Functional characterization of Vip3Ab1 and Vip3Bc1: Two novel insecticidal proteins with differential activity against lepidopteran pests

In this work, we characterized 2 novel insecticidal proteins; Vip3Ab1 and Vip3Bc1. These proteins display unique insecticidal spectra and have differential rates of processing by lepidopteran digestive enzymes. Furthermore, we have found that both proteins exist as tetramers in their native state before and after proteolysis. In addition, we expressed truncated forms and protein chimeras to gain a deeper understanding of toxin specificity and stability. Our study confirms a role for the C-terminal 65 kDa domain in directing insect specificity. Importantly, these data also indicate a specific interaction between the 20 kDa amino terminus and 65 kDa carboxy terminus, after proteolytic processing. We demonstrate the C-terminal 65 kDa to be labile in native proteolytic conditions in absence of the 20 kDa N-terminus. Thus, the 20 kDa fragment functions to provide stability to the C-terminal domain, which is necessary for lethal toxicity against lepidopteran insects.