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Home >> Plant Biotechnology and Genomics >> Genetically Modified-GM Crops and Floricultural Plants >> Gene for Alpha Amylase Inhibitor


Gene for alpha-amylase inhibitor (
αAI-Pv)

The insect pest resistant transgenic plants produced using Bt gene, protect them from insects mainly in the field, but not during storage. The first transgenic plants, whose seeds, during storage, were resistant to pests (bruchid beetles), were produced in the year 1994 in pea.

This was achieved by inserting a gene for α-amylase inhibitor (αAI-Pv), isolated from common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), and driven by a strong seed-specific promoter (from phytohem­agglutinin gene of bean; phytohemagglutinin is a lectin). These transgenic plants produced seeds that contained 1.0-1.2% αAI-Pv and were resistant to cowpea weavils and Azuki bean weavils.

 

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