Developing an efficient protocol for hairy root induction in Lythrum salicaria L

Today, the culture of hairy roots is a suitable tool for studies in plant biology, such as gene expression, gene function analyses, enzymes and metabolic pathways. Lythrum salicaria is a herbaceous perennial that has great potential as a medicinal plant and pollution purifier. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to report on hairy root production of L. salicaria. In this research, hairy root cultures of L. salicaria were evaluated with two strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes, A4 and ATCC. The hairy roots induced by A. rhizogenes were confirmed with PCR analysis using the rolC genes specific primers. The highest percentage of transformation was obtained in the excised shoots of L. salicaria in inoculation with A. rhizogenes strain A4 (65 +/- 2.3%). The percentage of explants with transgenic roots was increased in solid MS medium containing 100 mu M acetosyringone at a 10 min infection time and a 48 h co-cultivation period. The hairy roots obtained from the shoot explants were extremely fertile and had extensive lateral branching compared to normal roots. In conclusion, the aim of the present study was to develop an efficient protocol for hairy root induction in L. salicaria. The results of this study can be used in the hairy root cultures of L. salicaria for various applications.