Molecular biology of Bacillus thuringiensis

Abstract

Major advances in our understanding of molecular biology have been achieved over the last 10 years since the first cloning and sequencing of a crystal protein gene in 1981. A family of five cry genes are now known which differ in their spectrum of activity. Other toxin genes are known but not yet cloned and sequenced. A wide range of alternative hosts have been used to produce recombinant toxins including plants. Recent studies have related the structural components of the gene to particular loci.