IRDIG35563 vegetative insecticidal toxins, polynucleotides encoding such toxins, use of such toxins to control pests, and transgenic plants that produce such toxins are disclosed. The invention includes IRDIG35563 variants, fragments and analogs.

The disclosure provides nucleic acids, and variants and fragments thereof, derived from strains of Bacillus thuringiensis encoding variant polypeptides having increased pesticidal activity against insect pests, including Lepidoptera and Coleopteran. Particular embodiments of the disclosure provide isolated nucleic acids encoding pesticidal proteins, pesticidal compositions, DNA constructs, and transformed microorganisms and plants comprising a nucleic acid of the embodiments. These compositions find use in methods for controlling pests, especially plant pests.

Compositions and methods of modulating, for example reducing, recombinant insecticidal protein expression in male reproductive cells and/or tissues of transgenic plants are disclosed. In particular, novel recombinant DNA constructs useful in such methods, as well as transgenic plants, cells, and seeds containing such recombinant DNA constructs are provided. The recombinant DNA constructs and the transgenic plants, cells, and seeds containing such constructs provide a greatly improved way to minimize any potential risks that may be associated with expression of insecticidal proteins in male reproductive tissues.

Compositions having pesticidal activity and methods for their use are provided. Compositions include isolated and recombinant polypeptide sequences having pesticidal activity, recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecules encoding the pesticidal polypeptides, DNA constructs comprising the nucleic acid molecules, vectors comprising the nucleic acid molecules, host cells comprising the vectors, and antibodies to the pesticidal polypeptides. Nucleotide sequences encoding the polypeptides provided herein can be used in DNA constructs or expression cassettes for transformation and expression in organisms of interest. The compositions and methods provided herein are useful for the production of organisms with enhanced pest resistance or tolerance. Transgenic plants and seeds comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a pesticidal protein of the invention are also provided. Methods are provided for producing the polypeptides disclosed herein, and for using those polypeptides for controlling a pest. Methods and kits for detecting polypeptides of the invention in a sample are also included.

Disclosed herein are plant-based, molecular and diagnostic tools that can be used to block aphid transmission of poleroviruses, including stabilized proteins for expression in transgenic plants and/or in formulations for direct plant delivery. Further disclosed are proteins that can kill aphids and methods to produce these proteins. Antibodies and useful for diagnostic and therapeutic uses against poleroviruses.

Compositions and methods for controlling pests are provided. The methods involve transforming organisms with a nucleic acid sequence encoding an insecticidal protein. In particular, the nucleic acid sequences are useful for preparing plants and microorganisms that possess insecticidal activity. Thus, transformed bacteria, plants, plant cells, plant tissues and seeds are provided. Compositions are insecticidal nucleic acids and proteins of bacterial species. The sequences find use in the construction of expression vectors for subsequent transformation into organisms of interest including plants, as probes for the isolation of other homologous (or partially homologous) genes. The pesticidal proteins find use in controlling, inhibiting growth or killing Lepidopteran, Coleopteran, Dipteran, fungal, Hemipteran and nematode pest populations and for producing compositions with insecticidal activity.

Systems and methods of preventing or reducing crop damage from pests are provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises: a) applying a mating disruption tactic to a field plot; and b) disrupting expression of one or more target genes in one or more pests, wherein crop damage is reduced in the field plot. In another embodiment, the method comprises applying an attract-and-kill tactic to a field plot, wherein said attract-and-kill tactic comprises: a) applying one or more semiochemicals or factors; and b) disrupting expression of one or more target genes in one or more pests, wherein said disruption is capable of killing the one or more pests, wherein crop damage is reduced in the field plot.

Provided is a Cannabis plant exhibiting altered tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and/or cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) content. The plant includes a modified genomic locus involved in tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase (THCAS) and/or cannabidiolic acid synthase (CBDAS) gene expression, the genomic locus includes at least one targeted nucleotide modification within a regulatory region modulating the expression of at least one allele of the THCAS and/or CBDAS genes. Further provided are methods for producing the aforementioned Cannabis plant.

Insecticide resistance is an ongoing challenge in agriculture and vector control. Here, we demonstrate a novel strategy to attenuate resistance. One embodiment provides a method for increasing susceptibility of an insect to a pesticide comprising contacting an insect, soil, wood, plant, seeds, grain or manmade structure with one or more inhibitors of insect resistance.

New insecticidal proteins, nucleotides, peptides, their expression in plants, methods of producing the peptides, new processes, production techniques, new peptides, new formulations, and new organisms, a process which increases the insecticidal peptide production yield from yeast expression systems. The present invention is also related and discloses selected endotoxins we call cysteine rich insecticidal peptides (CRIPS) which are peptides derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and their genes and endotoxins in combination with toxic peptides known as Inhibitor Cystine Knot (ICK) genes and peptides as well as with other types of insecticidal peptides such as trypsin modulating oostatic factor (TMOF) peptide sequences used in various formulations and combinations; of both genes and peptides, useful for the control of insects.