<p style="text-align: justify;">Insect-protected COT67B cotton has been genetically modified for protection against feeding damage caused by larvae of a number of insect pest species, including: <i>Helicoverpa zea</i>, cotton bollworm; and <i>Heliothis virescens</i>, tobacco budworm. Protection against these pests is achieved through expression in the plant of an insecticidal Cry protein, Cry1Ab, encoded by the full-length <i>cry1Ab</i> gene derived from <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> subspecies <i>kurstaki</i> HD-1.<br />
Cry proteins exert their effect on the target insect by causing lysis of midgut epithelial cells, which leads to gut paralysis, cessation of feeding and eventual death of the larvae. The lysis of the midgut epithelial cells is mediated by the binding of the activated Cry protein to specialized receptors on these cells.</p>
