Editing Agrobacterium

{{Short description|Genus of bacteria}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Agrobacterium-tumefaciens.png
| taxon = Agrobacterium
| authority = Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980)
| type_species = ''[[Agrobacterium radiobacter]]''
| type_species_authority = (Smith and Townsend 1907) Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980)
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
<!-- Agrobacterium aggregatum was reclassified as Labrenzia aggregata. -->
<!-- Agrobacterium agile was reclassified into an undefined position in the genus Pseudomonas. -->
* "''[[Agrobacterium albertimagni]]''" <small>Salmassi ''et al''. 2002</small>
<!-- Agrobacterium albilineans was reclassified as Xanthomonas albilineans. -->
* ''[[Agrobacterium arsenijevicii]]'' <small>Kuzmanović ''et al''. 2019</small>
<!-- Agrobacterium atlanticum was reclassified as Ruegeria atlantica. -->
<!-- Agrobacterium aurantiacum is not currently an accepted binomial. -->
* "''Agrobacterium bohemicum''" <small>Zahradnik ''et al''. 2018</small>
* ''[[Agrobacterium cavarae]]'' <small>Flores-Félix ''et al''. 2020</small>
* "''Agrobacterium deltaense''" <small>Yan ''et al''. 2017</small>
* ''[[Agrobacterium fabacearum]]'' <small>Delamuta ''et al''. 2020</small>
* "''[[Agrobacterium fabrum]]''" <small>Lassalle ''et al''. 2011</small>
<!-- Agrobacterium ferrugineum was reclassified as Pseudorhodobacter ferrugineus. -->
<!-- Agrobacterium gelatinovorum was reclassified as Thalassobius gelatinovorus. -->
<!-- Agrobacterium kieliense was reclassified as Ahrensia kielensis. -->
* ''[[Agrobacterium larrymoorei]]'' <small>Bouzar and Jones 2001</small>
<!-- Agrobacterium luteum was reclassified into an undefined position in the genus Sphingopyxis. -->
<!-- Agrobacterium meteori was reclassified as Ruegeria atlantica. -->
* ''[[Agrobacterium nepotum]]'' <small>(Puławska ''et al''. 2012) Mousavi ''et al''. 2016</small>
* ''[[Agrobacterium pusense]]'' <small>(Panday ''et al''. 2011) Mousavi ''et al''. 2016</small>
* ''[[Agrobacterium radiobacter]]'' <small>(Beijerinck and van Delden 1902) Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980)</small>
<!-- Agrobacterium rathayi was reclassified as Rathayibacter rathayi. -->
<!-- Agrobacterium rhizogenes was reclassified as Rhizobium rhizogenes. -->
* ''[[Agrobacterium rosae]]'' <small>Kuzmanović ''et al''. 2019</small>
* ''[[Agrobacterium rubi]]'' <small>(Hildebrand 1940) Starr and Weiss 1943</small>
* ''[[Agrobacterium salinitolerans]]'' <small>Yan ''et al''. 2017</small>
<!-- Agrobacterium sanguineum was reclassified as Porphyrobacter sanguineus. -->
* ''[[Agrobacterium skierniewicense]]'' <small>(Puławska ''et al''. 2012) Mousavi ''et al''. 2016</small>
<!-- Agrobacterium stellulatum was reclassified as Stappia stellulata. -->
* ''[[Agrobacterium tumefaciens]]''
<!-- Agrobacterium viscosum is not currently an accepted binomial. -->
<!-- Agrobacterium vitis was reclassified as Allorhizobium vitis. -->
| synonyms =
* ''Polymonas'' <small>Lieske 1928</small>
| synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite journal | author = Buchanan RE | year = 1965 | title = Proposal for rejection of the generic name ''Polymonas'' Lieske 1928 | journal = International Bulletin of Bacteriological Nomenclature and Taxonomy | volume = 15 | issue = 1 | pages = 43–44 | doi = 10.1099/00207713-15-1-43| doi-access = free }}</ref>
}}

'''''Agrobacterium''''' is a [[genus]] of [[Gram-negative]] [[bacteria]] established by [[Harold J. Conn|H. J. Conn]] that uses [[horizontal gene transfer]] to cause [[tumors]] in plants. ''[[Agrobacterium tumefaciens]]'' is the most commonly studied [[species]] in this genus. ''Agrobacterium'' is well known for its ability to transfer [[DNA]] between itself and plants, and for this reason it has become an important tool for [[genetic engineering]].

