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. 1993 Feb;175(3):723–731. doi: 10.1128/jb.175.3.723-731.1993

Genetic analysis of the virD operon of Agrobacterium tumefaciens: a search for functions involved in transport of T-DNA into the plant cell nucleus and in T-DNA integration.

Z Koukolíková-Nicola 1, D Raineri 1, K Stephens 1, C Ramos 1, B Tinland 1, E W Nester 1, B Hohn 1
PMCID: PMC196211  PMID: 8380800

Abstract

The transferred DNA (T-DNA) is transported from Agrobacterium tumefaciens to the nucleus and is stably integrated into the genome of many plant species. It has been proposed that the VirD2 protein, tightly attached to the T-DNA, pilots the T-DNA into the plant cell nucleus and that it is involved in integration. Using agroinfection and beta-glucuronidase expression as two different very sensitive transient assays for T-DNA transfer, together with assays for stable integration, we have shown that the C-terminal half of the VirD2 protein and the VirD3 protein are not involved in T-DNA integration. However, the bipartite nuclear localization signal, which is located within the C terminus of the VirD2 protein and which has previously been shown to be able to target a foreign protein into the plant cell nucleus, was shown to be required for efficient T-DNA transfer. virD4 mutants were shown by agroinfection to be completely inactive in T-DNA transfer.

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Selected References

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