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Thuringiensin: a thermostable secondary metabolite from Bacillus thuringiensis with insecticidal activity against a
Xiaoyan Liu1, Lifang Ruan2, Donghai Peng3
1Hubei Biopesticide Engineering Research Center, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China. xiaoyanliu6613@163.com.
Abstract:
Thuringiensin (Thu), also known as β-exotoxin, is a thermostable secondary metabolite secreted by Bacillus thuringiensis. It has insecticidal activity against a wide range of insects, including species belonging to the orders Diptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera, and Isoptera, and several nematode species. The chemical formula of Thu is C22H32O19N5P, and it is composed of adenosine, glucose, phosphoric acid, and gluconic diacid. In contrast to the more frequently studied insecticidal crystal protein, Thu is not a protein but a small molecule oligosaccharide. In this review, a detailed and updated description of the characteristics, structure, insecticidal mechanism, separation and purification technology, and genetic determinants of Thu is provided.
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