Infectivity of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and proteins of crown gall tumors in Helianthus annuus
Date
1985
Authors
Wu, Hsiao-Chiang
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Abstract
A qualitative and quantitative study of the infectivity of Agrobacterium tumefaciens on sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) and other species (peas, beans and corn) was made by measuring the frequency of tumor induction in the greenhouse.
According to the results, sunflowers and peas were sensitive to tumor induction . The effects of concentration of agrobacteria, and flowering stage or age of sunflower on tumor induction frequency were significant. After flowering, sunflower was resistant to tumor induction. This could be an aging effect.
The effects of bacteria culture time after 2 days, and plant age before anthesis on tumor induction were not significant. But plant age may have had some effect on tumor development; the younger the plant, the more rapid the tumor development.
The effect of inoculation position on the sunflower stem on tumor induction was not significant, but no tumors could be induced on leaves of any plants studied. The light and temperature differences of plant growth conditions between the greenhouse and growth chambers were significant on tumor development . In greenhouses, tumors developed more slowly than in growth chambers. No tumor was induced on maize or on two cultivars of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Improved Tendergreen and cv. Kentucky Wonder Green).
Soluble proteins of crown gall tumors in Helianthus annuus were analyzed by methods of SDS-Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and spectrodensitometry.
The chlorophyll-containing complexes were the same in tumor and control tissues. It was found that the migration distance of these complexes was negatively affected by the sample volume loaded. Sometimes a good separation of these complexes was not obtained at the same time as good separation of soluble proteins.
A sample buffer with 5% SDS and 8 M urea was good for preventing aggregation of proteins from sunflowers which probably contained a high amount of interfering compounds , and increased the resolving power of SDS-PAGE.