VIEW ARTICLE

Physiology and Biochemistry

Systemic Spread of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Biovar 3 in the Vascular System of Grapes. F. Tarbah, Former graduate student, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Missouri, Columbia, 65211, Present address: Department of Plant Protection, Al-Fateh University, Tripoli, Libya; R. N. Goodman, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Missouri, Columbia, 65211. Phytopathology 77:915-920. Accepted for publication 26 November 1986. Copyright 1987 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-77-915.

The systemic movement of Agrobacterium tumefaciens biovar 3 was monitored with a mutant that was resistant to both streptomycin and rifampicin. Movement during the course of the experiments was confined exclusively to the xylem vessels. The bacteria moved rapidly 30 cm from the base of cut grape shoots. Additional evidence for long-distance vascular movement of A. tumefaciens was the development of tumors on aseptically wounded stem tissue 24 cm from the site of inoculated root tissue.