TRANSMITTANCE OF TUMOR-INDUCING ABILITY TO AVIRULENT CROWN-GALL AND RELATED BACTERIA

Abstract
Extracts of bacteria-containing crown-gall tumor tissue, a bactrin of virulent crown-gall bacteria, nucleic acid produced by crown-gall bacteria, and the desoxyribonucleic acid isolated from crown-gall bacteria, are each capable of transmitting the property of specific host virulence to avirulent strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and to A. rubi, A. radiobacter, and Rhizobium leguminosarum. Virulence, once required, appears to be genetically fixed. The results are discussed in their relation to transformation reactions and to the induction of crown-gall tumors in plants.