VirB/VirD4 system. Uses in bioengineering The ability of Agrobacterium to deliver DNA into plant cells opened new doors for plant genome engineering, allowing the production of genetically modified plants (transgenic plants). Proteins involved in mediating the transfer of T-DNA will first recognize the border sequences of the T-DNA region. Therefore, it is possible for scientists to use T-DNA border sequences to flank any desired sequence of interest - such a product can then be inserted into a plasmid and introduced into Agrobacterium cells. There, the border sequences will be recognized by the transfer apparatus of A. tumefaciens and delivered in a standard manner into the target plant cell. Moreover, by leaving behind only the border sequences of the T-DNA, the resulting product will edit the plant genome without causing any tumours in plants. This method has been used to modify several crop plants, including rice,<ref>{{cite journal| authors = Chan MT, Lee TM, Chang HH | title=Transformation of indica rice (Oryza sativa L.) mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens|date=1992|journal=Plant and Cell Physiology|volume=33 |issue=5 |pages=577–583 |doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.pcp.a078292}}</ref> barley and wheat. Further work have since extended the targets of A. tumefaciens to include fungi and human cell lines. Similar plasmids Root-inducing (Ri) plasmid Symbiotic (sym) plasmids of Rhizobia See also Mary-Dell Chilton Jeff Schell Marc Van Montagu References External links Agrobacterium tumefaciens plasmid pTi-SAKURA, complete sequence Ti Plasmid Genetic Map Crown gall disease History of biotechnology Plasmids