Further characterization of BT-R1, the cadherin-like receptor for Cry1Ab toxin in tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) midguts.

BT-R1, the Manduca sexta midgut receptor for the crystal toxin Cry1Ab produced by Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. berliner, was partly purified by gel filtration from M. sexta brush border membrane vesicles in the presence of the detergent CHAPS. Fractions containing BT-R1 were tested for their stability against degradation as indicated by retention of Cry1Ab binding on ligand blots. At 4 degrees C and pH 7.4 in the presence of Ca2+, BT-R1 was stable for up to 48 h but a 65% loss of binding was observed after 100 h. Under the same conditions, no loss of binding was observed in the presence of EGTA after 100 h. Cry1Ab binding decreased markedly as pH increased from 6 to 10 for incubations of 24 h at 4 degrees C. Increasing the temperature of incubation from 4 to 37 degrees C also decreased Cry1Ab binding. Neither metal ions nor free sulfhydryl groups are involved in Cry1Ab binding to BT-R1. A trypsin-like, metal-ion-dependent proteolytic activity co-eluted with BT-R1 during gel filtration. This endoproteolytic activity was unaltered by the addition of Cry1Ab. BT-R1 did not co-elute with peaks of aminopeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, alpha-glucosidase, beta-glucosidase and beta-galactosidase activities. When BT-R1 in the gel filtration fraction was further purified on a Mono Q anion exchange column, partial separation of the trypsin-like activity from BT-R1 was observed. BT-R1 could be removed from the appropriate Mono Q fraction by immunoprecipitation with only a slight decrease in this activity. These results demonstrate that there is no copurification of BT-R1 and these enzymes and that BT-R1 is unlikely to form complexes with them. Binding of Cry1Aa and Cry1Ac to BT-R1 in gel filtration fractions is similar to that of Cry1Ab, indicating that BT-R1 may be the high-affinity receptor for the Cry1A toxins. Binding of Cry1Ab to a 120 kDa protein has not been observed in this study.