Complete genome sequences of two serovar strains isolated from Lebanon and Tunisia, highly toxic against lepidopteran larvae.

-based products are key in the biopesticides market. strains Lip and BLB1 were isolated from Lebanese and Tunisian soils, respectively. These strains are highly toxic against lepidopteran larvae, .

The NF-κB factor Relish is essential for the epithelial defenses protecting against δ-endotoxin dependent effects of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis infection in the Drosophila model.

Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis is largely regarded as the most selective, safe and ecofriendly biopesticide used for the control of insect vectors of human diseases. Bti enthomopathogenicity relies on the Cry and Cyt δ-endotoxins, produced as crystalline inclusions during sporulation. Insecticidal selectivity of Bti is mainly ascribed to the binding of the Cry toxins to receptors in the gut of target insects.

Biochemical limitations of Bacillus thuringiensis based biopesticides production in a wheat bran culture medium.

Bacillus thuringiensis, a gram-positive sporulating bacteria found in the environment, produces, during its sporulation phase, crystals responsible for its insecticidal activity, constituted of an assembly of pore-forming δ-endotoxins. This has led to its use as a biopesticide, an eco-friendly alternative to harmful chemical pesticides. To minimize production cost, one endemic Bacillus thuringiensis sv.

Expression of the methylcytosine dioxygenase ten-eleven translocation-2 and connexin 43 in inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) constitutes a substantial risk factor for colorectal cancer. Connexin 43 (Cx43) is a protein that forms gap junction (GJ) complexes involved in intercellular communication, and its expression is altered under pathological conditions, such as IBD and cancer. Recent studies have implicated epigenetic processes modulating DNA methylation in the pathogenesis of diverse inflammatory and malignant diseases.

The Microbiome of the Lebanese Wild Apple, Malus trilobata, is a Rich Source of Potential Biocontrol Agents for Fungal Post-harvest Pathogens of Apples.

The widespread use of harmful fungicides in the agricultural sector has led to a demand for safer alternatives to protect against crop pathogens. The domestic apple is the second most highly consumed fruit in the world and encounters several pre- and post-harvest fungal and bacterial phytopathogens. The goal of this study was to explore the uncharacterized microbiome of a wild apple, Malus trilobata, as a potential source of novel biocontrol agents for two post-harvest fungi that affect commercial apples: Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum.

Suggested policy and legislation reforms to reduce deleterious effect of pesticides in Lebanon.

Countrywide pesticide management activities are resource draining, even for developed countries, which sometimes fall short in achieving the optimum protection against pesticides deleterious effects on humans and environment. Additionally, in Lebanon, basic flaws exist at different levels of pesticide management cycle. In this study, through an extensive review of relevant literature regarding the pesticides impact on humans and environment in Lebanon and adopted policies in existing legislation, several gaps have been identified.

A novel anti-dipteran strain: Unusual Cry toxin genes in a highly dynamic plasmid environment.

emerged as a major bioinsecticide on the global market. It offers a valuable alternative to chemical products classically utilized to control pest insects. Despite the efficiency of several strains and products available on the market, the scientific community is always on the lookout for novel toxins that can replace or supplement the existing products.

IS and kin: new insights into an old IS family.

Insertion sequences (IS) are ubiquitous transposable elements with a very simple organization: two inverted repeats flanking a transposase coding gene. IS is one of 26 insertion sequence families known so far. With 70 registered members in the ISFinder database, this family remains somewhat unexplored, despite the association of many of its members with important features such as antibiotic resistance.

Characterization and Whole Genome Sequencing of AR23, a Highly Toxic Bacillus thuringiensis Strain Isolated from Lebanese Soil.

The demand for sustainable and eco-friendly control methods of pests and insects is increasing worldwide. From this came the interest in Bacillus thuringiensis, an entomopathogenic bacterium capable of replacing chemical pesticides. However, the possibility of pests developing resistance to a particular strain may impair its use, and there is a need to identify novel strains of this species as potential commercial biopesticides.

Diversity of Bacillus cereus sensu lato mobilome.

Background: Bacillus cereus sensu lato s.l.) is a group of bacteria displaying close phylogenetic relationships but a high ecological diversity.

Influence of Ephestia kuehniella stage larvae on the potency of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Aa delta-endotoxin.

The economically important crop pest Ephestia kuehniella was tested at two stages of larval development for susceptibility to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Aa toxin. Bioassays showed that toxicity decreased during the development of larvae stage. In fact, Cry1Aa toxins from BNS3-Cry (pHT-cry1Aa) showed low toxicity against the first-instar larvae (L1) with a LC value of about 421.

A simple method for the separation of Bacillus thuringiensis spores and crystals.

A simple new method, for separating Bacillus thuringiensis crystals from spores and cell debris, is described. The developed purification method uses hexane and low speed centrifugation and does not require any expensive material or reagents.

Isolation and characterization of a new Bacillus thuringiensis strain Lip harboring a new cry1Aa gene highly toxic to Ephestia kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae.

The aim of this study was to characterize new Bacillus thuringiensis strains that have a potent insecticidal activity against Ephestia kuehniella larvae. Strains harboring cry1A genes were tested for their toxicity, and the Lip strain showed a higher insecticidal activity compared to that of the reference strain HD1 (LC50 of Lip and HD1 were 33.27 and 128.

Differentiation between Bacillus thuringiensis strains by gyrB PCR-Sau3AI fingerprinting.

gyrB DNA fragments of seven Bacillus thuringiensis local collection family representatives were amplified by PCR and sequenced. Several differences in their corresponding sequences were evidenced. Both in silico and in vitro restriction maps of gyrB sequences and fragments respectively confirmed that EcoRI and Sau3AI could be used to differentiate between B.