Modified Agrobacterium Strain Useful for Switchgrass Transformation

An Agrobacterium strain that cannot produce methionine is useful for switchgrass transformation, according to the University of Georgia and University of Colorado Boulder researchers. Their research paper is published in Transgenic Research.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens has revolutionized plant science because it can transfer DNA into plant cells from a broad host range of species. However, the strains available within the public sector need modifications that allow simplified techniques or improve overall plant transformation efficiency. Thus, the research team used homologous recombination to develop methionine auxotrophs of two common A. tumefaciens strains, LBA4404 and EHA105.

The findings showed that the EHA105 strains were more effective in switchgrass transformation, while both strains worked efficiently for the rice control. The use of auxotrophs led to reductions in bacterial overgrowth during co-cultivation and decreased the need for antibiotics.

Read the open-access research article in Transgenic Research.