Studies on the Fermentation of Bacillus Thuringiensis Var Israelensis
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
STUDIES ON THE FERMENTATION OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS VAR ISRAELENSIS by DERMOT PEARSON School of Biological Sciences National Institute of Higher Education Du blin SuDmitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy June, 19ö5 COrfTENTS Section Page i INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 PREFACE 2 1.2 BIOLOGICAL INSECTICIDES 4 1.2.1 Insect Classification 6 1.3 ORGANISMS USED IN BIOLOGICAL INSECTICIDES lU 1.3.1 Viruses in Insect Control 1U 1.3.2 Fungi in Insect Control 14 1.3.3. Nematodes in Insect Control 18 1.3.4 Protozoans in Insect Control - 2U 1.3.5 Bacteria in Insect Control 22 1.3.5.1 Bacillus popillae as a microbial insecticide 25 1.3.5.2 Bacillus sphaericus as a microbial insecticide 28 1.3.5.3. Bacillus thuringiensis as amicrooial insecticide 31 1.4 BACILLUS THURI1MGIENSIS 34 1.4.1 Bacteriology 34 1.4.2 Classification and Taxonomy 35 1.4.2.1 Tecnniques used in the taxonomy of B. thuringiensis, ana nomenclature recommendations . 36 1.4.2.2 SuD-groups of B. thuringiensis based on flagellar antigens 37 1.4.3 Toxins Produced by B. thuringiensis 38 1.4.3.1 Note on classification of toxins produced by bacteria 38 1.4.3.2 Alpha-exotoxin, phospholi pase C, lecithinase 4U 1.4.3.3 Beta-exotoxin or thuringiensin 40 1.4.3.4 Gamma-exotoxin 41 Section Page 1.4.3. b Parasporal crystal toxin 43 1.4.4 Genetics of B. thuringiensis 43 1.4.4.1 Plasmid analysis 43 1.4.4.2 Genetic transfer systems and crystal protein gene cloning 44 l . b THE PARASPORAL CRYSTAL OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS 47 1.5.1 Toxicity Spectra of the Parasporal crystals of the Varieties of B. thuringiensis 47 1.5.1.1 Variation in preferred host between varieties of B. thuringiensis 4b 1.5.1.2 ContriDution of spores to the insect toxicity of B. thuringiensis 50 l.b .2 Biogenesis of the Parasporal Crystal and Spore in B. thuringiensis 51 1.5.2.1 Sporeformation in B. thuringiensis and other bacilli 51 1.3.2.2 Crystal formation in B. thuringiensis 52 1.5.2.3 Ovoid inclusion synthesis 54 1.5.3 Lattice Arrangements in the Crystal 54 1.5.4 Relationship between Parasporal Crystal Shape and Insect Toxicity Type 55 i.5.b Parasporal Crystal Nets b6 1.5.6 Location of Parasporal Crystal Protein in the Spore Coat of B. thuringiensis 57 l.b .7 Tne Molecular Biology of the Crystal 58 1.5.7.1 Purification of the parasporal crystal 58 l.b .7.2 Proteases associated witn the parasporal crystals of B. tnuringiensis 59 1.5.7.3 SoluDi1ization of tne parasporal crystals 6u l.b.7.4 Composition of the parasporal crystal 62 Section Page I.6.7.b Parasporal crystal protein subunits 65 l.b .7.6 The protein toxin from the parasporal crystal 70 l.b .8 Mode of Action of the Parasporal Crystal 72 l.b .a .l Histopathology of the effects due to the crystal toxin 73 l.b .8.2 Gross physiological effects of the crystal toxin 74 l.b .8.3 Molecular basis of the mode of action of the crystal protein toxin 75 1.5.9 Function of the Parasporal Crystal 77 i.b MICROBIAL PROTEASES AND THE PROTEASES OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS 80 1.6.1 Classification of Microbial Proteases 80 1.6.1.1 Serine proteinases 81 1.6.1.2 Thiol proteinases 83 1.6.1.3 Acid proteinases 84 1.6.1.4 Metallo proteinases Ü4 b.2 Functions of Microoial Proteinases ■ 8b l . b . 2.1 Protein Turnover 86 1.b .2.2 Proteinases during sporulation 87 1.6.2.3 Proteinases during germination 88 l . b . 2.4 Modulation of gene expression 89 1.6.2. b Modulation of enzyme activity 90 l.b. 2.b Protein maturation 92 1.6.2.7 Degradation of nonsense proteins 93 l.d.3 Studies on tne Proteases of B. thuringiensis 93 1. 6.3.1 Factors affecting protease production by B. thuringiensis 93 l.b .3.2 Characterization of proteases from B. thuringiensis 94 Section Page 1.7 MOSQUITO AND BLACKFLY BIOLOGY, AND MOSQUITO BIOASSAY luO 1.7.1 Mosquito Biology lUU 1.7.2 BlacKfly Biology 103 1.7.3 Mosquito Larval Bioassay 104 1.6 FERMENTATION DEVELOPMENT OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS 109 l.b .l Fermentation Development 109 1.8.1.1 General aspects of process design 111 1.8.1.2 Process scale-up 113 1.8.2 Fermentations Studies with B. thuringiensis 116 1.8.2.1 Media for the production of B. thuringiensis 116 1.8.2.2 Optimal conditions for the fermentation of B. thuringiensis 117 1.8.3 Processing and Formulation of B. thuringiensis 119 l.d.3.1 Harvesting 119 1.8.3.2 Formulation definition, significance and description 120 1.8.3.3 Formulation manufacture 121 l.y AIMS OF PRESENT INVESTIGATION 125 Section Page 2 MATERIALS