Mosquito Larvicidal Binary Toxin from Lysinibacillus sphaericus: Structure and Application

Binary toxin (Bin) is produced by Lysinibacillus sphaericus during sporulation phase. The former name is Bacillus sphaericus . The binary toxin is highly toxic to Culex and Anopheles mosquito larvae. The binary toxin is composed of two proteins, BinA and BinB. The structures of both proteins are similar but they perform different function. After ingestion by larvae, the binary toxin is solubilized under alkaline condition and digested by protease in the larval gut resulting in paralysis and death. To date, L. sphaericus is used as a biological control agent instead of chemical insecticides as it is more environmental friendly. Nevertheless, the use of L. sphaericus is not widespread. This review aims to summarize the crucial knowledge of the toxin produced by L. sphaericus, especially in the structure and function of the mosquito larvicide binary toxin. In order to develop a binary toxin with higher efficacy, the basic knowledge must be applied . Keywords: Lysinibacillus sphaericus , mosquito larvicidal binary toxin, mosquito larvicidal