Characterization of lucidin formation in Rubia tinctorum L.

In order to approach lucidin formation (a strong mutagen or a carcinogen) from a physiological standpoint, hairy roots of Rubia tinctorum L. were established by a transformation of Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain 15834 and cultured in a liquid woody plant medium without plant hormones. The anthraquinone pigment composition of the intact hairy roots was essentially the same as that of the intact non-transformed (normal) roots, in which lucidin O-beta-D-primeveroside (LuP) was one of the major pigments. Lucidin was scarcely detected in the intact hairy roots, but was a main pigment after the squash treatment. The crude protein extract of intact hairy roots exhibited LuP-glycosidase activity (an activity converting LuP to lucidin). This activity was also detected in the roots of the normal plants at a high level, but slightly in the stems and not in the leaves. Methyl jasmonate enhanced the LuP production and LuP-glycosidase activity in the hairy roots. On the other hand, ethephon or salicylic acid had either no effect or rather an inhibitory effect on them. After partial purification of LuP glycosidase, the resultant active fraction producing a major band with an apparent Mr of 68 kDa exhibited the substrate specificity for both aglycon and sugar-moiety. The sugar released from LuP by this fraction was neither D-glucose nor D-xylose and was hydrolyzed into them. These results suggest that LuP specific beta-primeverosidase (EC 3.2.1.149) exists in the roots of R. tinctorum and is involved in the systematic defense system.     

Exogenous Carbohydrate Utilisation by Explants of Brassica napus Cultured in vitro

In 5; non-coding regions of genes for phytochrome A from horseradish (ArPHYAs) were fused with the 35S promoter of cauliflower mosaic virus in the antisense direction (CaMV35SantiArPHYAs) and introduced into horseradish hairy roots. Phytochrome levels of proximal areas in many hairy roots that had been transformed with CaMV35SantiArPHYAs decreased to levels of about one-half to one-quarter those of control hairy roots. The extent of the light-induced formation of adventitious shoots from hairy roots with less than half of the control level of phytochrome was lower than in the controls and not different between the three ArPHYAs. In contrast, the efficiency of phytochrome on the extent of shoot formation differed in hairy roots transformed with CaMV35SantiArPHYAs when phytochrome levels were more than 0.02 (;(;A) g^–1). The efficiency of ArPHYA3 to initiate shoot formation was greatest and that of ArPHYA2 was smallest. Furthermore, previous reports on hairy roots overexpressing ArPHYAs showed a similar efficiency of phytochrome on shoot formation. These results indicate that the ArphyA1 and/or ArphyA3 play major roles in the light-induced formation of adventitious shoots and that ArphyA2 has a minor role.     

Agrobacterium rhizogenes-transformed roots of Medicago truncatula for the study of nitrogen-fixing and endomycorrhizal symbiotic associations

Medicago truncatula, a diploid autogamous legume, is currently being developed as a model plant for the study of root endosymbiotic associations, including nodulation and mycorrhizal colonization. An important requirement for such a plant is the possibility of rapidly introducing and analyzing chimeric gene constructs in root tissues. For this reason, we developed and optimized a convenient protocol for Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation of M. truncatula. This unusual protocol, which involves the inoculation of sectioned seedling radicles, results in rapid and efficient hairy root organogenesis and the subsequent development of vigorous "composite plants." In addition, we found that kanamycin can be used to select for the cotransformation of hairy roots directly with gene constructs of interest. M. truncatula composite plant hairy roots have a similar morphology to normal roots and can be nodulated successfully by their nitrogen-fixing symbiotic partner, Sinorhizobium meliloti. Furthermore, spatiotemporal expression of the Nod factor-responsive reporter pMtENOD11-gusA in hairy root epidermal tissues is indistinguishable from that observed in Agrobacterium tumefaciens-transformed lines. M. truncatula hairy root explants can be propagated in vitro, and we demonstrate that these clonal lines can be colonized by endomycorrhizal fungi such as Glomus intraradices with the formation of arbuscules within cortical cells. Our results suggest that M. truncatula hairy roots represent a particularly attractive system with which to study endosymbiotic associations in transgenically modified roots.     

Evidence for the involvement of a diol-epoxide in the binding of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene to DNA in cells in culture.

1,1,1-Trichloropropene 2,3-oxide (TCPO), a known inhibitor of the enzyme epoxide hydrase, inhibits binding of the carcinogen, 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), to the DNA of secondary mouse embryo cell cultures under conditions which do not appreciably decrease the overall metabolism of this carcinogen. This suggests that the formation of a transdihydrodiol is a necessary step in the metabolic pathway leading to DNA binding and that binding probably occurs through the generation of a reactive diol-epoxide. In concert with this, the major DMBA-DNA product isolated by chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 eluted with a methanol-water gradient is resolved into two separate components in a methanol-sodium borate solution gradient suggesting that, as is known for benzo(a)pyrene, two stereoisomeric diol-epoxides are involved in the binding of DMBA to DNA.     

