Transformation of Insect and Herbicide Resistance G enes in Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Abstract

Manipulation of different genes in crop plants to g et desirable characters has become an important tool of plant biotechnology. In the cu rrent study, cotton variety MNH-786 was modified for its characteristics to show resist ance against lepidopteran insects and herbicide by transformation of Cry1Ac+Cry2A and GTGene cloned in a different cassette under 35S Promoter. Mature embryos of cotton MNH-78 6 were injured by a sharp blade at the shoot apex and infected with the Agrobacterim tumefaciens harboring transgene constructs. Transformed cotton plants were successf ully acclimatized in pots and later the green house. Gene specific PCR and ELISA confirmed the transgene presence and its protein expression which was considerably higher in transformed plants. Overall transformation efficiency was 1.05%. All larvae of Helicoverpa armigera feeding on transgenic cotton leaves of T 0 were found dead as compared to the control ones fe eding on leaves from non-transgenic cotton. Transgenic plant s also survived a glyphosate spray dose of 1,900 ml acre -1 as compared to herbs/weeds growing along with them , which burned completely five days post glyphosate applica tion. Keywords: Bt cotton, Glyphosate, Transgenic, Weedicide resis tance.