[The role of Bacillus thuringiensis in natural biocenoses]

The results of the author's data and those from literature on ecology and genetic exchange of Bacillus thuringiensis strains have been analyzed in this brief review. It has been concluded that there is no strict confinement of B. thuringiensis strains of the particular serotypes to certain habitat and that the bacteriocinogenicity is of great importance in the intraspecies competition and stability of strains in nature. It has been emphasized that the plasmid conjugation process in B. thuringiensis can serve as a main factor of genetic variability to establish ecological placement of these bacteria.