Agrobacterium rhizogenes

Agrobacterium rhizogenes ( more recently, Rhizobium rhizogenes ( Riker et al. 1930) Young et al. 2001) is a plant pathogenic gram-negative soil bacterium. It belongs to the class of alpha - proteobacteria.

It is related to Agrobacterium tumefaciens and has a similar lifestyle. In addition to its chromosomal DNA it contains a plasmid ( Ri plasmid ). Agrobacterium rhizogenes is capable to infect plant tissues injured and transfer the T-DNA (plasmid DNA) into the plant genome. The plant is thus instructed to form so-called hair roots that grow from the infected site. Depending on the bacterial strain root growth can take place at almost any plant tissue (eg also on the flowers ). The transfer of T-DNA to the plant will also form causes opines that represent a C and N source for the bacterium. The plant itself can not utilize the opines.

Similar to Agrobacterium tumefaciens is the gene transfer mechanism of Agrobacterium rhizogenes in biotechnology, used for the transformation of plants.