E.i. Dupont De Nemours and Company

Pioneer Hi-bred International, Inc.

Cao-Guo Yu

Albert Laurence Lu

Billy Fred McCutchen

James Kevin Presnail

Rafael Herrmann

Ronald D Flannagan

Andre R Abad

Janet Ann Rice

James F Wong

Janet A Rice

Billy F Mccutchen

James F H Wong

Theodore W Kahn

André Abad

Compositions and methods for protecting a plant from an insect pest are provided. In particular, nucleic acid sequences encoding insect protoxins modified to comprise at least one proteolytic activation site that is sensitive to a plant protease or an insect gut protease are provided. Cleavage of the modified protoxin at the proteolytic activation site by a protease produces an active insect toxin. Methods of using the modified insect protoxin nucleic acid sequences and the polypeptides they encode to protect a plant from an insect pest are provided. Particular embodiments of the invention further provide modified insect protoxin compositions and formulations, expression cassettes, and transformed plants, plant cells, and seeds.

Nucleic acid molecules encodng a cathepsin L-like cysteine protease

Plant activation of insect toxin

In particular aspects of the invention, nucleic acid molecules encoding novel proteases identified in the midgut of(i.e., western corn rootworm) are provided. The nucleotide sequences encode novel cysteine proteases that belong to the cathepsin L-like subfamily of proteases. Variants and fragments of the nucleotide sequences that encode polypeptide sequences that possess proteolytic activity are further disclosed. Methods of using the nucleic acid sequences that encode novel proteases to protect a plant from an insect pest are provided. Particular embodiments also provide vectors, expression cassettes and transformed host cells comprising a protease nucleic acid of the invention.

Nucleic acid molecules encoding cysteine proteases

Exogenous proteases for plant activation of insect toxin

Plant activation of Cry8Bb1 by insertion of a plant protease-sensitive site

The invention provides nucleic acids, and variants and fragments thereof, obtained from strains ofencoding &#x3b4;-endotoxins having pesticidal activity against insect pests. The invention further provides mutagenized nucleic acids that have been modified to encode pesticidal polypeptides such as endotoxins having improved pesticidal activity and/or altered pest specificity. Particular embodiments of the invention provide isolated nucleic acids encoding pesticidal proteins that may be optimized as well as pesticidal compositions, expression cassettes, and transformed microorganisms and plants comprising a nucleic acid of the invention. These compositions find use in methods for controlling pests, especially plant pests.

Genes encoding proteins with pesticidal activity

Growing community of inventors

Urbandale, IA, United States of America

Cao-Guo Yu