Bt Research 2024, Vol.15, No.3, 141-153 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/bt 149 Figure 3 Recombination frequency of pBMBTmini (Adopted from Wang et al., 2016) Image caption: (a). illustrates the structure of the recombination cassette and the resulting product after recombination. (b). presents the observations of BMB171 (pBMBTmini + pBMBmob1) under phase-contrast microscopy and fluorescence microscopy before and after recombination. (c). displays the restriction enzyme digestion analysis of the substrate plasmid before and after recombination. The results indicate that the Mob02281/mini-oriT system can mediate the deletion of the target gene, with the recombination frequency increasing with the number of generations (Adapted from Wang et al., 2016) 8 Applications and Implications 8.1 Biopesticide development Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is one of the most successful and widely used microbial biopesticides. The primary application of Bt in pest management is due to its ability to produce insecticidal proteins, such as Cry and Cyt toxins, which target specific insect pests while being safe for humans, animals, and the environment. Bt-based biopesticides have been extensively used in agriculture to control a variety of insect pests, thereby reducing the reliance on chemical pesticides (Kumar et al., 2021). These biopesticides are highly specific, targeting particular insect orders like Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera, which minimizes the impact on non-target organisms. Recent advances in molecular biology have enabled the development of genetically modified (GM) crops expressing Bt toxins, such as Bt cotton, Bt maize, and Bt potatoes. These GM crops have inherent pest resistance, significantly reducing crop damage and increasing yield (Jouzani et al., 2017). Novel encapsulation strategies, such as microencapsulation and nanoencapsulation, have been developed to improve the stability and efficacy of Bt formulations, protecting the insecticidal proteins from environmental degradation and enhancing their delivery to target pests (de Oliveira et al., 2021). A specific example of the ongoing innovation in Bt biopesticides is the characterization of the novel mosquitocidal toxin Cry50Ba. This toxin, identified by Zhang et al. (2017), shows significant potential in mosquito control. The study highlighted not only the efficacy of Cry50Ba but also its synergistic effects when used in combination with other mosquitocidal toxins, offering a promising strategy for enhancing the effectiveness of Bt-based mosquito control products. This synergy can potentially reduce the doses required for effective pest management, thereby minimizing environmental impact and slowing the development of resistance in mosquito populations.
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