The VirD2 protein of Agrobacterium tumefaciens carries nuclear localization signals important for transfer of T-DNA to plant.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens is able to transfer a piece of DNA, the T-DNA, to the nucleus of the plant cell. The VirD2 protein is required for the production of the T-DNA, it is tightly linked to the T-DNA and it is thought to direct it to the plant genome. Two nuclear localization signals (NLS), one in the N-terminal part and one in the C-terminal part of the VirD2 protein, have been shown to be able to target marker proteins to the plant nucleus. Here we analyze nuclear entry of the T-DNA complex using a new and very sensitive assay for T-DNA transfer. We show that optimal T-DNA transfer requires the VirD2 NLS located in the C-terminal part of the protein, whereas mutations in the N-terminal NLS coding sequence seem to have no effect on T-DNA transfer.
Friedrich Miescher-Institut, Basel, Switzerland.
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Rossi
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Hohn
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Tinland
D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D017343:Genes, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009857:Oncogenes; D010941:Plant Tumors / Q000382:microbiology; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D010957:Plasmids; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics; D037521:Virulence Factors; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D037521:Virulence Factors; D001616:beta-Galactosidase