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Agrobacterium: From Biology to Biotechnology pp 221–241Cite as

The Initial Steps in Agrobacterium Tumefaciens Pathogenesis: Chemical Biology of Host Recognition

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The biology of host recognition in Agrobacterium tumefaciens has set the tone for host interactions and xenognosis for several decades, and the twists and turns of the discoveries provide many valuable lessons and insights. From transposon mutagenesis enabling discovery of the initial chemical exchanges to two-component signal transduction and receptor identification, this organism continues to enrich our understanding of chemical ecology and pathogenic strategies. The complexity of the host commitment and the intricate nature of the evolved machinery remains awe inspiring. This system is now poised with the necessary chemical and biological resources, for both host and parasite, to reveal the detailed chemical biology that occurs within the host tissues. Here we review our current understanding of the signal exchanges, and highlight the many questions that remain to be addressed. We use this perspective to set the stage for the rich chemical biology this organism continues to offer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Fundamental and Applied Molecular Evolution, Departments of Chemistry and Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA

    Yi-Han Lin & David G. Lynn

  2. Department of Biology, Plant Sciences Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA

    Andrew N. Binns

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  1. Yi-Han Lin
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  2. Andrew N. Binns
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  3. David G. Lynn
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, 830 N. University Ave. 4071D Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA

    Tzvi Tzfira

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11792-5215, USA

    Vitaly Citovsky

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Lin, YH., Binns, A.N., Lynn, D.G. (2008). The Initial Steps in Agrobacterium Tumefaciens Pathogenesis: Chemical Biology of Host Recognition. In: Tzfira, T., Citovsky, V. (eds) Agrobacterium: From Biology to Biotechnology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-72290-0_6

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