title: Mammalian cells.
abstract: Agrobacterium most likely can transform virtually all known plant species, and experimental protocols for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of yet more plant species, ecotypes, and cultivars are published almost on a daily basis. Interestingly, the Agrobacterium host range is not limited to the plant kingdom, and it has been shown to transform many species of fungi and even prokaryotes. The ability of Agrobacterium to genetically transform HeLa cells further widens the range of potential hosts of Agrobacterium to include humans and perhaps other animal species. Furthermore, because mammalian cells significantly differ from plant cells, they provide a useful experimental system for identification and functional characterization of plant-specific factors involved in the transformation process. Here, we present basic procedures for transfection and Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of mammalian cells. We also demonstrate the use of mammalian cells for studies of the cellular components of the genetic transformation pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Tzvi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tzfira
authors.forename: Talya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kunik
authors.forename: Yedidya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gafni
authors.forename: Vitaly
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Citovsky
mesh_terms: D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003470:Culture Media; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins