The American multinational company, Monsanto has produced an insect resistant cotton variety that is undergoing field-trails in India. A toxin gene from which ONE of the following bacteria has been transferred to this transgenic cotton?
- ABacillus subtilis
- BBacillus thurigiensisCorrect
- CBacillus amyloliquifanciens
- DBacillus globlii
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Bacillus thuringiensis.
The insect resistant cotton variety, commonly known as Bt cotton, is created by genetically engineering the plant with a toxin gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. This bacterium naturally produces crystal proteins that are toxic to specific types of pests, such as bollworms. When these genes are transferred to the cotton plant, the plant begins to produce its own pesticide, which provides built in protection against insect attacks and reduces the need for chemical sprays.
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