Summary
Conjugal transfer of the nopaline Ti-plasmid pTiC58 is inducible by the phosphorylated opines, agrocinopines A and B. Although the uninduced level of transfer is negligible (< 10−7 per donor), some transconjugants have been isolated from crosses performed in the absence of agrocinopine. These transconjugants harbour mutant Ti-plasmids that transfer constitutively (>10−3 per donor). These mutants have several other correlated phenotypes including constitutive uptake of agrocinopine A, supersensitivity to agrocin 84 and the ability to prevent the excretion of agrocin 84 when they are present in the same cell as the agrocin 84 biosynthetic plasmid pAt-84a.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Casse F, Boucher C, Julliot JS, Michel M, Dénarié J (1979) Identification and characterization of large plasmids in Rhizobium meliloti using agarose gel electrophoresis. J Gen Microbiol 113:229–242
Ellis JG (1980) Ph.D. Thesis, University of Adelaide
Ellis JG, Kerr A, Petit A, Tempé J (1982) Conjugal transfer of nopaline and octopine Ti-plasmids — the role of agrocinopines. Mol Gen Genet 186:269–274
Ellis JG, Kerr A, Tempé J, Petit A (1979a) Arginine catabolism: a new function of both octopine and nopaline T-plasmids of Agrobacterium. Mol Gen Genet 173:263–269
Ellis JG, Kerr A, Van Montagu M, Schell J (1979b) Agrobacterium: genetic studies on agrocin 84 production and the biological control of crown gall. Physiol Plant Pathol 15:311–319
Ellis JG, Murphy PJ (1981) Four new opines from crown gall tumors — their detection and properties. Mol Gen Genet 181:36–43
Firmin JL, Fenwick GR (1977) N2 (1,3-dicarboxypropyl) ornithine in crown gall tumours. Phytochemistry 16:761–762
Goldmann A, Thomas DW, Morel G (1969) Sur la structure de la nopaline métabolite anormale de certaines tumeurs de crowngall. CR Acad Sci (Paris) 268:852–854
Hamilton RH, Fall MZ (1971) The loss of tumour initiating ability in Agrobacterium tumefaciens by incubation at high temperature. Experientia 27:229–230
Hernalsteens JP, De Greve H, Van Montagu M, Schell J (1978) Mutagenesis by insertion of the drug resistance transposon Tn7 applied to the Ti-plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Plasmid 1:218–225
Holsters M, Silva B, Van Vliet F, Genetello C, De Block M, Dhaese P, Depicker A, Inzé D, Engler G, Villarroel R, Van Montagu M, Schell J (1980) The functional organization of the nopaline A. tumefaciens plasmid pTiC58. Plasmid 3:212–230
Kerr A, Htay K (1974) Biological control of crown gall through bacteriocin production. Physiol Plant Pathol 4:37–44
Klapwijk PM, Scheulderman T, Schilperoort RA (1978) Co-ordinated regulation of octopine degradation and conjugative transfer of Ti-plasmids in Agrobacterium tumefaciens: evidence for a common regulatory gene and separate operons. J Bacteriol 136:775–785
Koekman BT, Ooms G, Klapwijk PM, Schilperoort RA (1979) Genetic map of an octopine Ti-plasmid. Plasmid 2:347–357
Murphy PJ, Roberts WP (1979) A basis for agrocin 84 sensitivity in Agrobacterium. J Gen Microbiol 114:207–213
Petit A, Tempé J (1978) Isolation of Agrobacterium Ti-plasmid regulatory mutants. Mol Gen Genet 167:147–155
Petit A, Tempé J, Kerr A, Holsters M, Van Montagu M, Schell J (1978) Substrate induction of conjugative activity of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Nature (London) 271:570–572
Roberts WP (1975) Ph.D. Thesis, University of Adelaide
Sciaky D, Montoya AL, Chilton M-D (1978) Fingerprints of Agrobacterium Ti-plasmids. Plasmid 1:238–253
Tate ME, Murphy PJ, Roberts WP, Kerr A (1979) Adenine N6-substituent of agrocin 84 determines its bacteriocin-like specificity. Nature (London) 280:697–699
Tempé J, Petit A, Holsters M, Van Montagu M, Schell J (1977) Thermosensitive step associated with transfer of the Ti-plasmid during conjugation: possible relation to transformation in crown gall. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74:2848–2849
Van Larebeke N, Engler G, Holsters M, Van den Elsacker S, Zaenen I, Schilperoort RA, Schell J (1974) Large plasmid in Agrobacterium tumefaciens essential for crown gall-inducing ability. Nature (London) 252:169–170
Van Larebeke N, Genetello C, Schell J, Schilperoort RA, Hermans AK, Hernalsteens JP, Van Montagu M (1975) Acquisition of tumour-inducing ability by non-oncogenic agrobacteria as a result of plasmid transfer. Nature (London) 255:742–743
Watson B, Currier TC, Gordon MP, Chilton M-D, Nester EW (1975) Plasmid required for virulence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. J Bacteriol 123:255–264
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by J. Schell
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ellis, J.G., Murphy, P.J. & Kerr, A. Isolation and properties of transfer regulatory mutants of the nopaline Ti-plasmid pTiC58. Mol Gen Genet 186, 275–281 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00331862
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00331862