In this investigation, the students' goal was to isolate and characterize Agrobacterium strains from soil. Following selection and enrichment on 1A-t medium, putative Agrobacterium isolates were characterized by Gram stain reaction and biochemical tests. Isolates were further evaluated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with different primer sets designed to amplify specific regions of bacte...

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) can be defined as the acquisition of genetic material from another organism without being its offspring. HGT is common in the microbial world including archaea and bacteria, where HGT mechanisms are widely understood and recognized as an important force in evolution. In eukaryotes, HGT now appears to occur more frequently than originally thought. Many studies are ...

VirB5 is a type 4 secretion system protein of Agrobacterium located on the surface of the bacterial cell. This localization pattern suggests a function for VirB5 which is beyond its known role in biogenesis and/or stabilization of the T-pilus and which may involve early interactions between Agrobacterium and the host cell. Here, we identify VirB5 as the first Agrobacterium virulence protein tha...

Evidence for the involvement of the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway in Agrobacterium-mediated transferred DNA (T-DNA) integration into the genome of the model plant Arabidopsis remains inconclusive. Having established a rapid and highly efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system in rice (Oryza sativa) using scutellum-derived calli, we examined here the involvement of the NH...

The soil-borne bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens is called the natural genetic engineer, because it has the capacity to transfer and integrate a part of its tumour inducing (Ti) plasmid DNA (the transfer DNA or T-DNA) into the plant genome. Through exploring this natural system, plant genetic engineers place their gene of interest in the engineered Ti plasmid and deliver the gene of interest...

We describe a modified Agrobacterium-mediated method for the efficient transformation of Agaricus bisporus. Salient features of this procedure include cocultivation of Agrobacterium and fruiting body gill tissue and use of a vector with a homologous promoter. This method offers new prospects for the genetic manipulation of this commercially important mushroom species.

Influenza virus-like particles (VLPs) have been shown to induce a safe and potent immune response through both humoral and cellular responses. They represent promising novel influenza vaccines. Plant-based biotechnology allows for the large-scale production of VLPs of biopharmaceutical interest using different model organisms, including Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Through this platform, influ...

The study was conducted to standardize a protocol for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.). Embryogenic calli, produced from one-year-old mature seeds of buffel grass, were used as target cells for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. A. tumefaciens strain LBA4404, harbouring pCAMBIA-1301 or pCAMBIA-2301, was used for co-cultivation with embryog...

Bacteria of the genus Agrobacterium are very useful and unusual plant pathogens. Through a rare interkingdom DNA transfer, the bacteria move some of their genes into their host’s genome, thereby inducing the host cells to proliferate. The result is uncontrolled cell growth leading to a tumor (as induced by Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Agrobacterium vitis) or excessive production of roots (as i...

Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation was explored for inducing insect resistance in mat rush (Juncus effusus L.). Firstly, the callus regeneration system was established, and secondly the Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105 with plasmid pKUB carrying cryIA(b), hph and gus genes, coding for hygromycin phosphotransferase and β-glucuronidase, respectively, was used for transformation....