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Questions and Answers
What is a unique characteristic of Bacillus bacteria?
What is a unique characteristic of Bacillus bacteria?
- Ability to produce endospores in stressful environmental conditions (correct)
- Ability to produce toxins in stressful environmental conditions
- Ability to undergo conjugation in stressful environmental conditions
- Ability to form biofilms in stressful environmental conditions
Which bacterium is used in insect biocontrol?
Which bacterium is used in insect biocontrol?
- Clostridium botulinum
- Clostridium acetobutylicum
- Bacillus thuringiensis (correct)
- Bacillus anthracis
Which bacteria are considered medically significant?
Which bacteria are considered medically significant?
- Bacillus anthracis and B. cereus (correct)
- Bacillus thuringiensis and B. popillae
- Bacillus subtilis and B. megaterium
- Clostridium acetobutylicum and C. botulinum
Which bacteria are natural flora in the human intestines?
Which bacteria are natural flora in the human intestines?
What is the primary use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)?
What is the primary use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)?
Which bacteria are known to produce endospores?
Which bacteria are known to produce endospores?
What characteristic distinguishes Bacillus colonies on blood agar?
What characteristic distinguishes Bacillus colonies on blood agar?
Which bacterium is the culprit of botulism?
Which bacterium is the culprit of botulism?
Which bacterium is used industrially?
Which bacterium is used industrially?
Which bacteria are harmless saprophytes?
Which bacteria are harmless saprophytes?
Which bacterium is used for control of mosquito larvae and simuliid blackflies?
Which bacterium is used for control of mosquito larvae and simuliid blackflies?
Which bacteria are ubiquitous in nature (soil, water, and airborne dust)?
Which bacteria are ubiquitous in nature (soil, water, and airborne dust)?
What is the percentage of the total agrochemical market that Bt products represent worldwide?
What is the percentage of the total agrochemical market that Bt products represent worldwide?
Where are the toxin genes of Bt products encoded?
Where are the toxin genes of Bt products encoded?
What must happen to the crystals in Bt products before they have any effect?
What must happen to the crystals in Bt products before they have any effect?
In what conditions is the toxin solubilized in the insect gut?
In what conditions is the toxin solubilized in the insect gut?
What is the active toxin produced when the protoxin is cleaved by a gut protease in the insect gut?
What is the active toxin produced when the protoxin is cleaved by a gut protease in the insect gut?
When was Bacillus thuringiensis first discovered?
When was Bacillus thuringiensis first discovered?
Which strain of Bt is highly effective against lepidoptera?
Which strain of Bt is highly effective against lepidoptera?
What is the primary target of Bacillus anthracis?
What is the primary target of Bacillus anthracis?
Why have U.S. military forces been vaccinated against anthrax?
Why have U.S. military forces been vaccinated against anthrax?
What type of rod does Clostridium botulinum form?
What type of rod does Clostridium botulinum form?
What critical role did Clostridium acetobutylicum play during World War I?
What critical role did Clostridium acetobutylicum play during World War I?
Study Notes
Bacillus thuringiensis and Other Microorganisms
- Bt products represent about 1% of the total agrochemical market worldwide, including fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides.
- The toxin genes are plasmid encoded and have been genetically engineered into crop plants such as Bt corn and Bt cotton.
- Bt products have a specific mode of action, with crystals that must be activated before having any effect.
- The toxin is safe for humans, higher animals, and most insects, and it is solubilized in the high pH conditions found in the mid-gut of lepidopteran larvae.
- Once solubilized in the insect gut, the protoxin is cleaved by a gut protease to produce an active toxin called delta-endotoxin.
- Recent studies on the delta-endotoxin structure reveal that it has three domains with specific functions.
- Bacillus thuringiensis was first discovered in 1911 in Thuringia, Germany, and has different strains with varying insect host ranges.
- Specific Bt strains are highly effective against certain insects, such as B.t. var kurstaki for lepidoptera and B.t. var israelensis for blackfly and mosquito control.
- Bacillus anthracis primarily affects domesticated and wild animals, with humans becoming infected incidentally.
- U.S. military forces have been vaccinated against anthrax due to concerns about the use of anthrax spores in biological warfare.
- Clostridium botulinum is an anaerobic, Gram-positive, spore-forming rod that produces a potent neurotoxin and can cause botulism.
- Clostridium acetobutylicum played a critical role in the production of acetone and butanol during World War I, affecting the outcome of the war.
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Description
Test your knowledge of Bacillus thuringiensis and other microorganisms with this quiz. Learn about the characteristics, uses, and impact of these microorganisms on agriculture, medicine, and warfare.
