Transcriptome analysis of Agrobacterium fabrum C58 and its mutant defective in phosphatidylethanolamine synthesis under environmental stress conditions

Agrobacterium fabrum C58 is a phytopathogen that primarily infects dicotyledonous plants. It is responsible for causing a disease characterized by tumor formation, resulting from the genetic transformation of host plant tissues. The vir genes, located on the pTi plasmid of Agrobacterium, are responsible for this tumorigenic transformation. The expression of vir genes is induced by environmental factors, such as low pH, simple sugars, and the presence of a specific inducer, acetosyringone. The composition of membrane lipids in A. fabrum cells is also crucial for interaction with the host plant. We analyzed the transcriptome of the wild-type A. fabrum C58 and its mutant, which is unable to synthesize phosphatidylethanolamine, under environmental stress conditions including low pH, the presence of glucose, and acetosyringone.