Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:

T-DNA–mediated transfer of Agrobacterium tumefaciens chromosomal DNA into plants

Nature Biotechnology volume 26, pages 1015–1017 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Besides the well-documented integration of DNA flanked by the transfer DNA borders, occasional insertion of fragments from the tumor-inducing plasmid into plant genomes has also been reported during Agrobacterium tumefaciens–mediated transformation. We demonstrate that large (up to ∼18 kb) gene-bearing fragments of Agrobacterium chromosomal DNA (AchrDNA) can be integrated into Arabidopsis thaliana genomic DNA during transformation. One in every 250 transgenic plants may carry AchrDNA fragments. This has implications for horizontal gene transfer and indicates a need for greater scrutiny of transgenic plants for undesired bacterial DNA.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Determination of T-DNA insertion site structures within the A. thaliana genome using plasmid rescue.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gelvin, S. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 67, 16–37 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lacroix, B. et al. Trends Genet. 22, 29–37 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Smith, N. Trends Plant Sci. 3, 85 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Wood, D.W. et al. Science 294, 2317–2323 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Goodner, B. et al. Science 294, 2323–2328 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Samson, F. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 30, 94–97 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Sessions, A. et al. Plant Cell 14, 2985–2994 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Rosso, M.G. et al. Plant Mol. Biol. 53, 247–259 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Alonso, J.M. et al. Science 301, 653–657 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Porter, R.D. Conjugation. in Modern Microbial Genetics 2nd edn. (eds. Streips, U.N. & Yasbin, R.E.) 463–506 (Wiley-Liss, New York, 2002).

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  11. Timmerman, B. et al. J. Mol. Biol. 203, 373–384 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Mahillon, J. & Chandler, M. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 62, 725–774 (1998).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Miranda, A. et al. J. Bacteriol. 174, 2288–2297 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Van Haaren, M.J. et al. Plant Mol. Biol. 13, 523–531 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Rommens, C.M. et al. Plant Physiol. 139, 1338–1349 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. White, F.F. et al. Nature 301, 348–350 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Ülker, B. et al. Transgenic Res. 11, 311–313 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the students Pino Cagna and Alexander Boes for initial inverse PCR experiments leading to the discovery of the Agrobacterium chromosomal DNA in the transgenic locus named PM (PaperMaker) in a WRKY40 promoter::GUS line generated by Hikaru Seki, Prisca Viehoever for technical assistance and Csaba Koncz and Steven Spiker for suggestions and critical reading of the manuscript. This work was supported in part by the Max-Planck Society, the EU-funded REGIA project and the BMBF-funded GABI-Kat project.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Bekir Ülker, Yong Li & Mario G Rosso

    Present address: Present addresses: School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Science Site, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK (B.U.); University of Freiburg, FRISYS Core Facility Data Management, Habsburgerstrasse 49, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany (Y.L.); Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Department of Molecular Genetics, Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466 Gatersleben, Germany (M.G.R.).,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linne-Weg 10, Cologne, D-50829, Germany

    Bekir Ülker, Elke Logemann & Imre E Somssich

  2. Institute for Genome Research and Systems Biology, Bielefeld University, Universitaetsstrasse 25, Bielefeld, D-33594, Germany

    Yong Li, Mario G Rosso & Bernd Weisshaar

  3. Department of Molecular Plant Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linne-Weg 10, Cologne, D-50829, Germany

    Bernd Weisshaar

Authors
  1. Bekir Ülker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yong Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mario G Rosso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Elke Logemann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Imre E Somssich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Bernd Weisshaar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Bekir Ülker or Bernd Weisshaar.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Text and Figures

Figures 1–5, Table 1, Methods, Data (PDF 647 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ülker, B., Li, Y., Rosso, M. et al. T-DNA–mediated transfer of Agrobacterium tumefaciens chromosomal DNA into plants. Nat Biotechnol 26, 1015–1017 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.1491

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.1491

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing