EXAMINATION OF STEVIOL GLUCOSIDES PRODUCTION BY HAIRY ROOT AND SHOOT CULTURES OF STEVIA-REBAUDIANA

''Hairy root'' cultures of Stevia rebaudiana, whose leaves contain the sweet diterpene glycoside stevioside among other steviol glucosides, were induced upon infection with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain 15834. Steviol glucosides were not produced by the hairy root cultures in the dark. Addition of cytokinins (kinetin and benzyladenine) to solid medium resulted in a morphological change of hairy root cultures in the light into callus. Stevioside was not detected in the cultures. The primary shoot tip cultures from the in vitro cultured plantlets produced stevioside in liquid medium in the light. Our results suggest that the organ for the synthesis site of steviol glucosides is leaves, not roots in the whole plants. The shoot tip culture of S. rebaudiana in liquid medium may be useful to produce stevioside.