Genomic functional analysis of the first highly effective Bacillus thuringiensis strain targeting hemipteran pests reveals its plant growth-promoting potential

Abstract

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a multifunctional soil bacterium known for its insecticidal properties. Bt 1012 is the first Bt strain reported worldwide to effectively control hemipteran pests and has outstanding application potential. It was subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS), annotation, and functional analysis, with the aim of mining genes responsible for producing putative insecticidal proteins and virulence factors, as well as genes associated with plant growth promotion and root colonization traits.