%0 Journal Article %A Ishii, Takaaki %A Ohba, Michio %T Diversity of Bacillus thuringiensis environmental isolates showing larvicidal activity specific for mosquitoes %D 1993 %J Microbiology, %V 139 %N 11 %P 2849-2854 %@ 1465-2080 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-139-11-2849 %I Microbiology Society, %X Seven mosquito-specific strains of Bacillus thuringiensis isolated in Japan were examined for their flagellar(H)antigenicities and the properties of parasporal inclusion proteins. They were assigned to six H serovars: serovar sis (H 3ade); serovar canadensis (H 5ac); serovar darmstadiensis (H 10); serovar kyushuensis (H): serovar shandongiensis (H 22); and an undescribed serovar belonging to H serotype 20. Purified parasporal inclusions exhibited moderate mosquito larvicidal activities with LC50 values ranging from 1 μg ml−1 to 10 μg ml−1. The inclusions of these strains consisted of highly heterogeneous multiple protein components, and five distinct patterns were evident in their SDS-PAGE profiles. Antibodies against kyushuensis inclusion proteins were reactive with all strains to varying degrees, while israelensis antibodies gave only relatively weak reactions with the seven strains. Similarity in antibody-binding profiles was associated with similarity in SDS-PAGE profiles. In a given strain, different antisera gave altered immunoblot profiles. Haemolytic activity was shown by solubilized parsporal inclusion proteins of five of the seven strains. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-139-11-2849