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Silencing of mRNA has been used in producing transgenic plants resistant to
A
White rusts
B
Bacterial blights
C
Bollworms
D
Nematodes
Detailed Solution
Silencing of a specific mRNA by a complementary double-stranded RNA is called RNA interference (RNAi).
The nematode $Meloidogyne\ incognita$ infects the roots of tobacco plants and reduces the yield.
Using $Agrobacterium$ vectors, nematode-specific genes were introduced into the host so that both sense and anti-sense RNA were produced; these formed dsRNA that silenced the specific mRNA of the nematode.
The parasite could not survive in such a transgenic host.
Resistance to bollworms was obtained with Bt toxin genes (cry genes), not by mRNA silencing.
Hence mRNA silencing has been used to produce plants resistant to nematodes.
The nematode $Meloidogyne\ incognita$ infects the roots of tobacco plants and reduces the yield.
Using $Agrobacterium$ vectors, nematode-specific genes were introduced into the host so that both sense and anti-sense RNA were produced; these formed dsRNA that silenced the specific mRNA of the nematode.
The parasite could not survive in such a transgenic host.
Resistance to bollworms was obtained with Bt toxin genes (cry genes), not by mRNA silencing.
Hence mRNA silencing has been used to produce plants resistant to nematodes.