==Nomenclatural history==
Leading up to the 1990s, the genus ''Agrobacterium'' was used as a [[wastebasket taxon]]. With the advent of [[16S ribosomal RNA|16S sequencing]], many ''Agrobacterium'' species (especially the marine species) were reassigned to genera such as ''[[Ahrensia]]'', ''[[Pseudorhodobacter]]'', ''[[Ruegeria]]'', and ''[[Stappia]]''.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Uchino Y, Yokota A, Sugiyama J | title = Phylogenetic position of the marine subdivision of ''Agrobacterium'' species based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis | journal = The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology | volume = 43 | issue = 4 | pages = 243–247 | date = August 1997 | pmid = 12501326 | doi = 10.2323/jgam.43.243 | doi-access = free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Uchino Y, Hirata A, Yokota A, Sugiyama J | title = Reclassification of marine ''Agrobacterium'' species: Proposals of ''Stappia stellulata'' gen. nov., comb. nov., ''Stappia aggregata'' sp. nov., nom. rev., ''Ruegeria atlantica'' gen. nov., comb. nov., ''Ruegeria gelatinovora'' comb. nov., ''Ruegeria algicola'' comb. nov., and ''Ahrensia kieliense'' gen. nov., sp. nov., nom. rev. | journal = The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology | volume = 44 | issue = 3 | pages = 201–210 | date = June 1998 | pmid = 12501429 | doi = 10.2323/jgam.44.201 | doi-access = free}}</ref> The remaining ''Agrobacterium'' species were assigned to three biovars: biovar 1 (''[[Agrobacterium tumefaciens]]''), biovar 2 (''Agrobacterium rhizogenes''), and biovar 3 (''Agrobacterium vitis''). In the early 2000s, ''Agrobacterium'' was synonymized with the genus ''[[Rhizobium]]''.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Young JM, Kuykendall LD, Martínez-Romero E, Kerr A, Sawada H | title = A revision of ''Rhizobium'' Frank 1889, with an emended description of the genus, and the inclusion of all species of ''Agrobacterium'' Conn 1942 and ''Allorhizobium undicola'' de Lajudie ''et al''. 1998 as new combinations: ''Rhizobium radiobacter'', ''R. rhizogenes'', ''R. rubi'', ''R. undicola'' and ''R. vitis'' | journal = International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology | volume = 51 | issue = Pt 1 | pages = 89–103 | date = January 2001 | pmid = 11211278 | doi = 10.1099/00207713-51-1-89 | doi-access = free}}</ref> This move proved to be controversial.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Farrand SK, van Berkum PB, Oger P | title = ''Agrobacterium'' is a definable genus of the family Rhizobiaceae | journal = International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology | volume = 53 | issue = Pt 5 | pages = 1681–1687 | date = September 2003 | pmid = 13130068 | doi = 10.1099/ijs.0.02445-0 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Young JM, Kuykendall LD, Martínez-Romero E, Kerr A, Sawada H | title = Classification and nomenclature of ''Agrobacterium'' and ''Rhizobium'' | journal = International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology | volume = 53 | issue = Pt 5 | pages = 1689–1695 | date = September 2003 | pmid = 13130069 | doi = 10.1099/ijs.0.02762-0 | doi-access = free }}</ref> The debate was finally resolved when the genus ''Agrobacterium'' was reinstated<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors = Flores-Félix JD, Menéndez E, Peix A, García-Fraile P, Velázquez E | year = 2020 | title = History and current taxonomic status of genus ''Agrobacterium'' | journal = Syst Appl Microbiol | volume = 43 | issue = 1 | pages = 126046  | pmid = 31818496 | doi = 10.1016/j.syapm.2019.126046| hdl = 10174/28328 | s2cid = 209164436 | hdl-access = free }}</ref> after it was demonstrated that it was [[monophyly|phylogenetically distinct]] from ''Rhizobium''<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors = Mousavi SA, Österman J, Wahlberg N, Nesme X, Lavire C, Vial L, Paulin L, de Lajudie P, Lindström K | title = Phylogeny of the ''Rhizobium''-''Allorhizobium''-''Agrobacterium'' clade supports the delineation of ''Neorhizobium'' gen. nov. | journal = Syst Appl Microbiol | year = 2014 | volume = 37 | issue = 3 | pages = 208–215 | doi = 10.1016/j.syapm.2013.12.007 | pmid = 24581678}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors = Mousavi SA, Willems A, Nesme X, de Lajudie P, Lindström K | year = 2015 | title = Revised phylogeny of ''Rhizobiaceae'': Proposal of the delineation of ''Pararhizobium'' gen. nov., and 13 new species combinations | journal = Syst Appl Microbiol | volume = 38 | issue = 2 | pages = 84–90 | pmid = 25595870 | doi = 10.1016/j.syapm.2014.12.003}}</ref> and that ''Agrobacterium'' species were unified by a unique [[synapomorphy]]: the presence of the protelomerase gene, ''telA'', which causes all members of the genus to have a linear [[chromid]].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors = Ramírez-Bahena MH, Vial L, Lassalle F, Diel B, Chapulliot D, Daubin V, Nesme X, Muller D | year = 2014 | title = Single acquisition of protelomerase gave rise to speciation of a large and diverse clade within the ''Agrobacterium''/''Rhizobium'' supercluster characterized by the presence of a linear chromid | journal = Mol Phylogenet Evol | volume = 73 | pages = 202–207 | pmid = 24440816 | doi = 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.01.005}}</ref> By this time, however, the three ''Agrobacterium'' biovars had become defunct; biovar 1 remained with ''Agrobacterium'', biovar 2 was renamed ''[[Rhizobium rhizogenes]]'', and biovar 3 was renamed ''[[Allorhizobium vitis]]''.

