Bacillus thuringiensis toxins active against scarab pests

DETAILED DESCRIPTION We claim: 1.
An isolated polynucleotid encoding a toxin which is active against scarab pests, said polynucleotide encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO.
4 or a fragment thereof sufficient to retain anti-scarab activity.
2.
An isolated polynucleotide, according to claim 1, comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO.
3 or a fragment thereof sufficient to encode a toxin having activity against scarab pests.
3.
A toxin which is active against scarab pests, said toxin comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No.
4 or a fragment thereof sufficient to retain anti-scarab activity.
4.
A microbe transformed by a polynucleotide sequence of claim 1.




Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The soil microbe Bacillus thuringiensis (B.
t.
) is a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium characterized by parasporal crystalline protein inclusions.
These often appear microscopically as distinctively shaped crystals.
The proteins can be highly toxic to pests and specific in their activity.
Certain B.
t.
toxin genes have been isolated and sequenced, and recombinant DNA-based B.
t.
products produced and approved.
In addition, with the use of genetic engineering techniques, new approaches for delivering B.
t.
endotoxins to agricultural environments are under development, including the use of plants genetically engineered with endotoxin genes for insect resistance and the use of stabilized intact microbial cells as B.
t.
endotoxin delivery vehicles (Gaertner, F.
H.
, L.
Kim [1988 ] TIBTECH 6:S4-S7).
Thus, isolated B.
t.
endotoxin genes are becoming commercially valuable.
Over the past 30 years, commercial use of B.
t.
pesticides has been largely restricted to a narrow range of lepidopteran (caterpillar) pests.
Preparations of the spores and crystals of B.
thuringiensis subsp.
kurstaki have been used for many years as commercial insecticides for lepidopteran pests.
For example, B.
thuringiensis var.
kurstaki HD-1 produces a crystal called a delta endotoxin which is toxic to the larvae of a number of lepidopteran insects