title: Will you let me use your nucleus? How Agrobacterium gets its T-DNA expressed in the host plant cell.
abstract: Agrobacterium is the only known bacterium capable of natural DNA transfer into a eukaryotic host. The genes transferred to host plants are contained on a T-DNA (transferred DNA) molecule, the transfer of which begins with its translocation, along with several effector proteins, from the bacterial cell to the host-cell cytoplasm. In the host cytoplasm, the T-complex is formed from a single-stranded copy of the T-DNA (T-strand) associated with several bacterial and host proteins and it is imported into the host nucleus via interactions with the host nuclear import machinery. Once inside the nucleus, the T-complex is most likely directed to the host genome by associating with histones. Finally, the chromatin-associated T-complex is uncoated from its escorting proteins prior to the conversion of the T-strand to a double-stranded form and its integration into the host genome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, State University of NY, Stony Brook, 11794-5212, USA. lacroix@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lacroix
authors.forename: Jianxiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tzvi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tzfira
authors.forename: Vitaly
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Citovsky
mesh_terms: D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D012231:Rhizobium / Q000235:genetics*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C036483:T-DNA