Bacillus thuringiensis

Soil-living bacterium that produces a delta-endotoxin that is deadly to insects. Many strains exist, each with great specificity as to target Orders of insects. In general, the mode of action involves solubilization at the high pH within the target insect\'s gut, followed by proteolytic cleavage; the activated peptides form pores in the gut cell apical plasma membranes, causing lysis of the cells.