==Plant pathogen==
[[File:Agrobacteriumgall.jpg|left|thumb|The large growths on these roots are [[gall]]s induced by ''Agrobacterium'' sp.]]
''[[Agrobacterium tumefaciens]]'' causes crown-gall disease in plants. The disease is characterised by a [[tumour]]-like growth or [[gall]] on the infected plant, often at the junction between the root and the shoot. Tumors are incited by the [[bacterial conjugation|conjugative]] transfer of a DNA segment ([[T-DNA]]) from the bacterial tumour-inducing (Ti) [[plasmid]]. The closely related species, ''Agrobacterium rhizogenes'', induces root tumors, and carries the distinct Ri (root-inducing) plasmid. Although the taxonomy of ''Agrobacterium'' is currently under revision it can be generalised that 3 biovars exist within the genus, ''Agrobacterium tumefaciens'', ''Agrobacterium rhizogenes'', and ''Agrobacterium vitis''. Strains within ''Agrobacterium tumefaciens'' and ''Agrobacterium rhizogenes'' are known to be able to harbour either a Ti or Ri-[[plasmid]], whilst strains of ''Agrobacterium vitis'', generally restricted to grapevines, can harbour a Ti-plasmid. Non-''Agrobacterium'' strains have been isolated from environmental samples which harbour a Ri-plasmid whilst laboratory studies have shown that non-''Agrobacterium'' strains can also harbour a Ti-plasmid. Some environmental strains of ''Agrobacterium'' possess neither a Ti nor Ri-plasmid. These strains are avirulent.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Sawada H, Ieki H, Oyaizu H, Matsumoto S | title = Proposal for rejection of ''Agrobacterium tumefaciens'' and revised descriptions for the genus ''Agrobacterium'' and for ''Agrobacterium radiobacter'' and ''Agrobacterium rhizogenes'' | journal = International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology | volume = 43 | issue = 4 | pages = 694–702 | date = October 1993 | pmid = 8240952 | doi = 10.1099/00207713-43-4-694 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

