Researchers discover role of cytokinin in agrobacterium-mediated plant modification.
Among various methods to modify the genetic make-up of plants agrobacterium tumifaciens is considered the best. It is a soil borne bacterium directed at gene addition. Plant transformation is insertion of new genetic material to the plant’s body. This used to be difficult because many economically important plants are recalcitrant to it as they lack certain gene elements. But according to a recent report published in Science, researchers now have successfully transformed a model plant, Arabidopsis, through agrobacterium-mediated transformation process.
Scientists at Purdue University in a one-of-its-kind study identified certain genes called MTF1. When inactivated, these increase the attachment of different strains of this same bacteria to the plant roots. Cytokinins from Agrobacterium tumefaciens decrease the expression of MTF1 through activation of the cytokinin response regulator ARR3, but the altered MTF1 produces cell molecules which perform cell attachment or adhesion. This means the bacterium now has improved property of attaching to plant cell walls and injecting their DNA.
Thus, by promoting bacterial attachment and transformation of resistant plants and increasing such processes in susceptible plants, treating roots with cytokinins may help engineer crops with improved features or yield.
References:
Photo: Flickr, Max Mayorov
Sardesai N, Lee LY, Chen H, Yi H, Olbricht GR, Stirnberg A, Jeffries J, Xiong K, Doerge RW, & Gelvin SB (2013). Cytokinins Secreted by Agrobacterium Promote Transformation by Repressing a Plant Myb Transcription Factor. Science signaling, 6 (302) PMID: 24255177
gene, modification, transformation, plant, cytokinin, agrobacterium, MTF1, DNA, resistance, crops
