Chromosome architecture affects virulence and competitiveness in <i>Agrobacterium tumefaciens</i> C58.

ABSTRACT: Chromosome architecture plays a crucial role in bacterial adaptation, yet its direct impact remains unclear. Different bacterial species and even strains within the same species exhibit diverse chromosomal configurations, including a single circular or linear chromosome, two circular chromosomes, or a circular-linear combination. To investigate how these architectures shape bacterial behavior, we generated near-isogenic strains representing each configuration in Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58, an important soil bacterium widely used for plant genetic transformation. Strains with a single-chromosome architecture, whether linear or circular, exhibited faster growth, enhanced stress tolerance, and greater interstrain competitiveness. In contrast, bipartite chromosome strains showed high

SUBMITTER: Aliu E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12494015 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature