Agrobacterium

Agrobacterium
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Pseudomonadota
Class: Alphaproteobacteria
Order: Hyphomicrobiales
Family: Rhizobiaceae
Genus: Agrobacterium
Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980)
Type species
Agrobacterium radiobacter
(Smith and Townsend 1907) Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980)
Species
Synonyms[1]
  • Polymonas Lieske 1928

Agrobacterium is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria established by H. J. Conn that uses horizontal gene transfer to cause tumors in plants. Agrobacterium tumefaciens is the most commonly studied species in this genus. Agrobacterium is well known for its ability to transfer DNA between itself and plants, and for this reason it has become an important tool for genetic engineering.

  1. ^ Buchanan RE (1965). "Proposal for rejection of the generic name Polymonas Lieske 1928". International Bulletin of Bacteriological Nomenclature and Taxonomy. 15 (1): 43–44. doi:10.1099/00207713-15-1-43.