Ligand specificity and affinity of BT-R-1, the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A toxin receptor from Manduca sexta, expressed in mammalian and insect cell cultures

The Manduca sexta receptor for the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, and Cry1Ac toxins, BT-R-1, has been expressed in heterologous cell culture, and its ligand binding characteristics have been determined. When transfected with the BT-R-1 cDNA, insect and mammalian cell cultures produce a binding protein of approximately 195 kDa, in contrast to natural BT-R-1 from M. sexta, which has an apparent molecular weight of 210 kDa. Transfection of cultured Spodoptera frugiperda cells with the BT-R-1 cDNA imparts Cry1A-specific high-affinity binding activity typical of membranes prepared from larval ill. sexta midguts. Competition assays with BT-R, prepared from larval ill sexta midguts and transiently expressed in cell culture reveal virtually identical affinities for the Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, and Cry1Ac toxins, clearly demonstrating the absolute specificity of the receptor for toxins of the lepidopteran-specific Cry1A family. BT-R-1 therefore remains the only ill. sexta Cry1A binding protein to be purified, cloned, and functionally expressed in heterologous cell culture, and for the first time, we are able to correlate the Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, and Cry1Ac toxin sensitivities of M. sexta to the identity and ligand binding characteristics of a single midgut receptor molecule.