Interaction between the delta-endotoxin produced by Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. entomocidus and liposomes.

The delta-endotoxin produced by Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. entomocidus induced the release of encapsulated [14C]sucrose from reverse-phase vesicles composed of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol. No such release was detected when the phospholipid component of the vesicles was either phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, or sphingomyelin. The toxin-induced release was competitively inhibited by negatively charged organic ions while positively charged organic ions, apart from choline chloride, had no such effect. The existence of a polar head group in the phospholipid as well as intermolecular hydrogen bonding at the membrane surface, was found to be of major importance in the toxin-liposome interaction.