Open AccessVirE1-Mediated Resistance to Crown Gall in Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana
Author(s) -
Jodi L. Humann,
Sarah Andrews,
Walt Ream
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
phytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.264
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1943-7684
pISSN - 0031-949X
DOI - 10.1094/phyto-96-0105
Subject(s) - agrobacterium tumefaciens , biology , gall , agrobacterium , arabidopsis thaliana , plant cell , arabidopsis , transformation (genetics) , ti plasmid , genetically modified crops , virulence , dna , microbiology and biotechnology , transgene , botany , genetics , gene , mutant
Crown gall disease, caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, remains a serious agricultural problem despite current biocontrol methods. Agrobacterium tumefaciens transfers single-stranded DNA (T-strands) into plant cells along with several virulence proteins, including a single-stranded DNA-binding protein (VirE2). In plant cells, T-strands are protected from nucleases and targeted to the nucleus by VirE2, which is essential for efficient transmission (transfer and integration) of T-strands. VirE1 is the secretory chaperone for VirE2; it prevents VirE2 from forming aggregates and from binding the T-strands in bacterial cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that sufficient quantities of VirE1 expressed in plant cells might block T-DNA transmission by preventing VirE2 from binding T-strands. Here we show that root explants from Arabidopsis thaliana plants that expressed virE1 formed 3.5-fold fewer tumors than roots from plants without virE1. Also, this resistance was specific for VirE2-mediated Agrobacterium transformation. Plants that have been genetically altered to resist crown gall may prove more effective than biological control.