Agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated Transformation of Plant Cells

Andrew Binns, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Angela Campbell, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Published online: April 2001

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0001492

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a Gram-negative soil bacterium that causes plant tumours by transferring a portion of DNA from a resident ‘tumour inducing’ (Ti) plasmid into plant cells where it is integrated into a plant chromosome and expressed. This bacteria's capacity for DNA transfer is the basis of most current plant genetic engineering and make it a model system for the study of pathogenic bacteria that transfer virulence factors to any eukaryotic cell.

Keywords: agrobacterium tumefaciens; ti plasmid; DNA transfer; plant genetic engineering; crown gall tumours

Figure 1. Kalanchoe daigremontia leaves were scratched with a sterile needle and infected with Agrobacterium tumefaciens carrying a Ti plasmid (A, B, C) or lacking a Ti plasmid (D). Photograph taken 4 weeks after infection.
Figure 2. Diagram of the Ti plasmid, illustrating the relative locations of the T-DNA, the border sequences (>), the virulence (vir) region, the conjugal transfer (tra) regions and the opine catabolism (occ) region.
Figure 3. Steps in Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer into a plant cell.
Figure 4. The chemical composition of some well-characterized opines.
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 Further Reading
    Binns AN and Howitz VR (1994) The genetic and chemical basis of host recognition by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology 192: 119–138.
    Christie PJ (1997) Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-complex transport apparatus: a paradigm for a new family of multifunctional transporters in Eubacteria. Journal of Bacteriology 179: 3085–3094.
    Kado CI (1998) Agrobacterium-mediated horizontal gene transfer. Genetic Engineering 20: 1–24.
    book Spaink H, Kondorosi A and Hooykaas PJJ (eds) (1998) The Rhizobiaceae. Dordrecht: Kluwer Press.
    Winans SC, Burns DL and Christie PJ (1996) Adaptation of a conjugal transfer system for the export of pathogenic macromolecules. Trends in Microbiology 4: 64–68.
    Zupan J and Zambryski P (1997) The Agrobacterium DNA transfer complex. Critical Reviews in Plant Science 16: 279–295.

Related Sub-Topics:

Plant Genetics and Molecular Biology | DNA Structure and Function | Techniques and Tools in Molecular Biology | Nonchromosomal DNA | Bacteria | Genomes and Chromosomes | Food and Industrial Microbiology | Microbial Interactions and Communities | Plant Biotechnology | Plant Disease
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Article Title: Agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated Transformation of Plant Cells
 
How to Cite close
Binns, Andrew, and Campbell, Angela(Apr 2001) Agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated Transformation of Plant Cells. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0001492]