Agrobacterium species transform plant cells by targeting a portion of plasmid-encoded bacterial DNA to the host nucleus. Genetic transformation by A. tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes requires secreted effector proteins. The tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid from virulent A. tumefaciens encodes VirE2, a secreted single-stranded DNA-binding protein required for efficient transformation of hosts....
Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a gram-negative soil bacterium
that causes crown gall tumors on dicotyledenous plants. The
transferred DNA (T-DNA) portion of the A. tumefaciens tumor-inducing
(Ti) plasmid enters infected plant cells and integrates into
plant nuclear DNA. The T-DNA is accompanied into plant cells by the
VirD2 endonuclease covalently attached...
Crown gall disease is an agricultural problem caused by the soil-borne bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A. tumefaciens oncogenes cause transformed plant cells to overproduce the hormones, auxin and cytokinin. High hormone levels cause unorganized plant cell growth resulting in a gall. Control of crown gall disease is difficult because after plant...