Comparison and Mechanism of the UV-Resistant Mosquitocidal Bt Mutant LLP29-M19

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is one of the most widely used and studied biopesticides. However, it is vulnerable to the influence of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, causing shorter persistence under field conditions. To obtain a high-active and effective Bt new product, the main objective of this study is to obtain a highly UV-resistant Bt mutant from the mosquitocidal Bt LLP29 through UV exposure. After 19 rounds of UV exposure, a Bt mutant named LLP29-M19 was obtained, showing resistance to UV radiation for up to 67 min. The mosquitocidal fatality rate of LLP29-M19 was 95%, which was slightly higher than that of LLP29 (90%). Comparative characterization showed that there were no substantial differences in morphology between LLP29-M19 and the original strain, LLP29. However, some changes were detected in physiological and biochemical characteristic reactions, including fructose, glucose, and xylose metabolism. Furthermore, although both LLP29-M19 and LLP29 showed negative zeta potentials, the surface charge of LLP29 was -28.1 mV and that of LLP29-M19 was -42.8 mV. The size distribution of LLP29-M19 was also slightly larger than that of LLP29. Fourier transform infrared analysis indicated that amide functional groups might be involved in the resistance mechanism of LLP29-M19. Quantitative analysis using inductive coupled plasma emission spectrometry showed that some elements increased greatly in LLP29-M19, such as K. All of these results will be highly valuable for better understanding the mechanism of Bt resistance. Explanations regarding the resistance mechanism of this novel Bt mutant may lead to the development of new biopesticides with high mosquitocidal activity and persistence.