Question

How is Agrobacterium tumifaciens able to transform a normal plant cell into a tumor?

Answer 1

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a phytopathogenic bacterium capable of transferring a segment of its genome to plant cells. The segment, termed “T-DNA,” resides in the bacterium on a large plasmid (Ti-, tumor inducing plasmid).

Answer 2

Answer:

Agrobacterium tumifaciens are also called as genetic engineer of plants. They have a natural ability to genetically engineer plants. This capability can help to integrate plasmid genes into the plant genome. This bacterium is capable of inducing tumours into plants. It also has the capability of converting normal cells into cancerous cells, by using rDNA technology. Example is the gall disease, which occurs in broadleaf plants such as roses.