Identification of rol Genes on pRi1724 in Agrobacterium rhizogenes Strain MAFF 03-01724 Isolated in Japan

Abstract

Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain MAFF 03-01724 isolated from a diseased melon plant bears pRi1724, a mikimopine-type of hairy-root-inducing plasmid. The 9.5-kb region of pRi1724 showed the root-inducing ability toward leaf disks of Ajuga reptans and Nicotiana tabacum. This region contained sequences highly homologous to each of the rolA, rolB, and rolC genes of the agropine-type hairy-root-inducing plasmid pRiA4b. The relative position of the three homologs was the same as that of pRiA4b. These results indicate that pRi1724 carries genes both functionally and structurally equivalent to the rolA, rolB and rolC genes of pRiA4b.