Dual control of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti plasmid virulence genes.

The virulence genes of nopaline (pTiC58) and octopine (pTiA6NC) Ti plasmids are similarly affected by the Agrobacterium tumefaciens ros mutation. Of six vir region complementation groups (virA, virB, virG, virC, virD, and virE) examined by using fusions to reporter genes, the promoters of only two (virC and virD) responded to the ros mutation. For each promoter that was affected by ros, the level of expression of its associated genes was substantially elevated in the mutant. This increase was not influenced by Ti plasmid-encoded factors, and the mutation did not interfere with the induction of pTiC58 vir genes by phenolic compounds via the VirA/VirG regulatory control mechanism. The effects of the ros mutation and acetosyringone were cumulative for all vir promoters examined. The pleiotropic characteristics of the ros mutant include the complete absence of the major acidic capsular polysaccharide.     

Characterization of the VirG binding site of Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

Expression of Agrobacterium tumefaciens virulence (vir) genes is dependent on the presence of a conserved 'vir box' sequence in their 5' nontranscribed regions. The location and number of these sequences vary considerably in different vir genes. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to identify the functional vir box(es) of virB, virC and virD. For virB expression both vir box B1 and B2 are required but only the vir box B1 is absolutely essential. Of the five vir boxes of virC and virD two are required for virC expression while only one vir box is required for virD expression. To investigate the minimum sequences necessary for vir gene induction a deletion derivative of virE that lacks the vir box region was used. This mutant is not induced by acetosyringone. The inducibility of this promoter was restored when a synthetic deoxyoligonucleotide dGTTTCAATTGAAAC was introduced at a location analogous to that of the wild type vir box sequence. Mutational analysis indicate that the functional vir box sequence is 14 residues in length, contains a dyad symmetry and has the consensus sequence d ryTncAaTTGnAaY [corrected] (r = purine, y = pyrimidine).     

Virulence genes promote conjugative transfer of the Ti plasmid between Agrobacterium strains.

Certain virulence region operons of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti plasmid promoted conjugative Ti plasmid transfer. Mutations in the vir region of pTiC58 inhibited conjugative plasmid transfer between A. tumefaciens strains. Mutations in virA, virG, 5' virB, and virE had the greatest effect on plasmid transfer, and mutations in virC had no effect. Transfer inhibition in vir mutants occurred in the presence or absence of acetosyringone.     

Genetic and environmental factors affecting T-pilin export and T-pilus biogenesis in relation to flagellation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens

The T pilus, primarily composed of cyclic T-pilin subunits, is essential for the transmission of the Ti-plasmid T-DNA from Agrobacterium tumefaciens to plant cells. Although the virB2 gene of the 11-gene virB operon was previously demonstrated to encode the full-length propilin, and other genes of this operon have been implicated as members of a conserved transmembrane transport apparatus, the role of each virB gene in T-pilin synthesis and transport and T-pilus biogenesis remained undefined. In the present study, each virB gene was examined and was found to be unessential for T-pilin biosynthesis, except virB2, but was determined to be essential for the export of the T-pilin subunits and for T-pilus formation. We also find that the genes of the virD operon are neither involved in T-pilin export nor T-pilus formation. Critical analysis of three different virD4 mutants also showed that they are not involved in T-pilus biogenesis irrespective of the A. tumefaciens strains used. With respect to the environmental effects on T-pilus biogenesis, we find that T pili are produced both on agar and in liquid culture and are produced at one end of the A. tumefaciens rod-shaped cell in a polar manner. We also report a novel phenomenon whereby flagellum production is shut down under conditions which turn on T-pilus formation. These conditions are the usual induction with acetosyringone at pH 5.5 of Ti-plasmid vir genes. A search of the vir genes involved in controlling this biphasic reaction in induced A. tumefaciens cells revealed that virA on the Ti plasmid is involved and that neither virB nor virD genes are needed for this reaction. The biphasic reaction therefore appears to be mediated through a two-component signal transducing system likely involving an unidentified vir gene in A. tumefaciens.     

Characterization of the virB operon of an Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti plasmid: nucleotide sequence and protein analysis

The virulence regulon of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens TiC58 plasmid is composed of six operons, virA, virB, virG, virC, virD and virE, which direct the transfer of T-DNA into plant cells. The 9.5 kbp virB operon is the largest of these operons and its entire nucleotide sequence was determined and found to contain eleven open reading frames (ORFs). Gene fusions of each VirB ORF to T7 phi 10 were made and overexpressed in Escherichia coli to confirm that they encode proteins of predicted size. Hydrophobic analysis of these peptide sequences revealed nine proteins that contain hydrophobic spanning regions including signal-peptide-like sequences. These data suggest that the majority of VirB proteins may associate with bacterial cell membranes, while the two additional proteins possess a potential ATP-binding site. Strong homologies in amino acid sequences were observed between nopaline- and octopine-type plasmids. Specific differences in amino acid sequence encoded by VirB ORFs of nopaline and octopine Ti plasmid and a functional role of the gene products are discussed.     

