Phenolics are aromatic benzene ring compounds with one or more hydroxyl groups produced by plants mainly for protection against stress. The functions of phenolic compounds in plant physiology and interactions with biotic and abiotic environments are difficult to overestimate. Phenolics play important roles in plant development, particularly in lignin and pigment biosynthesis. They also provide structural integrity and scaffolding support to plants. Importantly, phenolic phytoalexins, secreted by wounded or otherwise perturbed plants, repel or kill many microorganisms, and some pathogens can counteract or nullify these defences or even subvert them to their own advantage. In this review, we discuss the roles of phenolics in the interactions of plants with Agrobacterium and Rhizobium.

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Biotechnological improvement of monocots is often hampered by the lack of efficient regeneration systems, requisite wound responses and low cell competence. Despite these limitations, the biolistic and Agrobacterium methods have been successfully used to produce several transgenic monocots by adjusting the parameters that govern efficient delivery and integration of transgene(s) into plant genome. It is now possible to transform even difficult monocots using tailor-made gene constructs and promoters, suitable A. tumefaciens strains and a proper understanding of the entire process. This success has been reviewed in the present article and a special emphasis was laid on the measures that were taken in overcoming the difficulties that arise due to the differential responses of monocots and dicots. This information is necessary for biotechnological improvement of still newer monocotyledonous plants that have been hitherto difficult to transform.