Polyamines enhance Agrobacterium tumefaciens vir gene induction and T-DNA transfer

• Published in: Plant science (Limerick) Vol. 168; no. 2; pp. 475 - 480
• Main Authors: Kumar, S. Vinod, Rajam, M.V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.02.2005; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Agrobacterium; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression; Genetic engineering applications; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; Plant breeding: fundamental aspects and methodology; Polyamines; T-DNA transfer; Virulence; Agrobacterium; T-DNA transfer; Polyamines; Gene expression; Virulence; Polyamine; Gene
• ISSN: 0168-9452; 1873-2259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2004.09.018

We report here the enhancement of acetosyringone-mediated virulence gene induction in Agrobacterium tumefaciens by polyamines. The diamine putrescine and triamine spermidine enhanced vir gene induction when agrobacterial cells were treated prior to acetosyringone addition. An increase in polyamine levels was observed in Agroacterium following the polyamine treatments, which was positively correlated with the magnitude of vir gene induction. Plant transformation experiments have shown that modulation of polyamine levels in Agrobacterium results in the enhanced T-DNA transfer. These results suggest the involvement of polyamines in the processes that lead to vir gene induction and T-DNA transfer. And these findings may be useful in achieving a high transformation frequency in those plant species, which show minimal vir gene induction.