Select the correct statements with respect to Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
(A) It is a pathogen of many monocot plants.
(B) It can deliver T-DNA and transform normal plant cells into tumor
(C) Tumor inducing plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens is modified into a pathogenic cloning vector.
(D) Tumor inducing plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens is used to deliver genes of interest into plants.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (B) and (D) Only
Agrobacterium tumifaciens, a pathogen of several dicot plants is able to deliver a piece of DNA known as ‘T-DNA’ to transform normal plant cells into a tumor and direct these tumor cells to produce the chemicals required by the pathogen. The tumor inducing (Ti) plasmid of Agrobacterium tumifaciens has now been modified into a cloning vector which is no more pathogenic to the plants but is still able to use the mechanisms to deliver genes of our interest into a variety of plants.