DIG-14 INSECTICIDAL CRY TOXINS
DIG-14 insecticidal toxins, polynucleotides encoding such toxins, use of such toxins to control pests, and transgenic plants that produce such toxins are disclosed.
1 . A pesticide formulation comprising a DIG-14 insecticidal toxin polypeptide comprising a core toxin segment that includes an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of
(a) residues 2 to 660 of SEQ ID NO:2;
(b) a sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of residues 2 to 660 of SEQ ID NO:2; and
(c) residues 2 to 660 of SEQ ID NO:2 with up to 20 amino acid substitutions, deletions, or modifications that do not adversely affect expression or activity of the toxin encoded by SEQ ID NO:2;
or an insecticidal active fragment thereof.
2 . The pesticide formulation of claim 1 , wherein the DIG-14 insecticidal toxin polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, or SEQ ID NO:7.
3 . The pesticide formulation of claim 1 , wherein the DIG-14 insecticidal toxin core toxin segment is linked to a C-terminal protoxin portion of a Cry toxin other than DIG-14.
4 . The pesticide formulation of claim 3 , wherein the C-terminal protoxin portion comprises the C-terminal protoxin portion of cry1Ab or a cry1Ac/cry1Ab chimeric toxin.
5 . The pesticide formulation of claim 4 , wherein the C-terminal protoxin portion comprises the C-terminal protoxin portion of Cry1Ab.
6 . The pesticide formulation of claim 5 , wherein the C-terminal protoxin portion comprises the C-terminal protoxin portion of cry1Ac/cry1Ab chimeric toxin.
7 . The pesticide formulation of claim 1 , wherein the DIG-14 insecticidal toxin polypeptide is a treated DIG-14 insecticidal toxin polypeptide.
8 . The pesticide formulation of claim 1 , wherein the pesticide formulation is a sprayable protein composition, encapsulated protein composition, or bait matrix.
9 . A method for controlling a pest population comprising contacting said population with a pesticidally effective amount of a DIG-14 insecticidal toxin polypeptide comprising a core toxin segment that includes an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of
(a) residues 2 to 660 of SEQ ID NO:2;
(b) a sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of residues 2 to 660 of SEQ ID NO:2; and
(c) residues 2 to 660 of SEQ ID NO:2 with up to 20 amino acid substitutions, deletions, or modifications that do not adversely affect expression or activity of the toxin encoded by SEQ ID NO:2;
or an insecticidal active fragment thereof.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the pest population is a coleopteran pest population.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the pest population is a Colorado potato beetle population.
12 . A nucleic acid construct, wherein the construct comprises a heterologous nucleic acid sequence that is recombinantly linked to a sequence encoding a DIG-14 insecticidal toxin comprising a core toxin segment that includes an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of
(a) residues 2 to 660 of SEQ ID NO:2;
(b) a sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of residues 2 to 660 of SEQ ID NO:2; and
(c) residues 2 to 660 of SEQ ID NO:2 with up to 20 amino acid substitutions, deletions, or modifications that do not adversely affect expression or activity of the toxin encoded by SEQ ID NO:2;
or an insecticidal active fragment thereof.
13 . The nucleic acid construct of claim 12 , wherein the heterologous nucleic acid sequence is a promoter sequence capable of driving expression in a plant.
14 . The nucleic acid construct of claim 13 , wherein the sequence encoding the polypeptide is codon-optimized for expression in a plant.
15 . The nucleic acid construct of claim 14 , wherein the promoter is capable of driving expression in corn and the sequence encoding the polypeptide is codon optimized for expression in corn.
16 . The nucleic acid construct of claim 12 , wherein the sequence encoding the polypeptide comprises SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, or SEQ ID NO:6.
17 . The nucleic acid construct of claim 16 , wherein the construct is a vector and the vector comprises SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, or SEQ ID NO:6.
18 . The nucleic acid construct of claim 16 , wherein the construct is a vector and the encoded DIG-14 core toxin segment is linked to a C-terminal protoxin portion of a Cry toxin other than DIG-14.
19 . The nucleic acid construct of claim 18 , wherein the encoded DIG-17 insecticidal toxin core toxin segment is linked to a C-terminal protoxin portion of Cry1Ab or a C-terminal protoxin portion of cry1Ac/cry1Ab chimeric toxin.
20 . The nucleic acid construct of claim 14 , wherein the construct comprises a promoter and the promoter is capable of driving expression in potato and the sequence encoding the polypeptide is codon optimized for expression in potato.
21 . A transgenic plant comprising the nucleic acid construct of claim 12 .