Anthelmintic probiotic compositions and methods

A composition comprising a non-invasive or non-pathogenic bacterium having a nucleic acid construct or vector comprising one or more constitutive promoters operably linked to coding sequences for expression of one or more heterologous crystal proteins.

-95. (canceled)

98-103. (canceled)

-108. (canceled)

A recombinant microorganism for delivering a crystal protein in vivo, wherein said microorganism comprises a coding sequence of the crystal protein under the control of a suitable promoter sequence.

-116. (canceled)

119-122. (canceled)

-130. (canceled)

-133. (canceled)

An artificial probiotic composition, comprising:

• (a) an isolated polypeptide having at least 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, or 100 percent amino acid sequence identity to a Bacillus thuringiensis crystal protein that is selected from Cry5B comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, Cry21A comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:4 or SEQ ID NO:5, Cry14A comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3, Cry13A comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, and Cry6A comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:6;
• and
• (b) a non-invasive, non-pathogenic probiotic bacterium that is capable of remaining viable in a mammalian gastrointestinal tract following passage through a mammalian stomach and into mammalian small intestine, the probiotic bacterium being selected from Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus and Lactococcus.

An artificial probiotic composition, comprising:

• (a) an isolated polypeptide that is selected from a Bacillus thuringiensis Cry5B protein and a Bacillus thuringiensis Cry14A protein;
• and
• (b) a non-invasive, non-pathogenic probiotic bacterium that is capable of remaining viable in a mammalian gastrointestinal tract following passage through a mammalian stomach and into mammalian small intestine, the probiotic bacterium being selected from Bacillus subtilis, B. subtilis PY79, B. subtilis natto, B. cereus, B. cereus var. Toyoi (Toyocerin), B. cereus var. toyoii, and B. toyonensis.

140-145. (canceled)