The entomopathogen Bacillus sphaericus is an important tool for the vector control of Culex sp., and its effectiveness has been validated in field trials. The appearance of resistance to this bacterium, however, remains a threat to its use, and attempts have been made to understand the resistance mechanisms. Previous work showed that the resistance to B. sphaericus in a Culex quinquefasciatus colony is associated with the absence of the ≈ 60‐kDa binary toxin receptor in larvae midgut microvilli. Here, the gene encoding the C. quinquefasciatus toxin receptor, Cqm1, was cloned and sequenced from a susceptible colony. The deduced amino‐acid sequence confirmed its identity as an α‐glucosidase, and analysis of the corresponding gene sequence from resistant larvae implicated a 19‐nucleotide deletion as the basis for resistance. This deletion changes the ORF and originates a premature stop codon, which prevents the synthesis of the full‐length Cqm1. Expression of the truncated protein, however, was not detected when whole larvae extracts were probed with antibodies raised against an N‐terminal 45‐kDa recombinant fragment of Cqm1. It seems that the premature stop codon directs the mutated cqm1 to the nonsense‐mediated decay pathway of mRNA degradation. In‐gel assays confirmed that a single α‐glucosidase protein is missing from the resistant colony. Further in vitro affinity assays showed that the recombinant fragment binds to the toxin, and mapped the binding site to the N‐terminus of the receptor.

The eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) recognizes the mRNA cap structure and, together with eIF4G and eIF4A, form the eIF4F complex that regulates translation initiation in eukaryotes. In trypanosomatids, 2 eIF4E homologues (EIF4E3 and EIF4E4) have been shown to be part of eIF4F-like complexes with presumed roles in translation initiation. Both proteins possess unique N-terminal extensions, which can be targeted for phosphorylation. Here, we provide novel insights on the Leishmania infantum EIF4E4 function and regulation. We show that EIF4E4 is constitutively expressed throughout the parasite development but is preferentially phosphorylated in exponentially grown promastigote and amastigote life stages, hence correlating with high levels of translation. Phosphorylation targets multiple serine-proline or threonine-proline residues within the N-terminal extension of EIF4E4 but does not require binding to the EIF4E4's partner, EIF4G3, or to the cap structure. We also report that EIF4E4 interacts with PABP1 through 3 conserved boxes at the EIF4E4 N-terminus and that this interaction is a prerequisite for efficient EIF4E4 phosphorylation. EIF4E4 is essential for Leishmania growth and an EIF4E4 null mutant was only obtained in the presence of an ectopically provided wild type gene. Complementation for the loss of EIF4E4 with several EIF4E4 mutant proteins affecting either phosphorylation or binding to mRNA or to EIF4E4 protein partners revealed that, in contrast to other eukaryotes, only the EIF4E4-PABP1 interaction but neither the binding to EIF4G3 nor phosphorylation is essential for translation. These studies also demonstrated that the lack of both EIF4E4 phosphorylation and EIF4G3 binding leads to a non-functional protein. Altogether, these findings further highlight the unique features of the translation initiation process in trypanosomatid protozoa.

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis technique was undertaken in

Larvicides based on the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis svar. israelensis (Bti) and Lysinibacillus sphaericus are effective and environmentally safe compounds for the control of dipteran insects of medical importance. They produce crystals that display specific and potent insecticidal activity against larvae. Bti crystals are composed of multiple protoxins: three from the three-domain Cry type family, which bind to different cell receptors in the midgut, and one cytolytic (Cyt1Aa) protoxin that can insert itself into the cell membrane and act as surrogate receptor of the Cry toxins. Together, those toxins display a complex mode of action that shows a low risk of resistance selection. L. sphaericus crystals contain one major binary toxin that display an outstanding persistence in field conditions, which is superior to Bti. However, the action of the Bin toxin based on its interaction with a single receptor is vulnerable for resistance selection in insects. In this review we present the most recent data on the mode of action and synergism of these toxins, resistance issues, and examples of their use worldwide. Data reported in recent years improved our understanding of the mechanism of action of these toxins, showed that their combined use can enhance their activity and counteract resistance, and reinforced their relevance for mosquito control programs in the future years.

The activity of the Bacillus sphaericus binary (Bin) toxin on Culex quinquefasciatus larvae depends on its specific binding to the Cqm1 receptor, a midgut membrane-bound ␣-glucosidase. A 19-nucleotide deletion in the cqm1 gene (cqm1 REC ) mediates high-level resistance to Bin toxin. Here, resistance in nontreated and B. sphaericus-treated field populations of C. quinquefasciatus was assessed through bioassays as well as a specific PCR assay designed to detect the cqm1 REC allele in individual larvae. Resistance ratios at 90% lethal concentration, gathered through bioassays, were close to 1 and indicate that the selected populations had similar levels of susceptibility to B. sphaericus, comparable to that of a laboratory colony. A diagnostic PCR assay detected the cqm1 REC allele in all populations investigated, and its frequency in two nontreated areas was 0.006 and 0.003, while the frequency in the B. sphaericus-treated population was significantly higher. Values of 0.053 and 0.055 were detected for two distinct sets of samples, and homozygote resistant larvae were found. Evaluation of Cqm1 expression in individual larvae through ␣-glucosidase assays corroborated the allelic frequency revealed by PCR. The data from this study indicate that the cqm1 REC allele was present at a detectable frequency in nontreated populations, while the higher frequency in samples from the treated area is, perhaps, correlated with the exposure to B. sphaericus. This is the first report of the molecular detection of a biolarvicide resistance allele in mosquito populations, and it confirms that the PCR-based approach is suitable to track such alleles in target populations.Bacillus sphaericus Neide is considered the most successful microbial larvicide to date for the control of mosquito species from the Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) complex (20). B. sphaericus biolarvicides commercially available are based on highly toxic strains characterized by their ability to express the binary (Bin) protoxin, a crystal protein produced in large amounts during sporulation (7). This heterodimer is formed by the BinA (42-kDa) and BinB (51-kDa) subunits that act in synergy to produce larvicidal activity upon Culex larvae (3, 23). The BinB subunit is responsible for the recognition and binding of the toxin to specific receptors on the midgut epithelium surface, while BinA is primarily responsible for the toxic effects, but first the crystal has to be ingested by the larvae and the protoxin must be processed into toxin by the midgut (7). The Bin toxin receptor in C. pipiens (Cpm1) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Cqm1) is a 60-kDa ␣-glucosidase attached to the epithelial cell membrane by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor (9, 30, 31). The action of the Bin toxin on Culex larvae relies on its specific binding to those membrane-bound receptors (24). Disruption of the interaction between the toxin and the midgut is the major mechanism underlying resistance, and it has already been reported from different laboratory-or fieldselected colonies (25,26,27,3...

