Insecticidal compounds and methods for selection thereof

A nucleic acid having a sequence encoding a truncated polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:1 which comprises an amino acid sequence which results after an insect ingests and cleaves the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:1.

A nucleotide sequence which codes for a toxin having inhibitory activity at insect calcium channels wherein said nucleotide sequence codes for all or part of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1.

A plant transformed with a nucleotide sequence which codes for a toxin having inhibitory activity at insect calcium channels, wherein said nucleotide sequence codes for all or part of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1.

An insecticidally-active variant of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the variant is a polypeptide which has greater than about 30% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:1.

A method of controlling invertebrate pests comprising contacting said pest with an insecticidially effective amount of a polypeptide about 45 amino acid residues in length isolated from the venom of Hydronyche versuta, said polypeptide having a molecular mass of approximately 4,478 Daltons and being capable of forming three intrachain disulfide bonds.

A toxin binding calcium channels of invertebrate pests which is substantially non-toxic against vertebrates, said toxin isolated from Hydronyche versuta and characterized as a polypeptide having a molecular mass of approximately 4,400 to 4,500 Daltons, and comprising about 45 amino acids.

A substantially purified, insecticidally effective polypeptide from the Australian funnel-web spider characterized in having more than about 1000-fold specificity for invertebrate over vertebrate calcium channels, wherein said polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence having at least about 30% sequence identity with the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:1.

A recombinant virus, microorganism, cell, plant or fungus, wherein said recombinant virus, microorganism, cell, plant or fungus is the product of an insertion of a gene expression vector including a DNA sequence that encodes a polypeptide which as translated from the appropriate mRNA is the amino acid sequence found in SEQ. ID NO:1.

A recombinant virus, microorganism, cell, plant or fungus, wherein said recombinant virus, microorganism, cell, plant or fungus is the product of an insertion of a gene expression vector including a DNA sequence that encodes a polypeptide which as translated from the appropriate mRNA is an amino acid sequence having at least about 30% sequence identity with the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:1.