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

Abstract

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.