View source for Earth:Parasporal body

'''Parasporal body''' is a crystalline protein that forms around a spore in some bacteria that acts as a toxin precursor{{explain|date=June 2017}} when digested.

For example, ''[[Biology:Bacillus thuringiensis|Bacillus thuringiensis]]'' and ''Bacillus sphaericus'' form a solid [[Biology:Protein|protein]] crystal, the parasporal body, next to their endospores during spore formation. The ''B. thuringiensis'' parasporal body contains protein toxins that kill over 100 species of moths by dissolving in the alkaline gut of caterpillars and destroying the [[Biology:Epithelium|epithelium]]. The solubilized toxin proteins are cleaved by mid-gut [[Biology:Protease|protease]]s to smaller toxic polypeptides that attack the gut epithelial cells. The alkaline gut contents escape into the blood, causing paralysis and death. One of these toxins has been shown to form pores in the [[Biology:Plasma membrane|plasma membrane]] of the target insect's cells. These channels allow monovalent cations such as potassium to pass through. 

''B. thuringiensis'' toxin genes have been engineered to make a variety of pest-resistant, genetically modified plants. The ''B. sphaericus'' parasporal body contains proteins toxic for mosquito larvae and may be useful in controlling the mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite ''Plasmodium''.

==External links==
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=99YwOQnsgGUC&pg=PA96&dq=Parasporal+body&hl=en&ei=BrnES8ubEYbkNdiopJ0O&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CFEQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=Parasporal%20body&f=false Insect pathology By Yoshinori Tanada, Harry K. Kaya]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=tWoZeG1DLuQC&pg=PA55&dq=Parasporal+body&hl=en&ei=BrnES8ubEYbkNdiopJ0O&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Parasporal%20body&f=false Microbial pest control By Sushil K. Khetan]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parasporal Body}}
[[Category:Crystals]]
[[Category:Proteins]]



{{Sourceattribution|Parasporal body|1}}