Agrobacterium-plant cell DNA transport: have virulence proteins, will travel

• Published in: The Plant cell Vol. 8; no. 10; pp. 1699 - 1710
• Main Authors: Sheng, J.S. (State University of New York, Stoney Brook, NY.), Citovsky, V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society of Plant Physiologists 01.10.1996
• Subjects: ADN; AGALLAS; AGROBACTERIUM; AGROBACTERIUM TUMEFACIENS; BACTERIA; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR; Biological Transport; BIOLOGIE MOLECULAIRE; Cell nucleus; CROWN GALL; DNA; DNA, Bacterial - metabolism; GALLE; GENE; GENES; GENETIC TRANSFORMATION; GENETICA MOLECULAR; GENETIQUE MOLECULAIRE; Host plants; Imports; LITERATURE REVIEWS; MOLECULAR BIOLOGY; MOLECULAR GENETICS; Molecules; PATHOGENESE; PATHOGENESIS; Pathogenic Processes; PATHOGENICITY; PATOGENESIS; PATOGENICIDAD; Plant cells; PLANT GALLS; PLANTAS; PLANTE; PLANTS; Plants - genetics; Plants - metabolism; Plants - microbiology; POUVOIR PATHOGENE; PROTEINAS; PROTEINE; PROTEINS; Rhizobium - pathogenicity; Rhizobium - physiology; T-DNA; TRANSFER; TRANSFORMACION GENETICA; TRANSFORMATION GENETIQUE; VIR GENES; Virulence; Virulence Factors
• ISSN: 1040-4651; 1532-298X
• DOI: 10.1105/tpc.8.10.1699

This review describes how Agrobacterium is used as such an experimental system. Specifically, we divide Agrobacterium-plant cell interaction into seven steps, each of which represents a fundamental aspect of prokaryotic as well as eukaryotic cellular biology (Figure 1 and Table 1). Steps including Agrobacterium-host cell recognition, transduction of plant signals, activation of vir genes, and production of a transferable copy of the T-DNA are characteristic of bacterial conjugation. Transport of the T-DNA from the bacterial into the host plant cell may combine the hallmarks of both bacterial conjugation and viral infection, whereas T-DNA nuclear transport and integration probably occur by typical eukaryotic mechanisms. Our detailed discussion of these steps concludes with an overview of future perspectives and emerging experimental approaches.