Novel bacillus thuringiensis genes with lepidopteran activity

Abstract

The invention provides nucleic acids, and variants and fragments thereof, obtained from strains of Bacillus thuringiensis encoding polypeptides having pesticidal activity against insect pests, including Lepidoptera. Particular embodiments of the invention provide isolated nucleic acids encoding pesticidal proteins, pesticidal compositions, DNA constructs, and transformed microorganisms and plants comprising a nucleic acid of the embodiments. These compositions find use in methods for controlling pests, especially plant pests.

1 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . An isolated polypeptide with pesticidal activity, selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein the polypeptide is operably linked to a heterologous signal peptide;   (b) a polypeptide that is encoded by the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the polypeptide is operably linked to a heterologous signal peptide;   (c) a polypeptide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein the polypeptide is operably linked to a heterologous signal peptide, and   (d) a polypeptide having at least 95% sequence identity to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2 and at least one amino acid change compared to SEQ ID NO: 2.   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A composition comprising the polypeptide of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein said composition is selected from the group consisting of a powder, dust, pellet, granule, spray, emulsion, colloid, and solution. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein said composition is prepared by desiccation, lyophilization, homogenization, extraction, filtration, centrifugation, sedimentation, or concentration of a culture of  Bacillus thuringiensis  cells. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 13 , comprising from about 1% to about 99% by weight of said polypeptide. 
     
     
         17 . A method for controlling a lepidopteran pest population comprising contacting said population with a pesticidally-effective amount of a polypeptide of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         18 . A method for killing a lepidopteran pest comprising contacting said pest with, or feeding to said pest, a pesticidally-effective amount of a polypeptide of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         19 .- 23 . (canceled)