Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a bacterium that causes gallbladder disease in plants, leading to tumor growth that can strangle the plant. It inhabits soil and roots and can enter plants through injuries. The Ti plasmid produced by the bacterium causes tumors. Measures like pruning and soil sterilization can help, but removing plants and roots may be necessary. The bacterium is used in genetic engineering to introduce new DNA into plants.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a bacterium responsible for producing gallbladder disease, a type of tumor growth that can occur in many plants. This bacterium can be particularly harmful to populations of vines, stone fruit, roses, beets, radishes and walnuts. Plants infected with the bacterium will produce distinctive galls, tumors that can grow quite large and can be located in various regions of the plant. The gall can act to strangle the plant, depriving it of water and nutrients and making it sick.
This organism is gram negative and rod shaped and inhabits soils in many regions of the world. It often gathers around the roots of plants, trees and shrubs to take advantage of the nutrients that can leak out of the root system to support itself. As long as a plant remains healthy, Agrobacterium tumefaciens shouldn’t be a problem, as the surface layers of the roots will keep the bacteria away.
When a plant is injured, however, it allows bacteria to enter, creating an opportunity for bacteria to colonize and cause crown disease. The bacteria themselves aren’t actually responsible; rather, the tumor is caused by a plasmid produced by the bacteria. This plasmid is known as a tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid, in reference to the fact that it carries the DNA that will cause tumors to develop. When bacteria are stripped of the Ti plasmid, they are still functional.
For plants infected with Agrobacterium tumefaciens, there may not be much that can be done. Plants can be pruned to remove the growth, and measures such as soil sterilization can also help. In some cases, it may be necessary to remove the plants and their roots completely and sterilize the soil to start over. As it can take several years to restore production to previous levels, this measure is often avoided if possible to reduce losses caused by infection.
Given that Agrobacterium tumefaciens works by introducing DNA into plants, it should come as no surprise to learn that this bacterium is used in genetic engineering. Researchers who want to introduce new DNA into a plant population can engineer the plasmid, modifying its contents so that it delivers a desirable DNA payload to enter a vulnerable plant. Agrobacterium tumefaciens is used in laboratories around the world working with transgenic crops, including laboratories developing crops for commercial use, such as transgenic maize species.
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