Cyt1Aa from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis enhances mosquitocidal activity of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1 against Aedes aegypti but not Culex quinquefasciatus.

The Cyt1Aa protein of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis is known to synergize mosquitocidal proteins of B. thuringiensis and Bacillus sphaericus strains. Cyt1Aa is highly lipophilic, and after binding in vivo to the midgut microvillar membrane serves as a "receptor" for mosquitocidal Cry proteins, which subsequently form cation channels that kill mosquito larvae. Here we report that Cyt1Aa can serve a similar function for lepidopteran-specific Cry proteins of B. thuringiensis in certain mosquito larvae. Engineering Cyt1Aa into the HD-1 isolate of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki enhanced toxicity against 4th instars of Aedes aegypti, but not against 4th instars of Culex quinquefasciatus.