Modified Cry1Ca toxins useful for control of insect pests
The subject invention concerns Bacillus thuringiensis modified Cry1Ca insecticidal toxins and the polynucleotide sequences which encode these toxins. Uses in transgenic plants are described as are methods for protecting crops from insect pest damage.
1. A modified Cry1Ca toxin comprising residues 2 to 68 of SEQ ID NO:2 wherein amino acid residue 54 of SEQ ID NO:2 is Ala, amino acid residue 57 of SEQ ID NO:2 is selected from the group consisting of Leu and Met, and amino acid residue 68 of SEQ ID NO:2 is selected from the group consisting of Val, Phe, and Ile.
2. A modified Cry1Ca toxin comprising residues 2 to 628 of SEQ ID NO:10 wherein amino acid residue 54 Ala, amino acid residue 57 is selected from the group consisting of Leu and Met, amino acid residue 68 is selected from the group consisting of Val, Phe, and Ile, amino acid residue 73 is selected from the group consisting of Trp, Ala and Met, amino acid residue 596 is selected from the group consisting of Phe, Met and Ala, and amino acid residue 620 is selected from the group consisting of Leu and Phe.
3. The modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 1 further comprising a carboxy terminal extension consisting of amino acid residues 629 to 1164 of SEQ ID NO:36.
4. The modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 2 further comprising a carboxy terminal extension consisting of amino acid residues 629 to 1164 of SEQ ID NO:36.
5. The modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 1 further comprising an amino terminal extension consisting of amino acid residues 1 to 74 of SEQ ID NO:40.
6. The modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 2 further comprising an amino terminal extension consisting of amino acid residues 1 to 74 of SEQ ID NO:40.
7. The modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 3 further comprising an amino terminal extension consisting of amino acid residues 1 to 74 of SEQ ID NO:40.
8. The modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 4 further comprising an amino terminal extension consisting of amino acid residues 1 to 74 of SEQ ID NO:40.
9. A modified Cry1Ca toxin selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:38, and SEQ ID NO:40.
10. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 1 .
11. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 2 .
12. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 3 .
13. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 4 .
14. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 5 .
15. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 6 .
16. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 7 .
17. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 8 .
18. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence chosen from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:37, and SEQ ID NO:39.
19. A transgenic plant, plant part, or seed that produces the modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 1 .
20. The transgenic plant, plant part, or seed of claim 19 selected from the group consisting of maize, sunflower, soybean, cotton, canola, rice, sorghum, wheat, barley, vegetables, ornamentals, peppers, sugar beets, fruit, and turf grass.
21. The transgenic plant, plant part, or seed of claim 19 selected from the group consisting of maize, soybean and cotton.
22. The transgenic plant, plant part, or seed of claim 19 that is maize.
23. The transgenic plant, plant part, or seed of claim 19 that is soybean.
24. The transgenic plant, plant part, or seed of claim 19 that is cotton.
25. A method of controlling plant insect pests comprising growing a transgenic plant that expresses the modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 1 or claim 2 and allowing susceptible pests to feed on said transgenic plant.
26. A method of controlling plant insect pests that have developed resistance to other Cry toxins comprising growing a transgenic plant that expresses the modified Cry1Ca toxin of claim 1 or claim 2 and allowing susceptible pests to feed on said transgenic plant.