Agrobacterium‐mediated gene delivery and the biology of hostrange limitations

Insertion of foreign DNA into Ti plasmid‐derived vectors in Agrobacterium tumefaciens is currently the most frequently used strategy for generating transgenic plants in a wide variety of species. Limitations of the host range of Agrobacterium restrict its usefulness in many cases, particularly when dealing with monocotyledonous plants. The objective of this presentation is to briefly discuss the efficiency of the transformation process utilized by Agrobacterium tumefaciens , potential barriers to efficient transformation by Agrobacterium that result in limitation of its useful host range, and how an understanding of the successful Agrobacterium /plant cell interaction might lead to advances in a variety of DNA delivery methodologies.