Mapping of the Interaction Between Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Vanda Kasem’s Delight Orchid Protocorm-Like Bodies

Physical contact between A. tumefaciens and the target plant cell walls is essential to transfer and integrate the transgene to introduce a novel trait. Chemotaxis response and attachment of Agrobacterium towards Vanda Kasem’s Delight (VKD) protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) were studied to analyse the interaction between Agrobacterium and PLB during the transformation event. The study shows that initially A. tumefaciens reversibly attached to PLB surface via polar and lateral mode of adherence followed by the irreversible attachment which involved the production of cellulosic fibril by A. tumefaciens. Cellulosic fibril allows formation of biofilm at the tip of trichome. Contrarily, attachment mutant Escherichia coli strain DH5α was significantly deficient in the attachment process. Spectrophotometric GUS assay showed the mean value of attachment by A. tumefaciens was 8.72 % compared to the negative control E. coli strain DH5α that produced 0.16 %. A. tumefaciens swarmed with sharper and brighter edge when severe wounding was applied to the PLBs producing the highest swarming ratio of 1.46 demonstrating the positive effect of the plant exudates on bacterial movement. The study shows that VKD’s PLBs are the suitable explants for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation since the bacteria expressed higher competency rate.