A study of the tumorogenesis of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Conn. on some plant species of Iran.

This paper is a survey and comparative type of study on the tumorogenetic effect of Agrobacterium tumefaciens on some plant species of Iran. The results obtained indicate that the tumor-inducing property of this micro-organism is not common to all plant species studied; moreover no tumor was initiated on the mature leaves by the bacteria. The results obtained with the local varieties of the susceptible plants show some qualitative and quantitative differences as compared with the works of other investigators, especially with regard to the formation of secondary tumors. The enhancing effect of indolyl-3-acetic-acid (IAA) on initiation, size, and number of primary and secondary tumors, induced by Agrobacterium, was also investigated and the results, to a certain degree, confirm those obtained by other workers. Viability of the bacteria in the tumors was also measured and the results obtained confirm the view that a continuous and active presence of the bacteria is essential for growth and development of the tumors.