Understanding Mechanisms of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Transformation

ISBN-13: 9783639137453 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 152 str.

Cheryl Hackworth

Opis

Agrobacterium tumefaciens causes crown gall diseaseon plants and is the primary vector in geneticengineering of plants. Agrobacterium transports DNAand proteins to the plant cell via a Type IVSecretion System. This system is similar to secretionsystems in human pathogens and those used for DNAexchange during bacterial conjugation. To betterunderstand this process, a genetic screen using yeastas the genetically engineered host was developed toidentify host proteins involved in transformation.While developing this screen, factors that altertransformation of yeast were identified. The yeasttwo-hybrid (Y2H) assay was used to identify proteininteractions between the exported proteins and thesecretion system. Additional studies indicate thesecreted proteins are targeted to the secretionsystem via a conserved transport sequence. The Y2Hsystem was also used to assay for interactionsbetween proteins of the secretion system. Together,these studies provide insights into transportercomplex protein subassemblies, the process of proteinexport during Agrobacterium transformation, andcontribute to understanding homologous systems inhuman pathogens and bacterial conjugation.

O autorze

Cheryl Hackworth is a professor of Biology at West Valley
College; serves as Vice President of Research for Mighty Algae
Biofuels, an alternative energy start-up; teaches at the Green
Tech Academy as a biofuels industry expert; and acts as a biotech
consultant for investors and scientists in Silicon Valley.