The plasmid T-DNA is integrated semi-randomly into the [[genome]] of the host cell,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Francis KE, Spiker S | title = Identification of ''Arabidopsis thaliana'' transformants without selection reveals a high occurrence of silenced T-DNA integrations | journal = The Plant Journal | volume = 41 | issue = 3 | pages = 464–77 | date = February 2005 | pmid = 15659104 | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2004.02312.x | doi-access = free }}</ref> and the tumor morphology genes on the T-DNA are expressed, causing the formation of a gall. The T-DNA carries genes for the biosynthetic enzymes for the production of unusual [[amino acid]]s, typically [[octopine]] or [[nopaline]]. It also carries genes for the biosynthesis of the [[plant hormones]], [[auxin]] and [[cytokinins]], and for the biosynthesis of [[opines]], providing a carbon and nitrogen source for the bacteria that most other micro-organisms can't use, giving ''Agrobacterium'' a [[Selection (biology)|selective advantage]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Pitzschke A, Hirt H | title = New insights into an old story: ''Agrobacterium''-induced tumour formation in plants by plant transformation | journal = The EMBO Journal | volume = 29 | issue = 6 | pages = 1021–32 | date = March 2010 | pmid = 20150897 | pmc = 2845280 | doi = 10.1038/emboj.2010.8 }}</ref> By altering the hormone balance in the plant cell, the division of those cells cannot be controlled by the plant, and tumors form. The ratio of auxin to cytokinin produced by the tumor genes determines the morphology of the tumor (root-like, disorganized or shoot-like).

==In humans==
Although generally seen as an infection in plants, ''Agrobacterium'' can be responsible for [[opportunistic infection]]s in humans with weakened [[immune system]]s,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Hulse M, Johnson S, Ferrieri P | title = ''Agrobacterium'' infections in humans: experience at one hospital and review | journal = Clinical Infectious Diseases | volume = 16 | issue = 1 | pages = 112–7 | date = January 1993 | pmid = 8448285 | doi = 10.1093/clinids/16.1.112 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Dunne WM, Tillman J, Murray JC | title = Recovery of a strain of ''Agrobacterium radiobacter'' with a mucoid phenotype from an immunocompromised child with bacteremia | journal = Journal of Clinical Microbiology | volume = 31 | issue = 9 | pages = 2541–3 | date = September 1993 | pmid = 8408587 | pmc = 265809 | doi = 10.1128/JCM.31.9.2541-2543.1993 }}</ref> but has not been shown to be a primary pathogen in otherwise healthy individuals. One of the earliest associations of human disease caused by ''Agrobacterium radiobacter'' was reported by Dr. J. R. Cain in Scotland (1988).<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Cain JR | title = A case of septicaemia caused by ''Agrobacterium radiobacter'' | journal = The Journal of Infection | volume = 16 | issue = 2 | pages = 205–6 | date = March 1988 | pmid = 3351321 | doi = 10.1016/s0163-4453(88)94272-7 }}</ref> A later study suggested that ''Agrobacterium'' attaches to and genetically transforms several types of human cells by integrating its T-DNA into the human cell genome. The study was conducted using cultured human tissue and did not draw any conclusions regarding related biological activity in nature.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Kunik T, Tzfira T, Kapulnik Y, Gafni Y, Dingwall C, Citovsky V | title = Genetic transformation of HeLa cells by ''Agrobacterium'' | journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | volume = 98 | issue = 4 | pages = 1871–6 | date = February 2001 | pmid = 11172043 | pmc = 29349 | doi = 10.1073/pnas.041327598 | bibcode = 2001PNAS...98.1871K | jstor = 3054968 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

