Pesticidal proteins

Abstract

The subject invention concerns new classes of pesticidally active proteins and the polynucleotide sequences that encode these proteins. In preferred embodiments, these pesticidal proteins have molecular weights of approximately 40-50 kDa and of approximately 10-15 kDa.

1 . An isolated protein that has toxin activity against a corn rootworm, wherein a polynucleotide that codes for said protein hybridizes under stringent conditions with the full complement of a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 37, SEQ ID NO:42, and SEQ ID NO:45. 
     
     
         2 . The protein of  claim 1  wherein said protein has a molecular weight of between about 40 kDa and about 50 kDa. 
     
     
         3 . The protein of  claim 1  wherein said stringent conditions comprise a wash in 1×SSPE and 0.1% SDS at room temperature. 
     
     
         4 . The protein of  claim 1  wherein said stringent conditions comprise a wash in 0.2×SSPE and 0.1% SDS at room temperature. 
     
     
         5 . A method of inhibiting a corn rootworm wherein said method comprises providing said rootworm with a pesticidally active amount of a first protein and a second protein for ingestion, wherein a first polynucleotide that codes for said first protein hybridizes under stringent conditions with the full complement of a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:40, and SEQ ID NO:44, and wherein a second polynucleotide that codes for said second protein hybridizes under stringent conditions with the full complement of a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:42, and SEQ ID NO:45. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said first protein and said second protein are provided to said rootworm by being present in a plant that produced said first protein and said second protein. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said protein is produced by roots of said plant. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said first protein has a molecular weight of between about 10 kDa and about 15 kDa, and said second protein has a molecular weight of between about 40 kDa and about 50 kDa. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said first protein and said second protein are fused together. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said stringent conditions comprise a wash in 1×SSPE and 0.1% SDS at room temperature. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said stringent conditions comprise a wash in 0.2×SSPE and 0.1% SDS at room temperature. 
     
     
         12 . A method of inhibiting a corn rootworm wherein said method comprises providing said rootworm with a pesticidally active amount of the protein of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said protein is provided to said rootworm by being present in a plant that produced said protein. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said protein is produced by roots of said plant.