Succinamopine: a new crown gall opine

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Abstract
Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains AT181, EU6 and T10/73 contain closely related tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmids that encode the ability to degrade the opine nopaline, but tumors incited by these strains do not synthesize nopaline. It was demonstrated by Southern blot hybridization that AT181(pTi) has no DNA homologous to the nopaline synthase gene of pTi T37, a nopaline Ti plasmid that appears to be most closely related to this group based on fingerprint analysis. Tumors incited by these anomalous strains contain a new opine designated succinamopine. Its structure is analogous to that of nopaline, with asparagine replacing arginine. Ability to catabolize succinamopine, succinamopine lactam and succinamopine lactam is encoded by pTi AT181, pTi EU6 and pTi T10/73, but not by any of 15 other Ti and root-inducing plasmids tested. Three avirulent strains tested did not catabolize succinamopine, succinamopine lactam or succinamopine lactam. It is proposed that pTi AT181, pTi EU6 and pTi T10/73 be designated the succinamopine Ti plasmids.