RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Bt Toxin Resistance from Loss of a Putative Carbohydrate-Modifying Enzyme
JF Science
JO Science
FD American Association for the Advancement of Science
SP 860
OP 864
DO 10.1126/science.1062441
VO 293
IS 5531
A1 Griffitts, Joel S.
A1 Whitacre, Johanna L.
A1 Stevens, Daniel E.
A1 Aroian, Raffi V.
YR 2001
UL http://science.sciencemag.org/content/293/5531/860.abstract
AB The development of resistance is the main threat to the long-term use of toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in transgenic plants. Here we report the cloning of a Bt toxin resistance gene,Caenorhabditis elegans bre-5, which encodes a putative β-1,3-galactosyltransferase. Lack of bre-5 in the intestine led to resistance to the Bt toxin Cry5B. Wild-type but notbre-5 mutant animals were found to uptake toxin into their gut cells, consistent with bre-5 mutants lacking toxin-binding sites on their apical gut. bre-5 mutants displayed resistance to Cry14A, a Bt toxin lethal to both nematodes and insects; this indicates that resistance by loss of carbohydrate modification is relevant to multiple Bt toxins.