Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Using worms to better understand how Bacillus thuringiensis kills insects.

Neil Crickmore1

  • 1School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK. n.crickmore@sussex.ac.uk

Trends in Microbiology
|June 22, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Bacillus thuringiensis toxins target the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, revealing new insights into how these biological pesticides work and how insects may resist them.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

From gatekeeper to target: MAPK cascades as control circuits at the insect-microbe interface.

FEMS microbiology reviews·2026
Same author

How Bacillus thuringiensis kills its insect host.

Journal of invertebrate pathology·2026
Same author

Down-regulation of the PxJHE2 gene elevates juvenile hormone titers and compensates for fitness costs of Bt Cry1Ac resistance in Plutella xylostella (L.).

Pest management science·2026
Same author

Identification of Brassica oleracea germplasm resources resistant to Plutella xylostella (L.).

Pest management science·2026
Same author

Plant strategies against herbivorous insects.

Journal of integrative plant biology·2026
Same author

The long and short of it: Distinct natural crystal packing strategies of Cry toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis.

Structure (London, England : 1993)·2026

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Toxicology
  • Nematology

Background:

  • Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacterium widely employed as a biological pesticide.
  • Its insecticidal properties are well-documented for crop protection and disease vector control.
  • The bacterium's interaction with the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans offers a unique system to study toxin mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying Bacillus thuringiensis toxin activity in Caenorhabditis elegans.
  • To identify novel toxin receptors and host response pathways.
  • To integrate new findings with existing models of insecticidal action and resistance.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing reverse genetics to probe gene function related to toxin susceptibility.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Employing microarray technology to analyze host gene expression changes upon intoxication.
  • Leveraging Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism for genetic and molecular studies.

    • Main Results:

    • Discovery of novel receptors mediating Bacillus thuringiensis toxin binding in the host.
    • Identification of signal transduction pathways activated following intoxication.
    • Elucidation of host responses contributing to or counteracting toxin effects.

    Conclusions:

    • Findings in Caenorhabditis elegans provide critical insights into Bacillus thuringiensis toxin action.
    • New data advances our understanding of biological pesticide mechanisms and potential insect resistance.
    • Future research directions are proposed based on identified pathways and receptors.