==Uses in biotechnology==
{{See also|Horizontal gene transfer}}
{{See also|Agroinfiltration}}

The ability of ''Agrobacterium'' to transfer [[gene]]s to [[plant]]s and fungi is used in [[biotechnology]], in particular, [[genetic engineering]] for [[plant improvement]]. Genomes of plants and fungi can be engineered by use of ''Agrobacterium'' for the delivery of sequences hosted in [[Transfer DNA binary system|T-DNA binary vectors]]. A modified Ti or Ri plasmid can be used. The plasmid is 'disarmed' by deletion of the tumor inducing genes; the only essential parts of the T-DNA are its two small (25 base pair) border repeats, at least one of which is needed for plant transformation.<ref name=Montagu1977/><ref name=Joos1983/> The genes to be introduced into the plant are cloned into a plant binary vector that contains the T-DNA region of the disarmed [[plasmid]], together with a selectable marker (such as [[antimicrobial resistance|antibiotic resistance]]) to enable selection for plants that have been successfully transformed. Plants are grown on media containing antibiotic following transformation, and those that do not have the T-DNA integrated into their genome will die. An alternative method is [[agroinfiltration]].<ref name=Thomson>{{cite journal |title=Genetic Engineering of Plants |volume=3 |journal=Biotechnology |author=Thomson JA |url=http://www.eolss.net/sample-chapters/c17/e6-58-03-04.pdf |access-date=17 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170117110839/http://www.eolss.net/sample-chapters/c17/e6-58-03-04.pdf |archive-date=17 January 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Leuzinger K, Dent M, Hurtado J, Stahnke J, Lai H, Zhou X, Chen Q | title = Efficient agroinfiltration of plants for high-level transient expression of recombinant proteins | journal = Journal of Visualized Experiments | volume = 77 | issue = 77 | date = July 2013 | pmid = 23913006 | pmc = 3846102 | doi = 10.3791/50521 }}</ref>

[[File:Transformation with Agrobacterium.JPG|thumb|right|Plant (''[[Solanum|S. chacoense]]'') transformed using ''Agrobacterium''. Transformed cells start forming calluses on the side of the leaf pieces]]
[[Transformation (genetics)|Transformation]] with ''Agrobacterium'' can be achieved in multiple ways. [[Protoplast]]s or alternatively leaf-discs can be incubated with the ''Agrobacterium'' and whole plants regenerated using [[plant tissue culture]]. In [[agroinfiltration]] the ''Agrobacterium'' may be injected directly into the leaf tissue of a plant. This method transforms only cells in immediate contact with the bacteria, and results in transient expression of plasmid DNA.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Shamloul M, Trusa J, Mett V, Yusibov V | title = Optimization and utilization of ''Agrobacterium''-mediated transient protein production in ''Nicotiana'' | journal = Journal of Visualized Experiments | issue = 86 | date = April 2014 | pmid = 24796351 | pmc = 4174718 | doi = 10.3791/51204 }}</ref>

Agroinfiltration is commonly used to transform tobacco (''[[Nicotiana]]''). A common transformation protocol for ''[[Arabidopsis thaliana|Arabidopsis]]'' is the floral dip method:<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Clough SJ, Bent AF | title = Floral dip: a simplified method for ''Agrobacterium''-mediated transformation of ''Arabidopsis thaliana'' | journal = The Plant Journal | volume = 16 | issue = 6 | pages = 735–43 | date = December 1998 | pmid = 10069079 | doi = 10.1046/j.1365-313x.1998.00343.x | s2cid = 410286 }}</ref> An [[inflorescence]] is dipped in a suspension of ''Agrobacterium'', and the bacterium transforms the [[germline]] cells that make the female [[gametes]]. The [[seed]]s can then be screened for antibiotic resistance (or another marker of interest). Plants that have not integrated the plasmid DNA will die when exposed to the antibiotic.<ref name="Thomson" />

