Susceptibility of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Strains to Two Agrocin-Producing Agrobacterium Strains

Sixty-five strains and isolates of Agrobacterium tumefaciens representing each of the known biotypes, were tested for in vitro and in vivo susceptibility to the agrocin-producing strains Agrobacterium radiobacter 84 and A. tumefaciens D286. No biotype 3 strain was susceptible to the effects of either of the agrocinogenic strains in vitro. On datura and tobacco, the best inhibition of tumor formation was obtained when the agrocinogenic strains were applied to wounds 24 h before the pathogens and by the concomitant application of agrocin producer and pathogen at cell ratios of 10:1 or 3:1; inhibition of infection tended to decrease progressively as the cell ratio decreased from 10:1 to 3:1 to 1:1. Generally, strain 84 was superior to D286 in inhibiting tumor formation. A combined cell suspension of 84 and D286 was as effective as 84 alone. The overall pattern of inhibition of tumor formation by biotype 1 and 2 pathogens resistant to the agrocinogenic strains in vitro was similar to that obtained with strains that were susceptible in vitro.     

Agrocin-Producing Agrobacterium tumefaciens Strain Active against Grapevine Isolates

Three recognized 12,13-epoxytrichothecene mycotoxins, trichothecolone, diacetoxyscirpenol, and T-2 toxin, and a hyperestrogenic factor, zearalenone, together with the fatty acid esters of trichothecolone, scirpenetriol, T-2 tetraol, and zearalenone, were isolated from the flask culture extractives of Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon (IMI 225232) as well as from the fruit of banana (Musa sapientum L.) infected with the same fungus in the field and in storage. The total concentrations of these toxins in the naturally infected fruits were quite high (0.8 to 1.0 mg/g of fruit). F. moniliforme infections of banana fruits, being of wide occurrence in the world, could cause serious health problems in humans when the infected fruits are ingested for a prolonged period of time.     

Agrobacterium tumefaciens Interaction with Suspension-Cultured Tomato Cells

Adherence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens to suspension-cultured tomato cells has been characterized using a quantitative binding assay. Saturable binding of radiolabeled A. tumefaciens to plant cells resulted in 100 to 300 bacteria bound per cell. Specificity of A. tumefaciens binding was also inferred from two additional results: (a) an initial incubation of plant cells with A. tumefaciens reduced subsequent binding of radiolabeled A. tumefaciens by 60% to 75%; (b) tomato cells bound less than three E. coli per cell. Protease treatment of plant cells had no effect on subsequent bacterial binding, but prior treatment of plant cells with pectinolytic enzymes increased binding 2- to 3-fold. Pectin-enriched and neutral polymer-enriched fractions were obtained from tomato cell walls. The soluble pectin-enriched fraction inhibited binding of bacteria to plant cells by 85% to 95%, whereas the neutral polymer fraction only partially inhibited binding. Preliminary characterization of the activity showed it is heat stable, partially inactivated by protease treatment, and substantially inactivated by acid hydrolysis.     

Evidence of Biological Control of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Strains Sensitive and Resistant to Agrocin 84 by Different Agrobacterium radiobacter Strains on Stone Fruit Trees

The effectiveness of Agrobacterium radiobacter K84, 0341, and a K84 non-agrocin-producing mutant (K84 Agr^-) in biological control of crown gall on rootstocks of stone fruit trees was determined in three experiments. In experiment 1, K84 and 0341 controlled crown gall on plum plants in soil inoculated with two strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens resistant to agrocin 84. In experiment 2, K84 controlled crown gall on peach plants in soils inoculated with strains of A. tumefaciens sensitive or resistant to agrocin 84 or with a mixture of both. However, the effectiveness of K84 was higher against the sensitive strain than against the resistant strain. There was a residual effect of K84 from one year to another in soil inoculated with the sensitive strains. In experiment 3, K84 and K84 Agr^- controlled crown gall on plum and peach plants in soils inoculated with strains of A. tumefaciens sensitive or resistant to agrocin 84. The control afforded by K84 was higher than that provided by K84 Agr^- against the sensitive strain but was similar against the resistant strain.     

Chloroplast transformation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

A chimeric gene consisting of the promoter region of the nopaline synthase gene (Pnos) fused to the coding sequence of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene (cat gene) of Tn9 was introduced by co-cultivation in tobacco protoplasts followed by selection with 10 μg/ml chloramphenicol. The chloramphenicol-resistant plants derived from these selected calli were unable to transmit the Cm^R phenotype through pollen. A typically maternal inheritance pattern was observed. Southern blot analysis showed that the chimeric Pnos-cat gene was present in the chloroplasts of these resistant plants. Furthermore, the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity was shown to be associated with the chloroplast fraction. These observations are the first proof that the Agrobacterium Ti-plasmid vectors can be used to introduce genes in chloroplasts.     

