Expression of a chimaeric heat-shock-inducible Agrobacterium 6b oncogene in Nicotiana rustica

The T-6b gene of Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain Tm4 induces tumours on Nicotiana rustica by an as yet unknown mechanism. These tumours cannot be regenerated into normal plants. To study the effect of the T-6b gene product on normal plant cells, the T-6b gene was placed under control of the Drosophila melanogaster hsp70 heat-shock promoter and introduced into N. rustica. Progeny of an hsp70-T-6b transformant developed into normal plants. The inducibility of the hsp70-T-6b construct was shown by northern analysis and by heat-shock-dependent growth alterations on the level of whole seedlings. Upon wounding at normal temperature conditions hsp70-T-6b plants formed small tumours on leaves and stems. Grafts between transformed plants and normal plants led to a wound callus which remained limited to transformed tissues, indicating that the T-6b gene product does not diffuse. Protoplasts of hsp70-T-6b plants divided in the same way as control protoplasts under standard culture conditions. However, when protoplast cultures were started in the absence of hormones, normal cells rapidly lost their sensitivity towards hormones, whereas hsp70-T-6b cells remained sensitive for a significantly longer period. Thus, the T-6b gene product alters hormone sensitivity during the initial phases of protoplast culture.