Use of Vip3A-like Insecticidal Toxin Gene from Bacillus thuringiensis to develop Designer Rice Cultivars Resistant to Lepidopteran Pests

The Vip3BR toxin, like the well known Vip3A toxin protein produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, contains a broad spectrum lepidopteran specific insecticidal property against most of the major lepidoteran insect pests that invade farmer’s field in the Indian subcontinent. A deletion mutant of the Vip3BR toxin protein, Ndv200 showed increased insecticidal potency than that of the native form of the toxin against feeding larvae of yellow stem borer. Ligand blot analysis revealed that Ndv200 toxin recognized the same larval midgut target site of rice yellow stem borers as that of the native Vip3BR toxin, but different from those recognized by Cry toxins. Broad spectrum toxicity towards lepidopteran insects makes Ndv200 toxin to be a strong candidate for the potential insecticidal gene of interest for development of insect resistant GM rice plants that would be especially suitable for small to medium holding farming community in developing countries. Ectopically expressing the Ndv200 toxin gene in transgenic rice plants has confirmed on their practical utility.