THE carnations not only attract us with their beauty but they attract the attention of virus 100. And the price that viruses pay for such attraction is very high for the carnation is a deadly beauty.
Carnations have what is called “suicide” genes. The gene codes for a compound called an thin which is harmless in normal healthy cells But in cells infected by virus the selfsame chemical tums into a poison. This poison kills the cell and with it the viruses that had infiltrated it this prevents the spread of the virus to other cells.
Now scientists have isolated the “suicide” genes from carnations and incorporated them into the tobacco plant in the hope that the genes will afford a similar protect tomatoes potatoes and cucumber Borrowing genes could then become a fashionable trend with rich economic gains for the farmer
Article extracted from this publication >> July 15, 1994
