No abstract

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is known as the most successful microbial insecticide against different orders of insect pests in agriculture and medicine. Moreover, Bt toxin genes also have been efficiently used to enhance resistance to insect pests in genetically modified crops. In light of the scientific advantages of new molecular biology technologies, recently, some other new potentials of Bt have been explored. These new environmental features include the toxicity against nematodes, mites, and ticks, antagonistic effects against plant and animal pathogenic bacteria and fungi, plant growth-promoting activities (PGPR), bioremediation of different heavy metals and other pollutants, biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles, production of polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolymer, and anticancer activities (due to parasporins). This review comprehensively describes recent advances in the Bt whole-genome studies, the last updated known Bt toxins and their functions, and application of cry genes in plant genetic engineering. Moreover, the review thoroughly describes the new features of Bt which make it a suitable cell factory that might be used for production of different novel valuable bioproducts.

SummaryEnsilage provides an effective means of conserving summer‐grown green forage to supply as winter feed to ruminants. The fermentation process involved in the ensilage process relies on lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Here, 16S ribosomal DNA amplicon pyrosequencing was used to follow the dynamic behaviour of the LAB community during the ensilage of maize biomass, with a view to identify the key species involved in the process. The biomass used for ensilage was a single‐cross maize hybrid, harvested at the milk‐line stage. The crop was grown at three contrasting locations. Aspects of the physico‐chemical composition of the material and the LAB species present were sampled at 0, 3, 6, 14, 21 and 32 days after ensilage was initiated. In all three cases, members of the Leuconostocaceae family dominated the epiphytic bacterial community, notably Leuconostoc and Weissella, but some variation was noted in the abundance of certain Leuconostocaceae and Lactobacillaceae species, as well as that of some Acetobacteraceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Moraxellaceae species. The constellation of the microbiome which developed during the ensilage process differed markedly from that of the epiphytic one, with Lactobacillaceae, particularly Lactobacillus and Pediococcus spp. dominating. The abundance of heterofermentative Leuconostocaceae spp. in the epiphytic community and the extent of the transition from hetero‐ to homo‐fermentation during the initial ensilage period are important factors in determining silage quality.