Construction of an insecticidal baculovirus expressing insect-specific neurotoxin AaIT

Considering the factors which affect gene transcription, translation and the stability of mRNA, without changing the amino acid composition of the encoded polypeptide, AaIT gene encoding insect-specific neurotoxin was designed and synthesized according to bias in codon choice, overall G+C content and G+C content of bases at the third position in codons of polyhedrin genes of baculovirus and of plant genes as well. AaIT gene was fused behind a synthetic gp67 signal sequence and then recombined into the genome of Trichoplusia ni nuclear polyhedrosis virus (TnNPV) by transfer vector pSXIV VI+X3. The recombinant virus TnNPV-AaIT (occ+-gal-) was screened. The results of Southern blotting and SDS-PAGE demonstrated that AaIT gene had integrated into the genome of virus and expressed. Bioassays on the 3rd-instar Trichoplusia ni larvae showed that recombinant viruses TnNPV-AaIT could shorten the time of killing insect and improve the efficacy of killing agronomically important insects.