利用根癌农杆菌法获得转基因水稻植株及其后代

在100μmol／L乙酰丁香酮（AS）等vir基因诱导分子存在的情况下,用含双元载体pBYT2的根癌农杆菌菌株EHA101同水稻（OrizasativaL．）台北309悬浮培养细胞共培养3天。经过2个月的连续筛选,共从364颗同根癌农杆菌共培养的悬浮培养细胞团中得到17个具有稳定潮霉素抗性和GUS表达的愈伤组织。对从8个转化组织中得到的10株可能的R0代转基因植株及其后代进行外源基因的整合和表达分析,Southern分析表明外源基因已稳定地整合进水稻基因组中并实现了有性遗传传递。杂交结果显示在其中一个转化系的植株中有5个拷贝的T－DNA整合,而其余的转化系则只整合了1个拷贝。转基因水稻细胞及植株中GUS活性的组织化学染色观察和荧光分析表明玉米ubiquitin基因启动子在水稻细胞中能高效启动gus报告基因的表达。ndPAGE－X－Gluc法检测表明转基因水稻细胞中表达的GUS蛋白比Sigma公司的标准GUS蛋白（SigmaCo．G0786）要小,而与来自大肠杆菌HB101（pBI1121）中的GUS蛋白大小相同。结果表明,根癌农杆菌可有效且可靠地介导外源基因转化水稻。     

An Isoflavonoid-Inducible Efflux Pump in Agrobacterium tumefaciens Is Involved in Competitive Colonization of Roots

Agrobacterium tumefaciens 1D1609, which was originally isolated from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), contains genes that increase competitive root colonization on that plant by reducing the accumulation of alfalfa isoflavonoids in the bacterial cells. Mutant strain I-1 was isolated by its isoflavonoid-inducible neomycin resistance following mutagenesis with the transposable promoter probe Tn5-B30. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed the transposon had inserted in the first open reading frame, ifeA, of a three-gene locus (ifeA, ifeB, and ifeR), which shows high homology to bacterial efflux pump operons. Assays on alfalfa showed that mutant strain I-1 colonized roots normally in single-strain tests but was impaired significantly (P ≤ 0.01) in competition against wild-type strain 1D1609. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments, which produced strains I-4 (ifeA::gusA) and I-6 (ifeA::Ω-Tc), confirmed the importance of ifeA for competitive root colonization. Exposure to the isoflavonoid coumestrol increased β-glucuronidase activity in strain I-4 21-fold during the period when coumestrol accumulation in wild-type cells declined. In the same test, coumestrol accumulation in mutant strain I-6 did not decline. Expression of the ifeA-gusA reporter was also induced by the alfalfa root isoflavonoids formononetin and medicarpin but not by two triterpenoids present in alfalfa. These results show that an efflux pump can confer measurable ecological benefits on A. tumefaciens in an environment where the inducing molecules are known to be present.     

根癌农杆菌介导转化马铃薯与抗病毒基因工程

病毒侵染一直是导致马铃薯品种退化的主要因素,严重影响马铃薯的产量和品质。近年来,随着基因工程的迅速发展和转基因技术体系的日益完善,基因工程技术在提高马铃薯抗病性（尤其是抗病毒）方面显示了极大的潜力,必将成为马铃薯抗病毒育种的主要手段。对其进展进行了综述,并讨论了根癌农杆菌介导马铃薯遗传转化及其体系优化因素。最后提出存在问题及发展趋势,以供广大马铃薯抗病毒育种工作者参考。     

Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ribonucleic Acid Synthesis in Tomato Cells and Crown Gall Induction

Purified Agrobacterium tumefaciens deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) does not produce crown gall tumors in growing plants, conditioned by wounding, as the living bacteria do. Purified bacterial DNA migrates in the plant and replicates, but it is not transcribed in our experimental conditions. On the contrary, when DNA is released naturally from bacteria into plant cells, a bacterial ribonucleic acid (RNA) can be found in these cells. There seems to be a direct relation between the appearance of A. tumefaciens RNA in the plant cells and the induction of the tumor.     

