title: An Agrobacterium tumefaciens Strain with Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Transaminase Activity Shows an Enhanced Genetic Transformation Ability in Plants.
abstract: Agrobacterium tumefaciens has the unique ability to mediate inter-kingdom DNA transfer, and for this reason, it has been utilized for plant genetic engineering. To increase the transformation frequency in plant genetic engineering, we focused on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is a negative factor in the Agrobacterium-plant interaction. Recent studies have shown contradictory results regarding the effects of GABA on vir gene expression, leading to the speculation that GABA inhibits T-DNA transfer. In this study, we examined the effect of GABA on T-DNA transfer using a tomato line with a low GABA content. Compared with the control, the T-DNA transfer frequency was increased in the low-GABA tomato line, indicating that GABA inhibits T-DNA transfer. Therefore, we bred a new A. tumefaciens strain with GABA transaminase activity and the ability to degrade GABA. The A. tumefaciens strain exhibited increased T-DNA transfer in two tomato cultivars and Erianthus arundinacues and an increased frequency of stable transformation in tomato.
authors.affiliation: Gene Research Center, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nonaka
authors.affiliation: Gene Research Center, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Someya
authors.affiliation: Gene Research Center, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
authors.forename: Sha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Gene Research Center, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.affiliation: Gene Research Center, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
authors.forename: Kouji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Gene Research Center, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ezura
mesh_terms: D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000502:physiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D000637:Transaminases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014774:Virulence; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C036483:T-DNA; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000637:Transaminases