Scientists Restrict Cry1AC Expression to Biting Sites in Biotech Cotton

Scientists from University of Ankara, Turkey and partners developed plant expression constructs with cry1Ac gene under the wound-inducible promoter AoPR1 to concentrate Bt gene expression in insect wounding parts of the plants. Four cotton cultivars were transformed through Agrobacterium tumefaciens using the plant expression constructs.

The researchers analyzed the primary transformants for transgene presence and expression standard molecular techniques. The transformants showed significant mortality rates against larvae of Spodoptera exigua and S. littoralis. Results also showed that mechanical wounding of T1 transgenic plants was effective in inducing expression of cry1Ac protein as levels of the protein increased during post-wounding period. Thus it was concluded that use of wound-inducible promoter to drive insecticidal genes is an important insect-resistant management strategy because the promoter activity is focused on the insect biting sites of the plant.

Read the abstract in Plant Biotechnology Reports.