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News Release 05-016

Scientists Discover First Step that Enables Natural Pesticide to Enter Target Cells

Findings will be useful in determining how to block insect resistance to the toxin

Citrus root weevil

A recent discovery may help ward off Bt pesticide resistance.


February 10, 2005

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

ARLINGTON, Va.--The so-called Bt protein (Bt), produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, is toxic to insects and widely used as an alternative to chemical pesticides in organic farming and in other crops.  Because the mechanism the toxin uses to enter insect cells is not fully understood, strategies to prevent insects from becoming resistant to it are difficult to develop. 

University of California San Diego researcher Raffi Aroian and colleagues have discovered the first step the toxin takes to enter the insect target cells.  The results of the work will be published in the Feb. 11 issue of the journal Science.

Rita Teutonico, program director in the eukaryotic genetics program at the National Science Foundation, which supports the project, said: “Dr. Aroian is uncovering the way pests become resistant to Bt proteins.  Understanding how resistance evolves could alleviate concern about this natural pesticide losing its effectiveness.”

The work also confirms that the Bt protein is not toxic to vertebrates, including animals and humans, since they lack the sugar molecules to which the toxin binds. 

As a bonus, the Bt protein holds promise as a pesticide against roundworms, because the worm’s sugar molecules are very similar to those the toxin binds to in insects.

For the full story see: http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/science/sbtresist.asp

 

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Randy Vines, NSF, (703) 292-8070, email: rvines@nsf.gov

Program Contacts
Rita A. Teutonico, NSF, (703) 292-7118, email: rteutoni@nsf.gov

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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