Name the nematode that infects the roots of tobacco plant. Name the strategy adopted to prevent this infestation.
-
Meloidogyne incognita
is a species of nematodes, commonly known as a southern
root-knot nematode or the cotton root-knot nematode is responsible
for infecting the roots of the tobacco plant and causes a great
reduction in yield.
-
The strategy adopted to prevent
this infestation is Biotechnology. RNAi (RNA interference)
takes place in all eukaryotic organisms as a method of cellular
defence. This method involves silencing of a specific mRNA due to a
complementary dsRNA molecule that prevents translation of the mRNA.
-
Using Agrobacterium vectors, nematode-specific genes
were introduced into the host plant. The introduction of DNA was
such that it produces both sense and antisense RNA in the host
cells. These two RNAs being complementary to each other forms a
double-stranded RNA that initiate RNAi and thus silences the
specific mRNA of the nematode. As a consequence, the parasite could
not survive in a transgenic host expressing specific interfering
RNA.
-
Meloidogyne incognita is a species of nematodes, commonly known as a southern root-knot nematode or the cotton root-knot nematode is responsible for infecting the roots of the tobacco plant and causes a great reduction in yield.
-
The strategy adopted to prevent this infestation is Biotechnology. RNAi (RNA interference) takes place in all eukaryotic organisms as a method of cellular defence. This method involves silencing of a specific mRNA due to a complementary dsRNA molecule that prevents translation of the mRNA.
-
Using Agrobacterium vectors, nematode-specific genes were introduced into the host plant. The introduction of DNA was such that it produces both sense and antisense RNA in the host cells. These two RNAs being complementary to each other forms a double-stranded RNA that initiate RNAi and thus silences the specific mRNA of the nematode. As a consequence, the parasite could not survive in a transgenic host expressing specific interfering RNA.
