IN VITRO CULTURE OF FOUR MEDICINAL ASTERACEAE SPECIES FOR AGROBACTERIUM RHIZOGENES TRANSFORMATION

Hairy roots produced by infection with Agrobacterium rhizogenes are phenotypically altered and show an overproduction of secondary compounds.
Four Asteraceae species were tested: Artemisia annua (with proven antimalarial activity), Calendula officinalis (antiseptic), Mikania glomerata (a Brazilian plant used for respiratory disease treatment) and Helianthuus annuus (sunflower with tonic and anti-neuralgic activities). Seeds of Artemisia annua, Calendula officinalis and Helianthus annuus were surface disinfected with 25% NaOCl solution for 15 min., and Mikania glomerata stems were surface disinfected with 25% NaOCl solution for 30 min.
Sterile and viable explants were mantained in complete Murashige & Skoog’s culture medium and subcultured after 28 days.
Once established in culture, the explants of all species were inoculated with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains 8196 and 15834. Only Artemisia annua showed a positive hairy root response.
These roots were excised and cultured “in vitro”. In order to confirm the transgenic character of the hairy roots a Southern Blot hybridization was carried out.
The culture protocols established for the other three species were used to obtain explants for further transformation tests.

II WOCMAP Congress Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Part 3: Agricultural Production, Post Harvest Techniques, Biotechnology

A.P. Pellegrino, D.R.G. Joaquim, S.L. Kirszenzaft Shepherd

Artemisia annua, Calendula officinalis, hairy-roots, Helianthus annuus, in vitro cultivation, Mikania glomerata

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1999.502.48