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The possibility of using a monocot (maize) derived ubiquitin (Ubi) promoter to express a fully modified insecticidal cry gene of Bacillus thuringiensis in dicot plant, tobacco was studied. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. xanthi) plants were transformed with Bt gene Cry-1Ac driven by Ubi promoter. Transgenic plants were confirmed for transformation, gene expression and insecticidal activity through PCR, GUS assays, Southern blot, Western blot analyses and insect bioassays. Bioassays with cry-1Ac transformed To and T1 transgenic plants showed high level of toxicity towards American bollworm (Heliothis armigera) giving 100% mortality of the larvae. This paper reported that monocot derived Ubi promoter expresses a Bt gene in a dicot plant in an effective manner to render the transformed plants highly resistant against Heliothis armigera.
