Caenorhabditis elegans: A Model System for Accelerating Studies on Bacillus thuringiensis Infection in Insects

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is an important bacterium used worldwide to manage pest insects. A full understanding of how Bt establishes infection and how hosts elicit defense is crucial to develop Bt-derived pesticidal formulations. In this review, we propose that Caenorhabditis elegans is a promising model host for investigating the pathogenic process of Bt. Studies on Bt-C. elegans interactions substantially guide and exhibit the potential to accelerate the research on Bt infection biology in insect hosts, helping to improve Bt-based pest management. In this article, we synthesize these advances, highlight the application and promise of the C. elegans model in defining Bt-insect interplays, and discuss limitations of this model.