2018)Phosphorylation and interactions associated with the control of the Leishmania Poly-A Binding Protein 1 (PABP1) function during translation initiation, RNA Biology, 15:6, 739-755, ABSTRACTThe Poly-A Binding Protein (PABP) is a conserved eukaryotic polypeptide involved in many aspects of mRNA metabolism. During translation initiation, PABP interacts with the translation initiation complex eIF4F and enhances the translation of polyadenylated mRNAs. Schematically, most PABPs can be divided into an N-terminal RNA-binding region, a non-conserved linker segment and the C-terminal MLLE domain. In pathogenic Leishmania protozoans, three PABP homologues have been identified, with the first one (PABP1) targeted by phosphorylation and shown to co-immunoprecipitate with an eIF4F-like complex (EIF4E4/EIF4G3) implicated in translation initiation. Here, PABP1 phosphorylation was shown to be linked to logarithmic cell growth, reminiscent of EIF4E4 phosphorylation, and coincides with polysomal association. Phosphorylation targets multiple serine-proline (SP) or threonine-proline (TP) residues within the PABP1 linker region. This is an essential protein, but phosphorylation is not needed for its association with polysomes or cell viability. Mutations which do impair PABP1 polysomal association and are required for viability do not prevent phosphorylation, although further mutations lead to a presumed inactive protein largely lacking phosphorylated isoforms. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments were carried out to investigate PABP1 function further, identifying several novel protein partners and the EIF4E4/EIF4G3 complex, but no other eIF4F-like complex or subunit. A novel, direct interaction between PABP1 and EIF4E4 was also investigated and found to be mediated by the PABP1 MLLE binding to PABP Interacting Motifs (PAM2) within the EIF4E4 N-terminus. The results shown here are consistent with phosphorylation of PABP1 being part of a novel pathway controlling its function and possibly translation in Leishmania.

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Bin toxin from Bacillus sphaericus acts on Culex quinquefasciatus larvae by binding to Cqm1 midgut-bound receptors, and disruption of the cqm1 gene is the major cause of resistance. The goal of this work was to screen for a laboratory-selected resistance cqm1 REC allele in field populations in the city of Recife, Brazil, and to describe other resistance-associated polymorphisms in the cqm1 gene. The cqm1 REC allele was detected in the four nontreated populations surveyed at frequencies from 0.001 to 0.017, and sequence analysis from these samples revealed a novel resistant allele (cqm1 REC-D16 ) displaying a 16-nucletotide (nt) deletion which is distinct from the 19-nt deletion associated with cqm1 REC . Yet a third resistant allele (cqm1 REC-D25 ), displaying a 25-nt deletion, was identified in samples from a treated area exposed to B. sphaericus. A comparison of the three deletion events revealed that all are located within the same 208-nt region amplified during the screening procedure. They also introduce equivalent frameshifts in the sequence and generate the same premature stop codon, leading to putative transcripts encoding truncated proteins which are unable to locate to the midgut epithelium. The populations analyzed in this study contained a variety of alleles with mutations disrupting the function of the corresponding Bin toxin receptor. Their locations reveal a hot spot that can be exploited to assess the resistance risk through DNA screening.T he utilization of biolarvicides based on Bacillus sphaericus requires monitoring strategies which can predict or prevent potential resistance selection among exposed mosquito populations. The binary (Bin) crystal toxin, which is the major active insecticidal factor found in commercial B. sphaericus strains, acts on mosquito larvae after ingestion, processing and binding to specific receptors located on the midgut epithelium (5, 24). Bin toxin displays high activity against larvae of the Culex pipiens complex and B. sphaericus has an excellent persistence under field conditions, which make this an effective biolarvicide for controlling these species in urban areas (17). However, the mode of action of Bin toxin relies entirely on its binding to a single class of midgut receptors which are glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored ␣-glucosidases named Cpm1 and Cqm1 for Culex pipiens and Culex quinquefasciatus, respectively (7,29,30). Failure of toxins to bind to their midgut receptors has been described, in a wide range of target insects, as the primary resistance mechanism to insecticidal proteins from entomopathogenic bacteria (11,16,25). In the case of B. sphaericus, this is a critical aspect since resistance cases have also been reported after laboratory selection or field exposure (2,25,27,36,38,44).Investigation of the B. sphaericus resistance mechanisms has confirmed the essential role for the binding of Bin toxin to its receptors, since mutations within the cpm1/cqm1 genes, which are recessively inherited, are the major causes leading to the absence of ...