AXMI253 and AXMI254 toxin genes and methods for their use
Compositions and methods for conferring pesticidal activity to bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues and seeds are provided. Compositions comprising a coding sequence for a toxin polypeptide are provided. The coding sequences can be used in DNA constructs or expression cassettes for transformation and expression in plants and bacteria. Compositions also comprise transformed bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues, and seeds. In particular, isolated toxin nucleic acid molecules are provided. Additionally, amino acid sequences corresponding to the polynucleotides are encompassed, and antibodies specifically binding to those amino acid sequences. In particular, the present invention provides for isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising nucleotide sequences encoding the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:4-7, or the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, 2, or 3, as well as variants and fragments thereof.
1. An expression cassette comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence having pesticidal activity, wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of:
a) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, or 3;
b) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NO: 4-7;
c) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NO:4-7,
wherein said nucleotide sequence is operably linked to a heterologous promoter capable of directing expression of said nucleotide sequence in a host cell.
2. The expression cassette of claim 1 , wherein said nucleotide sequence is a synthetic sequence that has been designed for expression in a plant.
3. The expression cassette of claim 1 , wherein said promoter is capable of directing expression of said nucleotide sequence in a plant cell.
4. A vector comprising the expression cassette of claim 1 .
5. The vector of claim 4 , further comprising a nucleic acid molecule encoding a heterologous polypeptide.
6. A host cell that contains the expression cassette of claim 1 .
7. The host cell of claim 6 that is a bacterial host cell.
8. The host cell of claim 6 that is a plant cell.
9. A transgenic plant comprising the host cell of claim 8 .
10. The transgenic plant of claim 9 , wherein said plant is selected from the group consisting of maize, sorghum, wheat, cabbage, sunflower, tomato, crucifers, peppers, potato, cotton, rice, soybean, sugarbeet, sugarcane, tobacco, barley, and oilseed rape.
11. A transgenic seed comprising the expression cassette of claim 1 .
12. A recombinant polypeptide with pesticidal activity, selected from the group consisting of:
a) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NO: 4-7; and
b) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NO: 4-7,
wherein said polypeptide further comprises a heterologous leader sequence, heterologous signal sequence, or a heterologous transit peptide.
13. A composition comprising the recombinant polypeptide of claim 12 .
14. The composition of claim 13 , wherein said composition is selected from the group consisting of a powder, dust, pellet, granule, spray, emulsion, colloid, and solution.
15. The composition of claim 13 , wherein said composition is prepared by desiccation, lyophilization, homogenization, extraction, filtration, centrifugation, sedimentation, or concentration of a culture of bacterial cells.
16. The composition of claim 13 , comprising from about 1% to about 99% by weight of said recombinant polypeptide.
17. A method for controlling a lepidopteran, hemipteran, coleopteran, nematode, or dipteran pest population comprising contacting said population with a pesticidally-effective amount of the recombinant polypeptide of claim 12 .
18. A method for killing a lepidopteran, hemipteran, coleopteran, nematode, or dipteran pest, comprising contacting said pest with, or feeding to said pest, a pesticidally-effective amount of the recombinant polypeptide of claim 12 .
19. A method for producing a polypeptide with pesticidal activity, comprising culturing the host cell of claim 6 under conditions in which the nucleic acid molecule encoding the polypeptide is expressed.
20. A plant or a plant cell having stably incorporated into its genome a DNA construct comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a protein having pesticidal activity, wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of:
a) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, or 3;
b) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NO: 4-7; and
c) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NO: 4-7.
21. A method for protecting a plant from a pest, comprising expressing in a plant or cell thereof a nucleotide sequence that encodes a pesticidal polypeptide, wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of:
a) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, or 3;
b) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NO: 4-7; and
c) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NO: 4-7.
22. A method for increasing yield in a plant comprising growing in a field a plant of or a seed thereof having stably incorporated into its genome a DNA construct comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a protein having pesticidal activity, wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of:
a) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1.2, or 3;
b) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NO: 4-7; and
c) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NO: 4-7;
wherein said field is infested with a pest against which said polypeptide has pesticidal activity.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein said plant produces a pesticidal polypeptide having pesticidal activity against a lepidopteran, hemipteran, coleopteran, nematode, or dipteran pest.