Monsanto Company

Lidia S Watrud

Frederick J Perlak

Mark G Obukowicz

The invention relates to genetically engineered plant-colonizing microorganisms which proliferate in symbiotic or non-detrimental relationships with the plant in the plant environment. Such microorganisms contain DNA derived from,which codes for the insecticidal crystal protein toxin. The engineered plant-colonizing microorganisms of the invention and their progency are active against a variety of lepidopterous pests. The invention further relates to the use of such plant-colonizing microorganisms in a method of killing or inhibiting lepidopterous pests and to insecticidal compositions containing the plant-colonizing microorganism as the active insecticidal agent.

Insertion of the Bacillus thuringiensis crystal protein gene into plant colonizing microorganisms and their use

The invention relates to genetically engineered plant-colonizing microorganisms which prolife-rate in symbiotic or non-detrimental relationships with the plant in the plant environment. Such microorganisms contain DNA derived from Bacillus thuringiensis which codes for the insecticidal crystal protein toxin. The engineered plant-colonizing microorganisms of the invention and their progeny are active against a variety of lepidopterous pests. The invention further relates to the use of such plant-colonizing microorganisms in a method of killing or inhibiting lepidopterous pests and to insecticidal compositions containing the plant-colonizing microorganism as the active insecticidal agent.

Truncated gene of Bacillus thuringiensis encoding a polypeptide toxin

The invention relates to a plant-colonizing microorganism which has been genetically engineered to integrate into the chromosome of such microorganism, DNA derived from B. thuringiensis coding for protein toxin. The genetically engineered plant-colonizing microorganisms of the invention, and their progeny, proliferate in commensal or non-detrimental relationship with the plant in the plant environment and are insecticidally active against a subspecies of insect pest which are harmful to the plant. The invention further relates to insecticidal compositions containing such plant-colonizing microorganisms as the active insecticidal agent and to a method of using such genetically engineered plant-colonizing microorganisms in a method of killing or inhibiting insect pests.

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Maryland Heights, MO, United States of America

Lidia S Watrud