🌿Thurioside is a proteinaceous, insecticidal crystal toxin produced by the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). It is a specific type of delta-endotoxin used in biopesticides to control insect larvae, particularly by creating pores in the gut, which causes cell lysis and death
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🌴Aflatoxin, produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus, is a major threat to groundnut (peanut) quality, causing liver damage and cancer. A "double defence" strategy, developed by ICRISAT researchers, has been shown to make groundnuts nearly immune to this toxin.
The "Double Defence" Line Strategy:
Strategy 1 (Immunity Boost): Researchers inserted two alfalfa genes (antifungal defensins MsDef1 and MtDef4.2) into the groundnut plants. These produce small proteins that boost the plant's immunity to limit fungal infection and stop the mold from growing.
Strategy 2 (Gene Silencing): A "Host-Induced Gene Silencing" (HIGS) technique is used to produce small RNA molecules within the plant. When the fungus attacks, these RNA molecules enter it and shut down the fungal genes (aflM and aflP) responsible for producing the toxin, even if the plant is infected.
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🌴Antisense technology is a molecular biology tool that uses synthetic, single-stranded nucleic acids, known as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), to bind to specific messenger RNA (mRNA) sequences. By hybridizing with the target mRNA, these ASOs block translation or trigger mRNA degradation, effectively silencing gene expression and preventing the production of disease-causing proteins
🌴Antisense technology is a molecular biology method used to turn off or "knock down" specific genes by introducing a complementary RNA (antisense) strand that binds to the target messenger RNA (mRNA), preventing protein synthesis. While the pGLO system is typically used in education for positive transformation (making bacteria glow using GFP), antisense technology is used for the opposite, such as silencing polygalacturonase (PG) enzymes to delay fruit ripening, as in the Flavr Savr tomat