Opine

Opines are low molecular weight compounds found in plant crown gall tumors or hairy root tumors produced by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Agrobacterium and Rhizobium. Opine biosynthesis is catalyzed by specific enzymes encoded by genes contained in a small segment of DNA (known as the T-DNA, for 'transfer DNA'), which is part of the Ti plasmid (in Agrobacterium) or Ri plasmid (in Rhizobium), inserted by the bacterium into the plant genome. The opines are used by the bacterium as an important energy, carbon and nitrogen source. Each strain of Agrobacterium and Rhizobium induces and catabolizes a specific set of opines, this set typifying the Ti plasmid and Ri plasmid. There are some 30 different opines described so far.