The process of RNA interference has been used in the development of plants resistant to :
- Nematodes
- Fungi
- Viruses
- Insects
Answer
(1) Nematodes
Solution
As per NCERT, a nematode Meloidogyne incognita infects the roots of tobacco plants and reduces the yield.
⇒ Using Agrobacterium vectors, nematode-specific genes were introduced into the host plant so that both sense and anti-sense RNA are produced.
⇒ The two complementary RNAs form dsRNA, which initiates RNAi and silences the specific mRNA of the nematode.
∴ The parasite cannot survive in a transgenic host expressing the specific interfering RNA, i.e. RNAi gives nematode-resistant plants.
Answer: (1)