''Agrobacterium'' is listed as being the vector of genetic material that was transferred to these USA GMOs:<ref>[http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/biocon.html#list The FDA List of Completed Consultations on Bioengineered Foods] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513162330/http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/biocon.html#list |date=May 13, 2008 }}</ref>
* [[Soybean]]
* [[Cotton]]
* [[Maize]]
* [[Sugar Beet]]
* [[Alfalfa]]
* [[Wheat]]
* Rapeseed Oil ([[Canola]])
* [[Creeping bentgrass]] (for animal feed)
* Rice ([[Golden Rice]])

The [[Transformation (genetics)|transformation]] of fungi using ''Agrobacterium'' is used primarily for research purposes,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Michielse CB, Hooykaas PJ, van den Hondel CA, Ram AF | s2cid = 23959400 | title = Agrobacterium-mediated transformation as a tool for functional genomics in fungi | journal = Current Genetics | volume = 48 | issue = 1 | pages = 1–17 | date = July 2005 | pmid = 15889258 | doi = 10.1007/s00294-005-0578-0 | hdl = 1887/3763935 | hdl-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Idnurm A, Bailey AM, Cairns TC, Elliott CE, Foster GD, Ianiri G, Jeon J | title = ''Agrobacterium''-mediated transformation of fungi | journal = Fungal Biology and Biotechnology | volume = 4 | pages = 6 | date = 2017 | pmid = 28955474 | pmc = 5615635 | doi = 10.1186/s40694-017-0035-0 | doi-access = free }}</ref> and follows similar approaches as for plant transformation.  The [[Transfer DNA binary system|Ti plasmid system]] is modified to include DNA elements to select for transformed fungal strains, after co-incubation of ''Agrobacterium'' strains carrying these plasmids with fungal species.

==Genomics==
The ''Agrobacterium'' genome consists of three parts: a circular [[chromosome]], a linear chromosome/[[chromid]], and (in some species) a [[Ti plasmid]].<ref name=genome>{{cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Linshuang |last2=Li |first2=Xiangyang |last3=Zhang |first3=Feng |last4=Wang |first4=Gejiao |title=Genomic analysis of Agrobacterium radiobacter DSM 30147T and emended description of A. radiobacter (Beijerinck and van Delden 1902) Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980) emend. Sawada et al. 1993 |journal=Standards in Genomic Sciences |date=2 January 2014 |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=574–584 |doi=10.4056/sigs.4688352|doi-access=free|pmc=4149017 }}</ref>

The sequencing of the [[genome]]s of several species of ''Agrobacterium'' has permitted the study of the evolutionary history of these organisms and has provided information on the [[gene]]s and systems involved in pathogenesis, biological control and [[symbiosis]]. One important finding is the possibility that [[chromosome]]s are evolving from [[plasmid]]s in many of these bacteria. Another discovery is that the diverse chromosomal structures in this group appear to be capable of supporting both symbiotic and pathogenic lifestyles. The availability of the genome sequences of ''Agrobacterium'' species will continue to increase, resulting in substantial insights into the function and evolutionary history of this group of plant-associated microbes.<ref name= SetubalJC>{{cite book |first1=Joao C. |last1=Setubal |first2=Derek |last2=Wood |first3=Thomas |last3=Burr |first4=Stephen K. |last4=Farrand |first5=Barry S. |last5=Goldman |first6=Brad |last6=Goodner |first7=Leon |last7=Otten |first8=Steven |last8=Slater | name-list-style = vanc |year=2009 |chapter=The Genomics of ''Agrobacterium'': Insights into its Pathogenicity, Biocontrol, and Evolution |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3nySn5qljjMC&pg=PA91 |pages=91–112 |editor1-first=Robert W. |editor1-last=Jackson |title=Plant Pathogenic Bacteria: Genomics and Molecular Biology |publisher=Caister Academic Press |isbn=978-1-904455-37-0}}</ref>

