Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Bt toxins are insect group specific and coded by a gene cry IAc.
Statement II: Bt toxin exists as inactive protoxin in B. thuringiensis. However, after ingestion by the insect the inactive protoxin gets converted into active form due to acidic pH of the insect gut.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
- A
Statement I is true but Statement II is false
- B
Statement I is false but Statement II is true
- C
Both Statement I and Statement II are true
- D
Both Statement I and Statement II are false
Bt toxins are insect-group specific and are encoded by genes such as cry IAc (against cotton bollworms), cry IAb (against corn borer), so Statement I is correct. The toxin exists as an inactive protoxin and is activated in the insect's alkaline midgut, not in acidic pH, so Statement II is incorrect.
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