Question

Assertion
Baculovirus are biocontrol agents of genus nucleopolyhedrovirus.
Reason
They are effective against plant pathogens.
A)Both Assertion and Reason are correct and Reason is the correct explanation for Assertion
B)Both Assertion and Reason are correct but Reason is not the correct explanation for Assertion
C)Assertion is correct but Reason is incorrect
D)Both Assertion and Reason are incorrect

Answer 1

Baculoviruses are pathogenic insect viruses which are used to monitor pest insects and to generate recombinant proteins as instruments. Several studies have shown that both natural baculoviruses and genetically engineered (GM) baculoviruses have strong and important crop safety advantages.

Complete answer:
Baculoviruses, with over 600 host species having been identified, are known to infect invertebrates. The most common hosts are the juvenile (larval) forms of moth species, but these viruses have also been known to infect sawflies, mosquitoes, and shrimps. While baculoviruses are capable of penetrating cultured mammalian cells, mammalian or other vertebrate animal cells are not considered to be capable of replication.

When they attack insects and rodents, baculoviruses are pathogens and biocontrol agents and belong to the genus Nucleopolyhedrovirus and the Baculoviridae family. Typically, they are exceedingly thin and mostly composed of double-stranded DNA. They have a possible role in the plant control of insect pests. They target plant diseases and, by disease suppression, they support plants and are thus referred to as biocontrol agents.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B)

Note: A comprehensive process for the development of recombinant glycoproteins or membrane proteins is the expression of baculovirus in insect cells. As a therapeutic cancer vaccine, baculovirus-produced proteins are currently being investigated with many immunological advantages over proteins derived from mammalian sources.