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Non‐homologous end‐joining proteins are required for Agrobacterium T‐DNA integration
Author(s) -
van Attikum Haico,
Bundock Paul,
Hooykaas Paul J. J.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/20.22.6550
Subject(s) - biology , rad50 , agrobacterium tumefaciens , plasmid , dna , non homologous end joining , homologous recombination , saccharomyces cerevisiae , genetics , agrobacterium , dna repair , ti plasmid , genome , transformation (genetics) , gene , dna binding protein , transcription factor
Agrobacterium tumefaciens causes crown gall disease in dicotyledonous plants by introducing a segment of DNA (T‐DNA), derived from its tumour‐inducing (Ti) plasmid, into plant cells at infection sites. Besides these natural hosts, Agrobacterium can deliver the T‐DNA also to monocotyledonous plants, yeasts and fungi. The T‐DNA integrates randomly into one of the chromosomes of the eukaryotic host by an unknown process. Here, we have used the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a T‐DNA recipient to demonstrate that the non‐homologous end‐joining (NHEJ) proteins Yku70, Rad50, Mre11, Xrs2, Lig4 and Sir4 are required for the integration of T‐DNA into the host genome. We discovered a minor pathway for T‐DNA integration at the telomeric regions, which is still operational in the absence of Rad50, Mre11 or Xrs2, but not in the absence of Yku70. T‐DNA integration at the telomeric regions in the rad50 , mre11 and xrs2 mutants was accompanied by gross chromosomal rearrangements.