Genetic transformation of HeLa cells by Agrobacterium

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a soil phytopathogen that elicits neoplastic g rowths on the host plant species. In nature, however, Agrobacterium also ma y encounter organisms belonging to other kingdoms such as insects and anima ls that feed on the infected plants. Can Agrobacterium, then, also infect a nimal cells? Here, we report that Agrobacterium attaches to and genetically transforms several types of human cells, In stably transformed Hela cells, the integration event occurred at the right border of the tumor-inducing p lasmid's transferred-DNA (T-DNA), suggesting bona fide T-DNA transfer and l ending support to the notion that Agrobacterium transforms human cells by a mechanism similar to that which it uses for transformation of plants cells . Collectively, our results suggest that Agrobacterium can transport its T- DNA to human cells and integrate it into their genome.