How is the transgenic tobacco plant protected against Meloidogyne incognita? Explain the process?
Protection of tobacco plant against Nematodes, Meloidogyne incognita: A nematode Meloidogyne incognita infects tobacco plants and reduces their yield. The specific genes (in the form of cDNA) from the parasite are introduced into the plant using Agrobacterium as the vector. The genes are introduced in such a way that both sense/coding RNA and antisense RNA (Complementary to the sense/coding RNA) are produced. Since these two RNAs are complementary, they form a double-stranded RNA (ds RNA) This neutralizes the specific RNA of the nematode, by a process called RNA- interference. As a result, the parasite cannot live in the transgenic host, and the transgenic plant is protected from the pest.
