Question

In Tobacco plants pest resistance is achieved by a special technique.

1. Name the technique

2. Which is the pest killed by this way?

3. Explain the method.

Answer 1

1. RNA interference

2. Meloidegyne incognitia(nematode)

3. It is the silencing of mRNA done by a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA).

In this technique the pest resistant gene (cDNA) is transferred into host plant by using agrobacterium vector, which become double stranded and silences the mRNA of the pest from expressing inside the host. Thus the plant become resistant to the pest which cannot survive inside the host.