Transformation of eukaryotic cells by mobilizable plasmids

摘要

The invention relates to the transfer of genetic material to eukaryotic cells by means of a process resembling conjugation, in particular by a system partially based on Agrobacterium tumefaciens-like transfer systems. In particular transfer of genetic material into plant cells is disclosed using mobilisable, but non-conjugative plasmids by means of an Agrobacterium virulence system. The invention provides a method for transferring genetic material which is not a typical T-DNA surrounded by Agrobacterium T-borders from an Agrobacterium virulence system to a eukaryotic host cell, comprising providing said genetic material on a mobilisable plasmid, capable of forming a relaxosome, bringing said mobilisable plasmid in an Agrobacterium having at least the activity of the transfer genes of Agrobacterium not present on said mobilisable plasmid, whereby the necessary gene products providing the same or similar activity as a functional VirB operon are also present and cocultivating said agrobacterium with said eukaryotic host cell.