AI® METHODS 126 2.1 MATERIALS 127 2.1.1 Bacterial Isolates 127 2.1.2 Mosquitoes 128 2.1.3 Sources and Costs of Industrial Medium Components 128 2.1.4 Sources of Other Materials 128 2.2 MAINTENANCE OF BACTERIA 13U 2.2.1 Standard IPS.8U and IPS.82 Materials 130 2.2.2 Other B. thuringi ensis Materials 130 2.2.3 Suoculturing from Nutrient Agar Slopes 13U 2.2.4 Isolation of Spontaneous Mutants 131 2.3 FERMENTATION PROCEDURES 132 2.3.1 Standard Shake-Flask Culturing Conditions 132 2.3.2 First Inoculum Stage 132 2.3.3 Second Inoculum Stage 133 2.3.3.1 Flask cultures 133 2.3.3.2 Fermenter cultures 133 2.3.4 Production Stage 134 2.3.4.1 Flask cultures 134 2.3.4.2 Fermenter cultures 134 2.3.b Fermenter Design and Operation 136 2.3.5.1 Laboferm fermenters 136 2.3.6.2 Microgen fermenters 137 2.3.5.3 Pilot fermenter 137 2.3.6 Quantitation of Growth in Bacterial Cultures 138 2.3.6.1 Culture sampling and sample labelling 138 2.3.6.2 Viable count determinations 139 Section Page 2.3.6.3 Estimation of proportions of vegetative cells,' sporulated cells and free spores 139 2.3.6.4 Optical density measurements 140 2.3.6.5 Dry weight determinations 140 2.4 MOSQUITO REARING AND BIOASSAY 141 2.4.1 Maintenance of Adult Mosquito Colonies 141 2.4.2 Production of Larvae and Pupae 143 2.4.2.1 Hatching the eggs 143 2.4.2.2. Rearing the larvae 143 2.4.2.3 Pupal production 144 2.4.3 Operation of the Conventional, Mortality vs. Concentration Bioassay 145 2.4.3.1 Preparation of tne larvae 145 2.4.3.2 Larval selection and counting 14b 2.4.3.3 Preparation of insecticidal materials 146 2.4.3.4 Addition of diluted insecticide materials to the larval cups 147 2.4.3.5 Mortality determination and insecticidal potency calculation 148 2.4.4 Operation of the Novel, Mortality vs Time, Bioassay 15U 2.4.4.1 The assay system 150 2.5 PURIFICATION OF THE PARASPORAL CRYSTALS 151 2.5.1 Production of a Spore/Crystal Suspension for the Purification of the Parasporal Crystals 151 2.5.2 The Parasporal Crystal Purification Process 153 2.o MEASUREMENT OF PROTEASE ACTIVITIES 156 2.6.1- Caseinase Activity Determination 156 2.6.2 Hydrolysis of Azocasein 157 Section Page 2.6.2.1 Modified azocasein hydrolysis method 158 2.6.3 Determination of Leucine p-Nitroani1idase Activity 158 2.7 PROTEIN DETERMINATION 161 2.7.1 Protein Determination Using the Folin-Lowry Method 161 2.7.2 Protein Determination of Crystal Suspensions by the Coomassie Blue Dye-Binding Technique 161 2.a PROTEASE PURIFICATION TECHNIQUES 163 2.0.1 Amnonium Sulphate Fractionation of Crude Culture Supernatants 163 2.8.2 Dialysis of Culture Supernatants and 12788136‘ _ Sulphate- Treated Materi al s 164 2.8.3 Gel Filtration of Redissolved Ammonium Sulphate Pellets 164 2.Ü.3.1 Preparation of a sample for gel filtra tio n 164 2 .8 .3.2 Equipment used 165 2.8.3.3 Standard sample application technique 165 2.8 .3.4 Column running conditions 166 2.8.3.5 Column molecular weight calibration 166 2.8.3.6 Gel filtra tio n of protease sample 166 Section Page 3 RESULTS 168 3.1 FERMENTATION OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS 169 3.1.1 Preliminary Investigations 171 3.1.1.1 Effect of aeration and casein on sporulation of B. thuringiensis 171 3.1.1.2 Effect of the use of vegetative cells and free spores as inoculum sources 176 3.1.2 Development of Inoculum Production Process 178 3.1.2.1 Development of the medium 180 3.1.2.2 Determination of optimum inoculum size 183 3.1.2.3 Patterns of growth of B. thuringiensis when grown in the casein inoculum medium 186 3.1.3 Characterization and Development of Production Media by Optimization of Biomass Production and Sporulation 187 3.1.3.1 Comparative evaluation of 1iterature-reported media 188 3.1.3.2 Assessment of 1iterature-reported media variants 191 3.1.3.3 Characterization of growth of B. thuringiensis in the optimized production medium 198 3.1.4 Characterization of Production Media with respect to Bioactivity Production 201 3.1.4.1 Determination of the time of maximum insect toxin production 202 3.1.4.2 Determination of maximum bioactivity levels in production broths 203 3.1.4.3 Comparison of bioactivity levels in my fermentation brotris 214 3.1.4.4 Investigation into possible relationship between viable counts and Dioactiv it ies in whole cultures- 218 Section Page 3.1.Ò Process Scale-up 222 3.1.0.1 Growth of second inoculum stage in fermenters 223 3.1.5.2 Growth of production stage in 1aooratory-seale fermenters 225 3.1.0.3 Growth of production stage in a pilot-scale fermenter 229 3.1.5 Occurence and Investigation of Strain Deterioration 230 3.1.6.1 Spontaneous mutant isolation from stock cultures 232 3.1.6.2 Effect of prolonged storage and/or frequent subculturing of B.