Toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis Spo − Cr + Mutants for the European Corn Borer Ostrinia nubilalis

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Abstract
Inclusion bodies isolated from Spo− Cr+ mutants of Bacillus thuringiensis were toxic for larvae of the European corn borer. Probit analysis revealed comparable toxicity between wild-type crystals (isolated from B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki) and crystals produced from two spore-free mutants of the same subspecies. Death of the larvae was due to starvation, presumably through δ-endotoxin-induced gut paralysis. Inclusion bodies pretreated with α-chymotrypsinogen were equally as toxic as native crystals for the insect larvae.