Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Bacterial infection by Bacillus thuringiensis can kill only cater

Question

Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Bacterial infection by Bacillus thuringiensis can kill only caterpillar larvae.
Statement II: B. thuringiensis cannot kill adult moths.

In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

Accepted Answer

- Statement I is Incorrect: Strains of Bacillus thuringiensis produce proteins that kill insects belonging to diverse groups, specifically lepidopterans (tobacco budworm, armyworm), coleopterans (beetles), and dipterans (flies, mosquitoes), not just caterpillar larvae .
- Statement II is Correct: The Bt toxin exists as an inactive protoxin that is converted into an active form due to the alkaline pH of the gut which solubilises the crystals. This mechanism typically targets the larval stage (caterpillars) which feeds on the plant parts containing the toxin. The textbook explicitly mentions that the bacterial disease will kill the caterpillars (larvae) .

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