Development of event-specific detection method for identification of insect resistant NIBGE-1601 cotton harboring double gene Cry1Ac-Cry2Ab construct

Bt cotton expressing Cry1Ac is being cultivated in Pakistan. It has been observed that pink bollworm may have developed resistance against single Bt gene (Cry1Ac). For durable resistance, insect resistant NIBGE-1601 cotton harboring double gene Cry1Ac-Cry2Ab construct was developed. There was a need to characterize NIBGE-1601 event for intellectual property rights protection. The Presence of NIBGE Cry1Ac and NIBGE Cry2Ab genes was checked in NIBGE-1601 cotton plants through PCR, while there was no amplification using primers specific for Monsanto events (MON531, MON15985, MON1445). Using genome walking technology, NIBGE-601 event has been characterized. Event-specific primers of NIBGE-1601 were designed and evaluated to differentiate it from other cotton events mentioned above. NIBGE-1601 event detection primers are highly specific, therefore, can detect NIBGE 1601 event at different conditions using single or multiplex PCR. In the qualitative PCR, using NIBGE-1601 event specific primers, 0.05 ng was the limit of detection for NIBGE-1601double gene cotton genomic DNA. Thus event characterization and development of event-specific diagnostics will help in breeding new cotton varieties resistant to cotton bollworms.