Chloroplast Engineering

The DNA in a chloroplast can accept several

genes at once.
High percentage of genes inserted into
chloroplast will remain active.
DNA in chloroplast is completely separate from
DNA released in pollen no chance that
transformed genes will be carried on wind to
distant crops.

Old Versus New

Method for Cloning
Multiple Genes into
Plants.

Antisense technology
Process of inserting a complementary copy of a
gene into a cell
Gene encodes an mRNA molecule called an
antisense molecule
Antisense molecule binds to normal mRNA
(sense molecule) and inactivates it
By inactivating normal mRNA , the proteins that
has disadvantages on a plant cell is stopped
Example is Flavr Savr tomato
Flavr Savr tomato is different than normal tomato
by not producing the polygalacturonase enzyme
that speed up the rotting.

Practical Applications in the Field

Vaccines for Plants
Crops are vulnerable to a wide range of plant viruses.
Infections can lead to reduced growth rate , poor crop yield and low crop quality.
Vaccines contain dead or weakened strain of the plant virus.
Vaccine is encoded in a plant's DNA.
Making plants invulnerable to real virus.
For example, a gene from Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) inserted into tobacco
plants
Protein produced from the viral gene stimulates the plants immune system
Plant immune system is turned on
Plant is invulnerable to virus.

Plant vaccine: Transgenic

plant expressing the TMV
coat protein (CP) were
produced by Agrobacterium
mediated gene transfer.
When the generated plants
expressing the viral CP
were infected with TMV ,
they exhibited increased
resistance to infection.
Whereas control plants
developed symptoms in 3
to 4 days , transgenic CPexpressing plants resisted
infection for 30 days.

Genetic Pesticides
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a bacterium that produces
a protein that kills harmful insects and their larvae
The insects die in a short period of time due to
autodigestion
By spreading spores of the bacterium across their
fields , farmers can protect their crops without harmful
chemicals.
It has been used as a natural pesticide for over 50 years
Bt genes can be inserted into a plant's DNA
Creates a built-in defense against certain insects
Controversy surrounding Monarch butterflies

 (c)

Figure (a) and (c) shows that the crystalinne

protein as a crystal within the Bacillus
thuringiensis bacterium.Genetically
engineered plants expressing the Cry gene
are insect resistant due to the production
of a small amaount of this bacterial protein.
Figure (b) shows that insect larva that would
normally consume plant tissue will die if
they consume the crystalline protein ( Cry
gene product).