(4):446-54. doi: 10.1007/s00284-012-0178-4. Epub 2012 Jul 6.

Abstract

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produces insecticidal toxins active against insects. Cry4B, one of the major insecticidal toxins produced by Bt subsp. israelensis, is highly toxic to mosquitoes in the genus Aedes: the major vectors of dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya. Previous work has shown that Cry4B binds to several mid-gut membrane proteins in Aedes aegypti larvae including prohibitin, a protein recently identified as a receptor that also mediates entry of dengue virus into Aedes cells. This study confirms the interaction between Cry4B and prohibitin by co-immunoprecipitation analysis and demonstrates colocalization of prohibitin and Cry4B by confocal microscopy. While activated Cry4B toxin showed high larvicidal activity, it was not cytotoxic to two Aedes cell lines, allowing determination of its effect on dengue virus infectivity in the absence of Cry4B-induced cell lysis. Pre-exposure of Aedes cells to Cry4B resulted in a significant reduction in the number of infected cells compared to untreated cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aedes
  • Animals
  • Bacillus thuringiensis / metabolism*
  • Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival
  • Dengue Virus / drug effects
  • Dengue Virus / growth & development
  • Endotoxins / metabolism*
  • Hemolysin Proteins / metabolism*
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Prohibitins
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Interaction Mapping
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Endotoxins
  • Hemolysin Proteins
  • Prohibitins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • insecticidal crystal protein, Bacillus Thuringiensis