Delta endotoxins (δ-endotoxins) are a family of pore-forming toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis species of bacteria. They are useful for their insecticidal action and are the primary toxin produced by the genetically modified (GM) Bt maize/corn and other GM crops. During spore formation the bacteria produce crystals of such proteins (hence the name Cry toxins) that are also known as parasporal bodies, next to the endospores; as a result some members are known as a parasporin. The Cyt (cytolytic) toxin group is another group of delta-endotoxins formed in the cytoplasm. VIP toxins (vegetative insecticidal proteins) are formed at other stages of the life cycle.[2]
^Galitsky N, Cody V, Wojtczak A, Ghosh D, Luft JR, Pangborn W, English L (August 2001). "Structure of the insecticidal bacterial delta-endotoxin Cry3Bb1 of Bacillus thuringiensis". Acta Crystallographica. Section D, Biological Crystallography. 57 (Pt 8): 1101–1109. doi:10.1107/S0907444901008186. PMID11468393.
^Roger Hull; et al. (2021). "Risk assessment and management—Environment". Genetically Modified Plants (second ed.). Upon sporulation, B. thuringiensis forms proteinaceous insecticidal δ-endotoxins either in crystals (Cry toxins) or cytoplasmically (Cyt toxins), which are encoded by cry or cyt genes, respectively. When insects ingest toxin crystals, the enzymes in their digestive tract cause the toxin to become activated. The toxin binds to the insect's gut membranes, forming a pore that results in swelling, cell lysis, and eventually killing the insect. B. thuringiensis also produces insecticidal proteins at other stages in its lifecycle, specifically the vegetative insecticidal proteins (VIPs)
