What are Cry proteins ? Name the organism that produce it. How has man exploited this protein for his benefit ?
What are Cry proteins ? Name the organism that produce it. How has man exploited this protein for his benefit ?

Answer: Cry proteins are responsible for the death of lepidopteran insects and larvae (also called Bt toxin). Bacillus thuringiensis is the bacteria that produces it. Man took use of the gene encoding this toxin by introducing it into the cotton genome using Agrobacterium TDN A as a vector.

Cry protein is a crystal protein that is poisonous to insects and is expressed by the cry gene. Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria manufacture it in an inactive state. Because of the alkaline ph of insects’ stomachs, cry protein activation takes place when they eat it. 

The intestinal epithelial cells are lysed, resulting in the death of insects. Humans benefit from integrating the BT toxin gene into crops to create insect-resistant transgenic crops, such as BT cotton.