2021/10/12 by Yicen Lin, Monica Alstrup, Janet Ka Yan Pang +5 · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Insect Resistance and Genetics #Insect and Pesticide Research #Insect Pest Control Strategies
paper · doi:10.1128/msystems.00864-21
openalex publication_date 2021/10/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
Biologicals-based plant protection relies on the use of safe microbial strains. During application of biologicals to the rhizosphere, microbes adapt to the niche, including genetic mutations shaping the physiology of the cells. Here, the experimental evolution of Bacillus thuringiensis lacking the insecticide crystal toxins was examined on the plant root to reveal how adaptation shapes the differentiation of this bacterium. Interestingly, evolution of certain lineages led to increased hemolysis and insect larva pathogenesis in B. thuringiensis driven by transcriptional rewiring. Further, our detailed study reveals how inactivation of the transcription termination protein Rho promotes aggregation on the plant root in addition to altered differentiation and pathogenesis in B. thuringiensis.