Insecticidal Polypeptides and Methods of Use Thereof
AssigneesUniversity of Technology, Sydney, University of Connecticut
InventorsGlenn F. King, Brianna McFarland, Graham Nicholson, Simon Gunning
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Abstract
A family of insecticidal polypeptides expressed in the venom gland of spiders of the genera Atrax and Hadronyche have been described. Also included are polynucleotides and expression vectors encoding the polypeptides and insect viruses and cells expressing the polypeptides. Transgenic plants and insects expressing the insecticidal polypeptides are also described. The insecticidal polypeptides may be employed in methods and compositions for treating insects, insect larvae, and plants.
Claims36
A purified polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence that is greater than or equal to about 70% identical to SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the polypeptide has insecticidal activity.
An isolated polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence have greater than or equal to about 70% identity to SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the polypeptide has insecticidal activity.
An expression vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding any one of SEQ ID NOs. 2, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24 and 27 operably linked to an expression control sequence.
A host cell comprising an expression vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding any one of SEQ ID NOs. 2, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24 and 27 operably linked to an expression control sequence.
An insect virus comprising a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence have greater than or equal to about 70% identity to SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the polypeptide has insecticidal activity.
A method of treating an insect or an insect larva, comprising contacting the insect or insect larva with an insecticidally effective amount of a U-ACTX polypeptide, wherein the U-ACTX polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence that is greater than or equal to about 70% identical to SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the U-ACTX polypeptide has insecticidal activity.
A method of treating a plant, comprising contacting the plant with an insecticidally effective amount of a U-ACTX polypeptide, wherein the U-ACTX polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence that is greater than or equal to about 70% identical to SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the U-ACTX polypeptide has insecticidal activity.
A transgenic plant, wherein the transgenic plant expresses a U-ACTX polypeptide, wherein the U-ACTX polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence that is greater than or equal to about 70% identical to SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the U-ACTX polypeptide has insecticidal activity.
A transgenic insect comprising a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence have greater than or equal to about 70% identity to SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the polypeptide has insecticidal activity.
An insecticidal polypeptide that blocks greater than or equal to about 50% of a calcium current in an insect voltage-gated calcium channel and greater than or equal to about 50% of activity of an insect high conductance calcium-activated potassium channel.
A method of selecting a test compound that binds to an insect channel comprising
- providing the insect channel, wherein the insect channel is an insect voltage-gated calcium channel, an insect calcium-activated potassium channel, or a combination comprising one or more of the foregoing insect channels, and
- determining if the test compound competes with the binding of a U-ACTX peptide to the insect channel, wherein the U-ACTX peptide is greater than or equal to about 70% identical to SEQ ID NO:2 and has insecticidal activity.
A method of selecting a test compound that binds to an insect channel comprising
- providing the insect channel, wherein the insect channel is an insect voltage-gated calcium channel, an insect calcium-activated potassium channel, or a combination comprising one or more of the foregoing insect channels, and
- determining if the test compound releases at least a portion of a U-ACTX peptide pre-bound to the insect channel, wherein the U-ACTX peptide is greater than or equal to about 70% identical to SEQ ID NO:2 and has insecticidal activity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.