PILUS ASSEMBLY BY AROBACTERIUM T-DNA TRANSFER GENES

Agrobacterium tumefaciens can genetically transform eukaryotic cells, In many bacteria, pill are required for interbacterial DNA transfer. T he formation of pill by Agrobacterium required induction of tumor-indu cing (Ti) plasmid-encoded virulence genes and growth at low temperatur e, Agenetic analysis demonstrated that virA, virG, virB1 through virB1 1, and virD4 are the only Ti plasmid genes necessary for pilus assembl y, The loss and gain of pill in various mutants correlated with the lo ss and gain of transferred DNA (T-DNA) transfer functions, which is co nsistent with the view that Agrobacterium pill are required for transf er of DNA to plant cells in a process similar to that of conjugation.