Opines in crown gall tumours induced by biotype 3 isolates of Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Pathogenic properties and opine markers of biotype 3 (grapevine) isolates of Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith and Townsend) Conn were compared with those of biotypes 1 and 2. By contrast with biotypes 1 and 2, grapevine isolates induced only small tumours on Kalanchoe daigremontiana Hamet and Perrier stems but produced large organogenic galls on decapitated shoot tips of this plant species. Grapevine agrobacteria were classified according to their opine catabolic properties and the type of opine they induced in Kalanchoe tubiflora Hamet and grapevine ( Vitis vinifera L.) tumours. Crown gall tissues obtained after infection with octopine-utilizing grapevine isolates contained octopine in very large amounts compared to biotype 1 tumours. A similar quantitative difference was not observed when nopaline production of tumours incited by biotypes 1 and 2 and by grapevine isolates was examined. Tumours formed by a third class of grapevine isolates synthesized a novel opine, for which we propose the trivial name vitopine. Octopine, nopaline, agropine and vitopine were also detected in healthy tissues of plants infected with the appropriate Agrobacterium isolates, indicating that these opines can selectively promote the colonization of the whole plant by agrobacteria. Biotype 3 octopine isolates induced octopine synthesis at the infection sites of a crown gall-resistant grapevine hybrid, showing that pathogenic agrobacteria can transform plants without tumour formation.