Targeted mosquitocidal toxins

Abstract

Insecticidal toxins described herein are fused toxin peptides made up of a targeting domain fused to a toxin domain. The targeting peptide generates a specific association with mosquitoes by causing the fused toxin peptide to bind mosquitoes in a way that leads to the insecticidal activity. Transgenic plants described herein are mosquitocidal by expressing an insecticidal toxin protein in nectar that includes a targeting peptide to ensure specificity against mosquitoes. These transgenic plants serve as role models for safety, since they are non-crop plants and specific to one mosquito species.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing a mosquitocidal toxin, comprising:
 expressing a nucleic acid construct encoding a fused toxin peptide, wherein the fused toxin peptide comprises a mosquito targeting peptide fused to a toxin peptide, wherein the toxin peptide is a Hv1a spider toxin peptide, wherein the mosquito targeting peptide is a peptide consisting of SEQ ID NO:1 from Domain III of the glycoprotein of dengue virus, wherein the mosquito targeting peptide targets  Aedes aegypti  mosquitoes, and wherein the fused toxin peptide is toxic to  Aedes aegypti  mosquitoes.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of isolating the fused toxin peptide. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid construct is expressed in bacteria. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the nucleic acid construct comprises a promoter specific to the bacteria, a gene encoding the mosquito targeting peptide, and a gene encoding the toxin peptide. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of transforming bacteria with the nucleic acid construct, prior to expressing the nucleic acid construct in the bacteria. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of purifying the fused toxin peptide. 
     
     
         7 . A mosquitocidal toxin delivery device, comprising:
 a mosquitocidal substance, wherein the mosquitocidal substance comprises:
 a fused toxin peptide, wherein the fused toxin peptide comprises a mosquito targeting peptide fused to a toxin peptide, wherein the toxin peptide is a Hv1a spider toxin peptide, wherein the mosquito targeting peptide is a peptide consisting of SEQ ID NO:1 from Domain III of the glycoprotein of dengue virus, wherein the mosquito targeting peptide targets  Aedes aegypti  mosquitoes, and wherein the fused toxin peptide is toxic to  Aedes aegypti  mosquitoes, and 
 a carrier, wherein the carrier is likely to be consumed by mosquitoes; and 
   a container, wherein the moquitocidal substance is disposed in the container, and wherein the container allows mosquitoes to access the mosquitocidal substance.   
     
     
         8 . The mosquitocidal toxin delivery device of  claim 7 , wherein the carrier comprises a sugar or a nectar-like substance. 
     
     
         9 . The mosquitocidal toxin delivery device of  claim 7 , wherein the carrier comprises sucrose.