Elimination of Gut Microbes with Antibiotics Confers Resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Toxin Proteins in Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner).

Helicoverpa armigera is one of the most important pests worldwide. Transgenic crops with toxin genes from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been deployed on a large scale to control this pest. The insecticidal activity of Bt is probably influenced by the insect midgut microbes, which vary across crop hosts and locations.