Induction of a virulence response in Agrobacterium tumefaciens by exudates of Pinus pinea cotyledons

As a preliminary step in efforts to develop a successful protocol for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cotyledonary explants of Pinus pinea L. embryos, we tested the ability of embrionary exudates of this species to induce the expression of the virulence genes virA, virB, virC, virD, virE and virG in Agrobacterium tumefaciens containing vir: lacZ fusion constructs. The results obtained in the vir induction assay indicated the absence of bactericidal or bacteriostatic plant compounds affecting A. tumefaciens growth, and showed that cotyledonary and embrionary exudates of P. pinea are able to induce all virulence genes studied, except virG. The data suggest that A. tumefaciens can be used for gene transfer into this important forest and fruit species. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Negative transcriptional regulation of virulence and oncogenes of the Ti plasmid by Ros bearing a conserved C2H2-zinc finger motif

The chromosomal ros gene in Agrobacterium tumefaciens encodes a repressor of virulence and oncogenes that are located on a resident Ti plasmid. Mutational inactivation of ros de-represses the expression of the virC and virD operons, causing premature processing and accumulation of T-DNA molecules, and the premature expression of the oncogene, ipt, leading to the synthesis of cytokinin in the bacterium rather than in the plant host cell. Ros is a 15.5 kDa protein containing a novel "eukaryotic" C(2)H(2) zinc finger. Amino acid substitutions in the finger result in the loss of binding of Ros to the ros box, a 40 bp sequence within the operator of virC/D and ipt gene promoters; and the loss of binding of a zinc ion. The ros gene is highly conserved in members of the Rhizobiaceae. Evolutionary distance tree analyses revealed distant ties to the Japanese puffer fish, Fugu rupripes rather than to plants. Interestingly, ros homologues were found in microorganisms derived from marine sources, supporting the hypothesis that ros may have originated from a marine rather than a terrestrial organism.     

Regulation of the vir genes of Agrobacterium tumefaciens plasmid pTiC58.

The virulence (vir) region of pTiC58 was screened for promoter activities by using gene fusions to a promoterless lux operon in the broad-host-range vector pUCD615. Active vir fragments contained the strongly acetosyringone-inducible promoters of virB, virC, virD, and virE and the weakly inducible promoters of virA and virG. Identical induction patterns were obtained with freshly sliced carrot disks, suggesting that an inducer is released after plant tissue is wounded. Optimal conditions for vir gene induction were pH 5.7 for 50 microM acetosyringone or sinapic acid. The induction of virB and virE by acetosyringone was strictly dependent on intact virA and virG loci. An increase in the copy number of virG resulted in a proportional, acetosyringone-independent increase in vir gene expression, and a further increase occurred only if an inducing compound and virA were present.     

The Agrobacterium tumefaciens virD3 gene is not essential for tumorigenicity on plants.

Genetic studies indicate that three of the four polypeptides encoded within the virD operon of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti plasmid are essential for virulence. In order to determine whether the fourth polypeptide, VirD3, has any role in virulence, complementation analysis was used. An A. tumefaciens strain, A348 delta D, which lacked the entire virD operon in the Ti plasmid pTiA6, was constructed. Plasmids containing defined regions of the virD operon were introduced into this strain, and virulence was tested by the strains' abilities to form tumors on Kalanchoe leaves, tomato stems, and potato tubers. As expected, deletion of the virD operon led to an avirulent phenotype. The virulence of this strain could be restored by providing virD1, virD2, and virD4 in trans. No requirement for virD3 in tumor formation was observed in these assays.     

The virD4 gene is required for virulence while virD3 and orf5 are not required for virulence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens

The virD operon of the resident Ti plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens contains loci involved in T-DNA processing and undefined virulence functions. Nucleotide sequence of the entire virD operon of pTiC58 revealed similarities to the virD operon of the root-inducing plasmid pRiA4b and to that of the octopine-type plasmid pTiA6NC. However, comparative sequence data show that virD of pTiC58 is more akin to that of the pRiA4b than to that of the pTiA6NC. T7f10::virD gene fusions were used to generate polypeptides that confirm the presence of four open reading frames virD1, virD2, virD3, and virD4 within virD which have a coding capacity for proteins of 16.1, 49.5, 72.6, and 73.5 kDa, respectively. virD3 therefore encodes a polypeptide 3.4 times larger (72.6 versus 21.3 kDa) than that encoded by virD3 of octopine Ti plasmids. Non-polar virD4 mutants could not be complemented by a distant homologue, TraG protein of plasmid RP4. An independently regulated fifth ORF (orf5) is located immediately downstream of 3′ end of virD4 and encodes a polypeptide of 97.4 kDa. The expression of orf5 is dependent on its own promoter and is independent of acetosyringone induction in A. tumefaciens. Recently, it has been shown that virD3 of octopine Ri or Ti plasmids is not required for virulence. In this report, we confirm and extend these findings on a nopaline Ti plasmid by using several virD non-polar mutants that were tested for virulence. virD3 and orf5 non-polar mutants showed no effect on tumorigenicity on 14 different plant species, while virD4 mutants lost their tumorigenicity completely on all these test plants. These data suggest that virD3 and orfS are not essential for virulence whereas virD4 is absolutely required on a wide range of host plants.     

