Interaction of Cry1Aa, Cry1Ac and Cry1Ca proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis on Diatraea saccharalis (Fabr., 1794)

• Grant number: 11/17675-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2011
• End date: October 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Manoel Victor Franco Lemos
• Grantee: Jaqueline Cristina Fernandes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Sugarcane is one of the most important crop in Brazil, specially to ethanol´s production. Brazil is the biggest grower of sugarcane, which increase the insect pests attack. The most notably pest is the sugar cane borer, Diatraea saccharalis. This is a holometabolic insect that causes damages direct and indirect to the sugarcane crop. The control is basically done with chemical insecticides. However, these insecticides have high toxicity and high residual effects with serious consequences to the environment. Therefore, it is important search for alternative control, as the biopesticides basis on entomopathogenics microorganisms. Among, the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis is noteworthy because produces Cry proteins with high specificity and low impact to the environment. Thus, this research aims to purify the insecticidal proteins Cry1A, Cry1Ac and Cry1Ca from a recombinant Escherichia coli and analyze the interaction, by bioassay, on a population of D. saccharalis, in order to find a control method more efficient and less harmful.