Root Colonization by Agrobacterium tumefaciens Is Reduced in cel, attB, attD, and attR Mutants

Root colonization by Agrobacterium tumefaciens was measured by using tomato and Arabidopsis thaliana roots dipped in a bacterial suspension and planted in soil. Wild-type bacteria showed extensive growth on tomato roots; the number of bacteria increased from 10³ bacteria/cm of root length at the time of inoculation to more than 10⁷ bacteria/cm after 10 days. The numbers of cellulose-minus and nonattaching attB, attD, and attR mutant bacteria were less than 1/10,000th the number of wild-type bacteria recovered from tomato roots. On roots of A. thaliana ecotype Landsberg erecta, the numbers of wild-type bacteria increased from about 30 to 8,000 bacteria/cm of root length after 8 days. The numbers of cellulose-minus and nonattaching mutant bacteria were 1/100th to 1/10th the number of wild-type bacteria recovered after 8 days. The attachment of A. tumefaciens to cut A. thaliana roots incubated in 0.4% sucrose and observed with a light microscope was also reduced with cel and att mutants. These results suggest that cellulose synthesis and attachment genes play a role in the ability of the bacteria to colonize roots, as well as in bacterial pathogenesis.     

Efficient transformation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens by electroporation

High-voltage electroporation was used to transform Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains A136 and A348, reaching the efficiency of 1-3 x 10(8) transformants/micrograms DNA. Transformation frequency was dependent on the electrical field strength and the pulse length. No significant reduction in transformation efficiency was observed when the transforming DNA contained sites sensitive to endonuclease AtuCI of A. tumefaciens.     

Transformation of rice mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Agrobacterium tumefaciens has been routinely utilized in gene transfer to dicotyledonous plants, but monocotyledonous plants including important cereals were thought to be recalcitrant to this technology as they were outside the host range of crown gall. Various challenges to infect monocotyledons including rice with Agrobacterium had been made in many laboratories, but the results were not conclusive until recently. Efficient transformation protocols mediated by Agrobacterium were reported for rice in 1994 and 1996. A key point in the protocols was the fact that tissues consisting of actively dividing, embryonic cells, such as immature embryos and calli induced from scutella, were co-cultivated with Agrobacterium in the presence of acetosyringonc, which is a potent inducer of the virulence genes. It is now clear that Agrobacterium is capable of transferring DNA to monocotyledons if tissues containing competent cells are infected. The studies of transformation of rice suggested that numerous factors including genotype of plants, types and ages of tissues inoculated, kind of vectors, strains of Agrobacterium, selection marker genes and selective agents, and various conditions of tissue culture, are of critical importance. Advantages of the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in rice, like on dicotyledons, include the transfer of pieces of DNA with defined ends with minimal rearrangements, the transfer of relatively large segments of DNA, the integration of small numbers of copies of genes into plant chromosomes, and high quality and fertility of transgenic plants. Delivery of foreign DNA to rice plants via A. tumefaciens is a routine technique in a growing number of laboratories. This technique will allow the genetic improvement of diverse varieties of rice, as well as studies of many aspects of the molecular biology of rice.     

Transformation of Soybean Cells Using Mixed Strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Phenolic Compounds

Cotyledon explants from germinated 1-day-old soybean seedling were inoculated with single or mixed strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Mixed-strain infections with the supervirulent L,L-succinamopine type strain A281 (pTiBo542) and strain LBA4404 carrying an octopine type virulence (vir) region and a binary vector (pBin6) with a chimeric gene for kanamycin detoxification gave rise to tumors of which 25% were both kanamycin resistant and capable of hormone-independent growth. Singlestrain inoculations with LBA4404 (pBin6) failed to give rise to kanamycin-resistant callus. Syringaldehyde, a compound which induces vir genes carried on the Ti plasmid, increased the number of galls incited on excised cotyledons by the weakly virulent octopine type strain A348 (pTiA6). Similar results were obtained with whole plants treated with this strain in the presence of the vir-inducing compound acetosyringone. Our results indicate that the recovery of transformed soybean cells can be enabled in some instances by coinfecting with a supervirulent strain or in other instances promoted by adding a phenolic compound to the inoculum.     

Transformation of Brassica napus Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Regeneration of Transgenic Plants

Seeds of Brassica napus L. cv. "Yunbei 2" were surface-sterilized and germinated on hormone-free MS medium. After 4—5 days the cotyledons were excised in such a way that each has a 1—2 mm petiole was remained at its base. These cotyledons were used as the explants for tissue culture and genetic transformation. This paper first deals with the improvement of the medium for shoot regeneration. Of the elements tested, AgNO3 and carbenicillin enhanced shoot regeneration. The highest frequency (52 %) was obtained on MS medium containing 4.5 mg/L BAP, 20 μmol/L AgNOa and 500 mg/L earbenicillin. An efficient gene transfer system based on the regeneration procedure was established. After 2 days of cocultivation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain A208SE (pTi T37-SE, pROA93), the explants were transferred onto selection medium containing 25 mg/L kanamycin. After 1.5 months shoots emerged from 27% of the explants inoculated. They were excised and transferred onto rooting medium containing 25 mg/L kanamycin and 200 mg/L cefotaxime which is better than carbenicillin for root induction. Whole plants were transplanted into pots, and grew well in the phytotron. Transformation was confirmed by β-glueuronidase assay and Southern blotting analysis.     

