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Question

Does Monsanto genetically enhance plants with chitosan? If so, how does chitosan enhance plant cellulose on a molecular level? I am studying entomologybiochemistry and I would like some insight.

Submitted by: gadorno


Answer

Expert response from Tim Panosian, Ph.D.

Former Protein Structure and Design Team Lead, Monsanto Company

Wednesday, 02/09/2015 12:21

The short answer is no, Monsanto does not genetically enhanced plants with chitosan. However, chitosan does have uses in agriculture when it is sprayed on the field.

 

Chitosan is a modified form of a long polymer sugar derivative called chitin that is found in the exoskeletons of arthropods (such as shrimp, lobsters, etc.), insects, and fungi. It is used by some farmers as both a fertilizer and as a pesticide. Monsanto does not sell a chitosan product, but it can be purchased through other vendors. Interestingly, much of the chitosan that is commercially available is made by chemically modifying chitin extracted from the waste shells of shrimp and crab from the fishing industry. Since chitosan is a chemical derivative of the biomolecule chitin, and the chitin synthesis pathway is not native to plants, genetically enhancing a plant to produce chitosan would be a pretty complex effort. 

 

Nevertheless, chitosan is effective as a topical pesticide because it has some inherent antimicrobial and antifungal activity, and because it induces changes in the plant’s behavior. Insects and fungi cause damage to plants, so plants have evolved ways to sense these intruders by detecting the presence of chitin or chitosan. When the plant detects the intruder, it activates its immune defense response to make the plant less desirable to an insect, or to disrupt the ability of a fungus to infect it. When chitosan is applied to a plant before the insect or fungus is present, the plant is already geared up to protect itself before the intruder arrives and this cuts down on the amount of damage the pest can cause.