17 
XIII. PROPOSAL TO AMEND ITEM 4 OF APPE>ffi)IX E 
Dr. Brill in'roduced the p^cp»^d (tabs 968, 976/5) by Dr. Clarence Kado 
of the Uhiversity of California, Davis, to nodify item 4 of Appendix E. 
Dr. Kado requested deletion of the specification that experinents involving 
Agrobacterium tunefaciens be performirf "under containment conditions one 
step higher than would be required for the desired DMA in HVl systems 
(i.e., one step higher physical containment than that specified in the 
subsections of Section III-A)." 
According to Dr. Kado's proposed, item 4 of Appendix E would read as 
follows: 
■Cloned desired fragments fran any non-prohibited source may be trans- 
ferred into Acprobacterinn tunefaciens containing a Ti plasmid (or 
derivatives thereof }, using a nonoonjugative ^ ooli plasmid vector 
coupled to a fragment of the Ti plasmid euvd/or the origin of replication 
of an Agrotocterium plasmid, u>der oontainment conditions that would 
be required for the desired DNA in HVl systems (i.e., that specified 
in the subsections of Section III-A). Transfer into plant parts or 
cells in culture would be pennitted at the same oontainment level." 
In support of the request. Dr. Brill said that Agrobacterium tumefyiens , 
while a pathogen, does not attack tissue which has not been injured. 
Expression of the Ti plasmid coded genes is diluted out as the plant grows. 
Furthermore, the Ti plasmid is apparently lost in meiotic segregation, 
and is not transmitted to progeny. He moved approval of Dr. Kado's 
proposad. Dr. Scandalios concurred. 
Dr. Gottesnan noted that the proposal would effectively designate 
Agrobacterium tumefaciens an HVl system. She did not find this action 
appropriate as (1) the Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti plasmid is a oonjuga- 
tive plasmid, and (2) although Agrobacterium timiefaciens is not a serious 
pathogen, it is, nonetheless, a ^thogen. She suggested that contain- 
ment conditions for certain types of e>q3eriments might appropriately be 
relaxed, but suggested that the RAC refrain from designating Agrobacterium 
tumefaciens a ^ facto HVl system. She proposed to lower containment 
to P2 for experiments involving cloning DIft from non-pa thogenic pro- 
)caryotes and plants in Agrobacterium tumefaciens with subsequent transfer 
to plants or plant tissueT Dr. Brill accepted this proposed amendment 
of his motion. 
The motion was reocniTended by the RAC by a vote of seventeen in favor, 
none opposed, and two abstentions. 
[ 45 ] 
