Effect of Agrobacterium rhizogenes T-DNA on alkaloid production in Solanaceae plants

• Published in: Phytochemistry (Oxford) 1999-12, Vol.52 (7), p.1287-1292
• Main Authors: Moyano, E., Fornalé, S., Palazón, J., Cusidó, R.M., Bonfill, M., Morales, C., Piñol, M.T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agrobacterium rhizogenes; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; alkaloids; aux gene; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Datura metel; Duboisia hybrid; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic engineering; Genetic engineering applications; Genetic technics; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Nicotiana tabacum; Plant breeding: fundamental aspects and methodology; putrescine; Solanaceae; Tobacco alkaloids; Transformed roots; Transgenic animals and transgenic plants; Transgenic plants; Tropane alkaloids
• ISSN: 0031-9422; 1873-3700
• DOI: 10.1016/S0031-9422(99)00421-5

Inoculation of leaf sections of tobacco, Duboisia hybrid and Datura metel Solanaceae plants with A4 strain of Agrobacterium rhizogenes, induced transformed roots with the capacity to produce putrescine-derived alkaloids. In general, the hairy roots obtained showed two morphologies: typical hairy roots with high capacity to produce alkaloids and callus-like roots with faster growth capacity and lower alkaloid production. The aux1 gene of A. rhizogenes was detected by PCR analyses in all roots showing callus-like morphology. However, this gene was only detected in 25–60% of the root cultures established showing typical hairy morphology. This fact suggests a significant role of aux genes in the morphology of transformed roots. Inoculation of leaf sections with A. tumefaciens strain C58 C1 carrying the pRiA4TR- (deletion of aux genes) did not produce roots with callus-like morphology.