Mutagenicity of Bacillus thuringiensis exotoxin

Abstract

The results of four submammalian tests indicate a slight mutagenic activity in two test types of the heat-stable exotoxin produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, serotype 1. No definite clastogenic findings were made; instead, various other C-mitotic effects and chromatin pulverization were observed in concentrations higher than 10% of the autoclaved supernatant of serotype 1 in root tips of Allium. A significant (P=0.0104) increase in the frequency of X-linked recessive lethals among the offspring of Drosophila males reared in 1% medium of serotype 1 supernatant suggested the mutagenic potential of exotoxin. However, no induction of sex chromosomal non-disjunctions were observed in the same Drosophila males. Also tests with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisae able to detect mitotic recombination induction proved to be negative.