==History==
[[Marc Van Montagu]] and [[Jozef Schell]] at the [[University of Ghent]] ([[Belgium]]) discovered the gene transfer mechanism between ''Agrobacterium'' and plants, which resulted in the development of methods to alter ''Agrobacterium'' into an efficient delivery system for gene engineering in plants.<ref name=Montagu1977>{{cite book |doi=10.1007/978-1-4684-0880-5_12 |pmid=336023 |chapter=The Ti-Plasmid of Agrobacterium Tumefaciens, A Natural Vector for the Introduction of NIF Genes in Plants? |title=Genetic Engineering for Nitrogen Fixation |series=Basic Life Sciences |volume=9 |pages=159–79 |year=1977 |last1=Schell |first1=J. |last2=Van Montagu |first2=M. |isbn=978-1-4684-0882-9 |editor1-first=Alexander |editor1-last=Hollaender |editor2-first=R. H. |editor2-last=Burris |editor3-first=P. R. |editor3-last=Day |editor4-first=R. W. F. |editor4-last=Hardy |editor5-first=D. R. |editor5-last=Helinski |editor6-first=M. R. |editor6-last=Lamborg |editor7-first=L. |editor7-last=Owens |editor8-first=R. C. |editor8-last=Valentine | name-list-style = vanc }}</ref><ref name=Joos1983>{{cite journal | vauthors = Joos H, Timmerman B, Montagu MV, Schell J | title = Genetic analysis of transfer and stabilization of ''Agrobacterium'' DNA in plant cells | journal = The EMBO Journal | volume = 2 | issue = 12 | pages = 2151–60 | year = 1983 | pmid = 16453483 | pmc = 555427 | doi = 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1983.tb01716.x }}</ref> A team of researchers led by [[Mary-Dell Chilton]] were the first to demonstrate that the virulence genes could be removed without adversely affecting the ability of ''Agrobacterium'' to insert its own DNA into the plant genome (1983).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chilton |first=Mary-Dell |date=2001 |title=Agrobacterium. A Memoir |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4279598 |journal=Plant Physiology |volume=125 |issue=1 |pages=9–14 |doi=10.1104/pp.125.1.9 |issn=0032-0889 |pmid=11154285 |via=|doi-access=free |pmc=1539314 }}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Agroinfiltration]]
* [[Marc Van Montagu]]
* ''[[Rhizobium rhizogenes]]'' (formerly ''Agrobacterium rhizogenes'')

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== Further reading ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite journal | vauthors = Kyndt T, Quispe D, Zhai H, Jarret R, Ghislain M, Liu Q, Gheysen G, Kreuze JF | display-authors = 6 | title = The genome of cultivated sweet potato contains ''Agrobacterium'' T-DNAs with expressed genes: An example of a naturally transgenic food crop | journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | volume = 112 | issue = 18 | pages = 5844–9 | date = May 2015 | pmid = 25902487 | pmc = 4426443 | doi = 10.1073/pnas.1419685112 | bibcode = 2015PNAS..112.5844K | doi-access = free}}
**{{lay source |template=cite web |author=Bob Yirka |date=April 21, 2015 |title=Researchers find the genome of the cultivated sweet potato has bacterial DNA |url=http://phys.org/news/2015-04-genome-cultivated-sweet-potato-bacterial.html |website=Phys.org}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.rhizobia.co.nz/taxonomy/not-rhizobia Current taxonomy of ''Agrobacterium'' species, and new ''Rhizobium'' names]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110520044820/http://www.gmo-safety.eu/basic-info/294.soil-bacterium-gene-transporter.html Agrobacteria is used as gene ferry] - Plant transformation with ''Agrobacterium'']

{{Genetic engineering}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2700446}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rhizobiaceae]]
[[Category:Biotechnology]]
[[Category:Bacteria genera]]

[[pl:Agrobacterium tumefaciens]]