Bacillus thuringiensis

Common card · No. 228024

Bacillus thuringiensis (or Bt) is a gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium. It is the most commonly used biological pesticide worldwide. B. thuringiensis also occurs naturally in the gut of caterpillars, the gut of various types of moths and butterflies, on leaf surfaces, and in aquatic environments, animal feces, insect-rich environments, flour mills and grain-storage facilities. B. thuringiensis has also been observed to parasitize moths such as Cadra calidella; in laboratory experiments working with C. calidella, many of the moths were diseased due to this parasite. During sporulation, many Bt strains produce crystal proteins (proteinaceous inclusions), known as delta endotoxins, that have insecticidal action. This has led to the use of some strains as insecticides, and more recently to the creation of genetically modified crops using Bt genes (such as Bt corn); many crystal-producing Bt strains, however, do not have insecticidal properties. Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Jim Buckman is credited and the original uploader is P.R.Johnston., Public domain