TY - JA AU - Martin,P.A. AU - Travers,R.S. TI - Worldwide abundance and distribution of Bacillus thuringiensis isolates SN - 1098-5336 U1 - 90-042484 PY - 1989/// KW - Bacillus thuringiensis KW - Biological control organisms KW - Habitats KW - Natural distribution N1 - Peer-review: Yes - Open Access: Yes|http://science.thomsonreuters.com/cgi-bin/jrnlst/jlresults.cgi?PC=MASTER&ISSN=0099-2240 N2 - We found the insect control agent Bacillus thuringiensis to be a ubiquitous soil microorganism. Using acetate selection to screen soil samples, we isolated B. thuringiensis in 785 of 1,115 soil samples. These samples were obtained in the United States and 29 other countries. A total of 48 of the B. thuringiensis isolates (8, 916 isolates) fit the biochemical description of known varieties, while 52 represented undescribed B. thuringiensis types. Over 60 (1, 052 isolates) of the isolates tested for toxicity were toxic to insects in the orders Lepidoptera or Diptera. Soil samples were collected from various habitats, including those habitats with T2 - Applied and Environmental Microbiology ER -