Transformation of Corynespora cassiicola by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

The fungus causing target spot disease, Corynespora cassiicola (Berk. & M. A. Curtis) C. T. Wei, poses an increasing threat to watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), muskmelon (Cucumis melo), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus); the most economically important cucurbit crops grown in China. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of C. cassiicola is essential for the development of new strategies to control this disease-causing fungus. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) might be useful to obtain transformants of C. cassiicola, for the ultimate identification of genes involved in pathogenicity. In the present work, we established and optimized an ATMT protocol using A. tumefaciens strain AGL-1 carrying the vector pATMT1 for C. cassiicola. Efficiency of ATMT was 102–148 transformants per 10⁶ conidia and successive subculturing of transformants on non-selective and selective media demonstrated that the integrated transfer (T)-DNA was stably inherited in C. cassiicola transformants. The integration of the hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) gene into C. cassiicola was validated by PCR and Southern blot analyses, which revealed that nearly 90 % of the transformants contained single-copy T-DNA. The transformants with altered phenotypes were characterized. Three of these transformants completely lost pathogenicity and other three showed strongly impaired pathogenicity relative to the Cc-GX strain on muskmelon leaves. These results strongly suggest that ATMT may be used as a molecular tool for identifying genes relevant to pathogenicity in the fungus C. cassiicola, an emerging threat to several agronomically important plants in China.     

Transformation of azuki bean by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Stable transformation and regeneration was developed for a grain legume, azuki bean (Vigna angularis Willd. Ohwi & Ohashi). Two constructs containing the neomycin phosphotransferase II gene (nptII) and either the -glucuronidase (GUS) gene or the modified green fluorescent protein [sGFP(S65T)] gene were introduced independently via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. After 2 days of co-cultivation on MS medium supplemented with 100 M acetosyringone and 10 mg l^–1 6-benzyladenine, seedling epicotyl explants were placed on regeneration medium containing 100 mg l^–1 kanamycin. Adventitious shoots developing from explant calli were excised onto rooting medium containing 100 mg l^–1 kanamycin. Rooted shoots were excised and repeatedly selected on the same medium containing kanamycin. Surviving plants were transferred to soil and grown in a green house to produce viable seeds. This process took 5 to 7 months after co-cultivation. Molecular analysis confirmed the stable integration and expression of foreign genes.     

Presence of Unintended Agrobacterium tumefaciens Cloning Vector Sequences in Genetically Modified Plants

Agrobacterium transformation was used in the production of genetically modified plants from oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). After inoculation stop with the antibiotic timentin, a subsequent one-week treatment eliminated the vector bacterium from the oilseed rape plate explant cultures. From the tobacco, however, we recorded vector-derived signals one week after potting the regenerants in the greenhouse and still 10 weeks later. Genetically modified plants produced through Agrobacterium-transformation therefore cannot be guaranteed to be completely free of unintended vector sequences after antibiotic treatment.     

Polygalacturonase Production by Agrobacterium tumefaciens Biovar 3

Agrobacterium tumefaciens biovar 3 causes both crown gall and root decay of grape. Twenty-two Agrobacterium strains representing biovars 1, 2, and 3 were analyzed for tumorigenicity, presence of a Ti plasmid, ability to cause grape seedling root decay, and pectolytic activity. All of the biovar 3 strains, regardless of their tumorigenicity or presence of a Ti plasmid, caused root decay and were pectolytic, whereas none of the biovar 1 and 2 strains had these capacities. Isoelectrically focused gels that were activity stained with differentially buffered polygalacturonate-agarose overlays revealed that all of the biovar 3 strains produced a single polygalacturonase with a pH optimum of 4.5 and pIs ranging from 4.8 to 5.2. The enzyme was largely extracellular and was produced constitutively in basal medium supplemented with a variety of carbon sources including polygalacturonic acid. Lesions on grape seedling roots inoculated with A. tumefaciens biovar 3 strain CG49 yielded polygalacturonase activity with a pI similar to that of the enzyme produced by the bacterium in culture. These observations support the hypothesis that the polygalacturonase produced by A. tumefaciens biovar 3 has a role in grape root decay.     

根癌农杆菌介导真菌遗传转化的研究进展

根癌农杆菌介导的真菌遗传转化是近年来发展的一种新方法 ,与其它方法相比 ,该方法具有操作简便、转化效率高和易得到稳定转化子等特点。目前 ,在根癌农杆菌介导下已实现了多个属种真菌的遗传转化 ,显示出良好的应用前景。综述了根癌农杆菌介导真菌遗传转化的转化机理和T DNA在真菌细胞中的存在方式等方面的研究结果 ,并展望这一方法的应用前景。