Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated hairy root induction in endangered Nothapodytes foetida

Abstract

Nothapodytes foetida is a member of family Icacinaceae and yields an anti-cancer drug: Camptothecin (CPT) which has a huge global demand. An alternative method for the production of camptothecin is highly desirable and can be attained by the application of hairy root culture. The present study was carried out to establish an efficient protocol for hairy roots in N. foetida using five different strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes (A4, LBA 9204, MTCC 532, MTCC 2364 and NCIM 5140). In vitro grown seedlings were used for the transformation experiment. Young seedlings were used as explants for the induction of hairy roots. Explants were infected with different A. rhizogenes strains. Then the explants were co-cultivated with the respective strains in Murashige and Skoog media and subsequently transferred to MS media containing antibiotics. The strain A4 was more effective than the other four strains in hairy root induction in N. foetida.