A genetically engineered Pseudomonas fluorescens strain possesses the dual activity against phytopathogenic fungi and insects.

A Pseudomonas fluorescens strain was isolated and showed antagonistic activity against phytopathogenic fungi and found to possess a gene responsible for production of antibiotic 2, 4-diacetylphloroglucinol. For the extension of biocontrol range, a gene for an Androctonus australis Hector insect toxin 1 (AaHIT1), one of the most toxic known insect-selective peptides, was designed and synthesized according to the preferred codon usage of Pseudomonas fluorescens, cloned and transformed into the strain by pSUP106 vector, a broad-host-range plasmid. Bioassays indicated that the engineered strain was able to produce AaHIT1 with insecticidal activity, in the same time retained the activity against plant pathogen. The experiments for nonplanted soil and rhizosphere colonization showed that, similar to the population of the wild-type strain, that of the engineered strain remained relatively constant in the first 10 d, and the subsequent 50 d, suggesting that AaHIT expression in the bacterial cell does not substantially impair its long-term colonization. It is first reported that a Pseudomonas fluorescens strain expressing an active scorpion neurotoxin has dual activity against phytopathogenic fungi and insects, attractive for agronomic applications.