INFLUENCE OF LIGHT AND PHYTOHORMONES ON ALKALOID PRODUCTION IN TRANSFORMED ROOT CULTURES OF HYOSCYAMUS-ALBUS

In vitro cultures of Hyoscyamus albus were transformed with three different strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes and subjected to various culture conditions and phytohormone concentrations. The production of 5 tropane alkaloids in the transformed as well as in the normal root cultures was examined by HPLC. Hyoscyamine was the main constituent produced by all of the different root cultures. The highest content of total tropane alkaloids was detected in hairy roots transformed with A. rhizogenes strain MAFF03-01724 cultured on WP solid medium containing 1 mg/L kinetin in combination with 1 mg/L IAA cultured in the dark. Littorine was especially abundant in these cultures. On the other hand the accumulation of the oxygenated alkaloids, such as 6-beta-hydroxyhyoscyamine, 7-beta-hydroxyhyoscyamine and scopolamine was enhanced in the roots cultured in the light. Depending on the strain of Agrobacterium rhizogenes used for transformation, hairy roots responded differently to exogenous phytohormones.