Under the guidance of

MR. NILADRI BHUSAN

SCHOOL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY,KIIT UNIVERSITY

By Mousam Ranjan Dash

BSc.LLB
Roll .884006
Terminator technology is an emerging field of
genetic engineering used basically by the MNC’s for
commercial purpose.
This is a very controversial technology. It is being
used by MNC’s producing genetically modified
seeds, like MONSANTO.
It produces sterile seeds and makes the poor
farmers dependent as these seeds are to be bought
annually after harvesting.
This is in contrast to traditional way of farming
where the farmers used to store some seeds from
their harvest so that they could use it in the
following year.
But by the introduction of terminator technology it
is now possible for the MNC’s to produce such
seeds which are sterile and as they are biologically
and genetically modified.
So we can now say that this technology is designed
so as to make biotechnology-derived plants
producing non-viable seeds . This prevents the
farmers from saving seeds and replanting them.
The positive aspect about this technology is that it
prevents escape of Transgenes into the
environment.
Now lets know how the technology works actually
producing non-viable seeds.
For this, I have chose to give a schematic and
diagrammatic way of presentation.
First, we will go through the normal way, how a
terminator works? taking the case of cotton plant
and then followed by introducing a inducer and
what are the changes due to this inducer?
GENE I
Gene I is a repressor gene that produces a repressor protein that interacts with a binding site
near Gene II.
GENE II
Gene II is a recombinase gene that is controlled by a promoter. Between the gene and the
promoter is a binding site for the repressor from Gene I. The recombinase gene produces a
recombinase protein that is an enzyme and snips out pieces of DNA.
GENE III
Gene III produces a toxin that is lethal to embryos. The gene is controlled by a late promoter,
which is active only during the late stage of seed development when the embryo is
developing. Between the late promoter and the toxin gene is a piece of DNA called a blocker,
which interferes with the ability of the promoter to turn on the toxin gene.
INDUCER
The inducer is a chemical applied to the seed by the seed company that will initiate the
terminator gene interactions.
 Patent for Terminator Gene
Control of plant gene expression
Patent #5,723,765 Oliver ,
et al./Delta Pine Land Co. US Patent Office 3rdmarch1998.

A patent under “Control of gene expression” has

been granted.
They successfully get patented by their strong
claims which were about 55 in numbers and the
55th states, “55. A method of producing non-viable
seed”
Genetically modified food are made so as to look
after the scarcity of food and resources, it’s
objective was never meant to create anything that
would be fatal to any race or any biotic or abiotic
components.
It aims to facilitate farmers and consumers and
hence it was never thought to be poison rather
than panacea.
Thank You for patiently hearing me.