Phosphorylation of chromosomal proteins during the transition of a normal plant cell to a crown gall tumor cell.

The transition of a wounded plant cell to a crown gall tumor cell, which is induced by infection with virulent Agrobacterium tumefaciens cells, is accompanied by enhancement of chromatin-bound protein phosphokinase activity. Various protein kinases with different substrate specificity (viz. histone, phosvitin, casein phosphokinases) are distinctly more active in tumor cells. The phosphate is introduced into seryl and threonyl residues of proteins and is stable under standard assay conditions, thus indicating the absence of protein phosphatases. Acyl or histidyl phosphates are not involved. The properties of protein phosphokinases change during tumor induction, giving rise to kinases which are sensitive to spermine or spermidine. The pattern of chromatin proteins is tissue-specific and consequently different in wounded and tumorous plant cells, as is the phosphorylation pattern of these proteins.