Investigation of Cytocidal Activity of Bacillus Thuringiensis Parasporal Toxin on CCRF-CEM Cell Line

Parasporin is a parasporal protein of Bacillus thuringiensis and exhibits special cytocidal activity against human cancer cells. Similar to other insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis crystal toxins, parasporin shows target specificity and damages the cellular membrane. In this study, different strains of Bacillus thuringiensis isolated from various regions of Iran and their cytocidal activity against CCRF-CEM cell line and human erythrocyte were investigated. Fifty soil samples were collected from different Iranian provinces, and characterization was performed based on protein crystal morphology by phase-contrast microscope and variations of Cry protein toxin using SDS-PAGE. After parasporin was processed with proteinase K, the active form was produced and protein activity on the cell line was evaluated. Parasporal inclusion proteins showed different cytotoxicity against acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells (ALL), but not against normal lymphocyte. Isolated parasporin demonstrated no hemolytic activity against human erythrocyte. It appears that these proteins have the ability to differentiate between normal lymphocytes and leukemia cells and have specific receptors on specific cancer cell lines. Our results provide evidence that the parasporin-producing organism is a common member in Bacillus thuringiensis populations occurring in the natural environments of Iran.