Transfer of Genetic Information from Agrobacterium tumefaciens to Plants

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a phytopathogenic bacterium capable of transferring a segment of its genome into plant cells. The segment, termed 'T-DNA', stably integrates into the plant genome and thus genetically transforms its target cell (T-DNA, transferred DNA). The T-DNA can be engineered to carry virtually any sequence without affecting the bacterium's capacity to transform its host. Thus, Agrobacterium has been adopted as the preferred tool for the production of transgenic plants with agronomically and scientifically important novel traits. The precise mechanism of the transformation process has been studied for several decades. These studies have revealed the roles of bacterial and host proteins in the T-DNA's journey from bacterial to plant cell. A better understanding of this mechanism will enable devising better tools for the generation of transgenic plants and will further enrich our knowledge of basic cellular functions and host-pathogen interactions.