What is Cry Protein? Mention the name of the organism that produces the protein. How did the human use this protein for his benefit?
A crystalline protein is produced by the soil bacterium named Bacillus thuringiensis which is known as the 'Cry protein'. This protein is toxic to the larvae of insects such as tobacco buds, beetles, and mosquitoes. The cry protein is produced as an inactive protoxin and is converted to an active toxin when ingested by the insect. The intestinal alkaline pH of insects is capable of solubilizing the crystals of cry protein. The binding of the activated form of cry protein to the midgut of insects creates pores in the intestinal epithelial cells, causing cell lysis and then the death of the insect. The gene encoding this protein contains bacteria and is incorporated in the crops to make them insect-resistant.
