Azotobacter vinelandii stimulated the growth of Agrobacterium tumefaciens H2, H23, H24, H27, and ATCC 15955 on media containing insoluble iron sources. The Azotobacter vinelandii siderophores appeared to promote Agrobacterium tumefaciens growth by solubilizing mineral iron, and the ferrisiderophores so formed then acted as iron sources for Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Agrobactin, the Agrobacteriu...

The efficiency of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in plants depends on the virulence of Agrobacterium strains, the plant tissue culture conditions, and the susceptibility of host plants. Understanding the molecular interactions between Agrobacterium and host plant cells is crucial when manipulating the susceptibility of recalcitrant crop plants and protecting orchard trees from crown gall...

Agrobacterium most likely can transform virtually all known plant species, and experimental protocols for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of yet more plant species, ecotypes, and cultivars are published almost on a daily basis. Interestingly, the Agrobacterium host range is not limited to the plant kingdom, and it has been shown to transform many species of fungi and even prokaryo...

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is routinely used to engineer desirable genes into dicotyledonous plants. However, the economically important graminaceous plant maize is refractory to tumor induction by inoculation with virulent strains of A. tumefaciens. Currently, the only clearcut evidence for transferred DNA (T-DNA) transport from Agrobacterium to maize comes from agroinfection. To study T-DNA tr...

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is a commonly used method for plant genetic engineering. However, the limitations of Agrobacterium host-plant interactions and the complexity of plant tissue culture often make the production of transgenic plants difficult. Transformation efficiency in many legume species, including soybean and the common bean, has been reported to be quite low. To improve ...

Agrobacterium tumefaciens uses a type IV secretion system (T4SS) to transfer T-DNA and virulence proteins to plants. The T4SS is composed of two major structural components: the T-pilus and a membrane-associated complex that is responsible for translocating substrates across both bacterial membranes. VirB2 protein is the major component of the T-pilus. We used the C-terminal-processed portion o...

Genetic modification of plant cells by Agrobacterium is the only known natural example of DNA transport between kingdoms. While the bacterial factors involved in Agrobacterium infection have been relatively well characterized, studies of their host cellular partners are just beginning. Here, we describe the plant cell factors that might participate in Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformati...

The genetic transformation of plants mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens represents an essential tool for both fundamental and applied research in plant biology. For a successful infection, culminating in the integration of its transferred DNA (T-DNA) into the host genome, Agrobacterium relies on multiple interactions with host-plant factors. Extensive studies have unraveled many of such inte...

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a soil phytopathogen that elicits neoplastic growths on the host plant species. In nature, however, Agrobacterium also may encounter organisms belonging to other kingdoms such as insects and animals that feed on the infected plants. Can Agrobacterium, then, also infect animal cells? Here, we report that Agrobacterium attaches to and genetically transforms several ty...

A combination of the crown gall biocontrol strain K-84 and another antagonist JH-l was better than K-84 alone in controlling some Agrobacterium strains. Strain K-84 surprisingly controlled some resistant Agrobacterium strains when heavy concentrations of K-84 were used. Strain K-84 could control sensitive strains of Agrobacterium up to 48 hr. after wounds were inoculated with the pathogen at te...