Acquisition of tumour-inducing ability by non-oncogenic agrobacteria as a result of plasmid transfer
Abstract
IT has been suggested that the tumour-inducing capacity of Agrobacterium is determined by plasmid genes1,2. The acquisition of virulence by non-pathogenic agrobacteria from pathogenic agrobacteria has been demonstrated by Kerr3,4. We investigated whether this phenomenon could be the result of transfer of a plasmid. Besides providing further evidence for the hypothesis that plasmid genes carry the genetic information for the tumour-inducing ability of Agrobacterium, the system offers the possibility of studying the genetics and functions of the plasmid.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- June 1975
- DOI:
- 10.1038/255742a0
- Bibcode:
- 1975Natur.255..742V