Expression cassette and host cell for expressing a Vip3-interacting protein
This invention provides polypeptides that were identified as interacting with Vip3 toxin. This invention also provides a method of identifying agents that bind to Vip3 interacting polypeptides, which agents may act as insecticidal agent, cytotoxic agents and/or modulate the activity of Vip3 interacting polypeptides.
1. An expression cassette comprising a heterologous promoter operably linked to a polynucleotide sequence that encodes a Vip3A-interacting protein from a Spodoptera frugiperda insect that is susceptible to a Vip3 A insecticidal protein, wherein the Vip3A-interacting protein is an ATP synthase α protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or an ATP synthase β protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.
2. The expression cassette of claim 1 , wherein the promoter is functional in an insect cell.
3. The expression cassette of claim 2 , wherein the insect cell is a Spodoptera frugiperda cell or a Drosophila melanogaster cell.
4. The expression cassette of claim 3 , wherein the Spodoptera frugiperda cell is an SF9 cell or the Drosophila melanogaster cell is an S2 cell.
5. A cultured insect cell that is a Spodoptera fruoiperda SF9 cell or a Drosophila melanogaster S2 cell, comprising the expression cassette of claim 1 .
6. A cultured insect cell line comprising the insect cell of claim 5 .
7. The cultured insect cell line of claim 6 that is an SF9 cell line or an S2 cell line.
8. A method of producing a Vip3A-interacting protein comprising culture an insect cell comprising the expression cassette of claim 1 to thereby produce the Vip3A- interacting protein.