Overexpression of virD1 and virD2 genes in Agrobacterium tumefaciens enhances T-complex formation and plant transformation.

The VirD1 and VirD2 proteins encoded by an inducible locus of the virulence (vir) region of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti plasmid are required for site-specific nicking at T-DNA border sites. We have determined the nucleotide sequence of a 3.6-kilobase-pair fragment carrying the virD locus from nopaline Ti plasmid pTiC58. In contrast to the previous report (Hagiya et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:2669-2673, 1985), we found that the first three open reading frames were capable of encoding polypeptides of 16.1, 49.7, and 21.4 kilodaltons. Deletion analysis demonstrated that the N-terminal conserved domain of VirD2 was absolutely essential for its endonuclease activity. When extra copies of the virD1 and virD2 genes were present in an A. tumefaciens strain carrying a Ti plasmid, increased amounts of T-strand and nicked molecules could be detected at early stages of vir induction. Such strains possessed the ability to transform plants with higher efficiency.     

The virD operon of Agrobacterium tumefaciens encodes a site-specific endonuclease

Tumor formation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens involves the transfer and integration of a defined segment (T-DNA) of tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid DNA into the plant nuclear genome. A set of plasmid genes outside the T-DNA, the vir genes, are thought to mediate the transfer process. We report here that the virD operon encodes a site-specific endonuclease that cleaves at a unique site within each of the 24 bp direct repeats that flank the T-DNA. The endonuclease function was further localized to the 5' end of this operon by demonstrating that cleavage does not occur in virD mutant strains of Agrobacterium and that the 5' end of the virD operon is sufficient to direct cleavage in E. coli. Analysis of nucleotide sequence and protein data indicate that two proteins of 16.2 and 47.4 kd are involved.     

Characterization of Agrobacterium tumefaciens virulence proteins induced by the plant factor acetosyringone

The Ti plasmid virulence (vir) loci encode functions essential for the transfer of the T-DNA element from Agrobacterium tumefaciens to plant cells. The expression of these loci is specifically signaled by plant phenolics such as acetosyringone. Here, we characterize the protein products that are induced in Agrobacterium grown in the presence of acetosyringone. More than 10 to 15 proteins are induced in strains harboring different Ti plasmids. Two general classes of acetosyringone-induced proteins are observed, encoded either within or outside the vir region. Synthesis of both classes of proteins requires acetosyringone and the products of the vir regulatory genes A and G. Those proteins encoded outside the vir region define a novel category of proteins, the virulence-related proteins, which are both chromosomally and Ti plasmid-encoded. The molecular weight and subcellular localization of several pTiA6 vir-induced proteins are identified. The most abundant induced protein has a molecular weight of 65,000, and is the single product of the virE locus; this protein distributes into both cell envelope and soluble fractions. Three proteins with molecular weights of approximately 33,000, 80,000 and 25,000 fractionate with the cell envelope and are encoded by genes within the 5' half of the virB locus. The envelope localization of the virB proteins suggests that they play a role in directing T-DNA transfer events that occur at the bacterial surface.     

诱导根癌土壤杆菌vir区基因表达信号分子的构效研究

以根癌土壤杆菌为介导的外源基因转化系统是目前应用最为广泛和有效的植物基因转化系统。根癌土壤杆菌D质粒毒性区。irA、virB、。irC、。irD。。irE、。irG6个基因位点,在外源诱导性信号分子的作用下,表达出转移DNA（T－DNA）复合物,整合人植物细胞核基因组中。利用根癌土壤杆菌这种天然的转化机制,已获得双子叶转基因植株。但单子叶植物难以被根癌土壤杆菌转化,某些研究者认为这是由于单子叶植物缺乏促使根癌土壤杆菌产生趋化运动以及诱导。ir区基因表达的信号分子［‘」。我们从幼穗分化期至抽穗扬花期水稻中分离获得2种高效…     

VirD2 gene product from the nopaline plasmid pTiC58 has at least two activities required for virulence.

Virulence genes virD1 and virD2 are required for T-DNA processing in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The regions within virD2 contributing to T-DNA processing and virulence were investigated. Some insertional mutations in virD2 prevented T-DNA border endonucleolytic cleavage and produced an avirulent phenotype. However, a non-polar insertion immediately after bp 684 of the 1344 bp open reading frame of virD2 did not inhibit endonucleolytic cleavage but still caused a loss of virulence. This suggested that in addition to T-DNA border cleaving activity, the VirD2 protein has another virulence function which resides in the C-terminal half of the protein. Comparative nucleotide sequence analyses of virD2 showed that the first 684 bp were 81% homologous to virD2 of an octopine Ti plasmid whereas the remaining 660 bp were only 44% homologous. A plasmid containing the virD region from octopine Ti plasmid could restore both virulence and processing to a nopaline virD2 mutant. No complementation resulted when a nopaline virD2 clone containing a region similar to eukaryotic nuclear envelope transport sequences was deleted from the 3' end. These results suggest that virD1 and only the first half of virD2 are required to encode for the T-DNA processing endonuclease, and that the 3'-half of virD2 encodes a function separate from endonuclease activity that is required for virulence.