A model for a bioconversion system with the promoter of the parAt gene,which confers a high level of expression of a transgene in hairy roots

The promoter of the protoplast auxin-regulated (parAt) gene of tobacco, which is expressed throughout the tissues of hairy roots, can be useful for developing a bioconversion system with hairy roots. The parAt gene is shown to be expressed in roots of seedlings and in those of mature tobacco plants. The 5-upstream region of parAt was fused to the coding sequence of the ß-d-glucuronidase (GUS) gene to generate the parAt-GUS fusion gene, which was introduced into the binary vector for Agrobacterium. Hairy roots that carried the fusion gene were obtained (parAt-GUS/hairy root) by infecting tobacco plants with A. rhizogenes carrying the fusion gene in the binary vector. Biochemical analysis with 4-methylumbelliferyl ß-d-glucuronide (MUG), a substrate for GUS, showed that the level of GUS activity was tenfold higher than that of hairy roots carrying the reporter GUS gene, which is linked to the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA promoter (35S-GUS/hairy root). We also examined the rate of conversion of MUG to 4-methylumbel-liferone (MU) by hairy roots when MUG was added to the culture medium of the parAt-GUS/hairy roots. The hairy roots converted MUG to MU at more than ten times as high efficiency as the 35S-GUS/hairy roots. In addition to tobacco, the parAt-GUS gene was similarly expressed in hairy roots from Atropa and Arabidopsis. These results suggest that the promoter of the parAt gene is a useful tool for conversion of various metabolites by hairy root cultures. Correspondence to: Y. Machida     

Expression of transferred genes during hairy root development in pea

Root border cell development and expression of reporter genes were evaluated in transgenic pea hairy roots. Successful induction of hairy roots in pea is conditioned by bacterial strain and plant genotype, as well as by developmental and environmental factors. Morphological changes sometimes occur when hairy roots are transferred from infected plants to tissue culture media, but such changes are confined to specific clones. Expression of reporter genes under the control of promoters from bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) stress genes encoding phenylalanine ammonia lyase and chalcone synthase were evaluated. Expression patterns vary between hairy roots taken directly from infected plants, and those grown in culture; most hairy roots taken from infected plants exhibit expression throughout all tissues, whereas expression in cultured hairy roots is most often localized to specific tissues. Patterns of expression that occur during different stages of hairy root development are very similar to those observed in transgenic plants expressing the same fusion genes. Border cell separation and release in hairy roots is normal, and expression of glucuronidase in border cells of some transgenic roots resulted in development of bright blue single cells. Cultured hairy roots should provide a very useful model for studying the effect of defined changes in root border cells on microbial associations with roots of this important legume.Abbreviations YEM yeast extract-mannitol - GUS glucuronidase - PAL phenylalanine ammonium lyase - CHS chalcone syntase     

Gene for a protein capable of enhancing lateral root formation.

Analysis of genes preferentially expressed in hairy roots caused by infection with Agrobacterium rhizogenes has provided insights into the regulation of lateral root formation. A hairy root preferential cDNA, HR7, has been cloned from hairy roots of Hyoscyamus niger. HR7 encodes a novel protein partially homologous to a metallocarboxypeptidase inhibitor and is expressed exclusively in the primordium and base of lateral roots in hairy roots. Overexpression of HR7 in transgenic roots of H. niger dramatically enhances the frequency of lateral root formation. The results of this study indicate that expression of HR7 plays a critical role in initiating lateral root formation.     

Overexpression of phytochrome A enhances the light-induced formation of adventitious shoots on horseradish hairy roots

A full-length cDNA of the gene for phytochrome A from Arabidopsis thaliana was fused with the 35S promoter of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV35S-PHYA) and introduced into horseradish (Armoracia rusticana Gaert., Mey. et Scherb.) hairy roots. The phytochrome level in hairy roots transformed with CaMV35SPHYA was about three times greater than that in normal hairy roots and the rate of light-induced formation of adventitious shoots was also higher in the hairy roots transformed with CaMV35SPHYA. These results indicate that the light-induced formation of adventitious shoots on horseradish hairy roots is closely related to the phytochrome level. Received: 11 August 1998 / Revision received: 21 October 1998 / Accepted: 20 November 1998     

The leukaemic hairy cell in culture lacks the monocyte marker, angiotensin converting enzyme induction

Hairy cells of hairy cell leukaemia are unique circulating mononuclear cells of questionable origin which possess features of both B-lymphocytes and monocytes. Angiotensin converting enzyme, which is consistently induced in monocytes in culture, was not induced in hairy cells in culture. This result is consistent with a lymphocytic rather than a normal monocytic cell lineage for the hairy cell. The origin of other monocytic phenotypic characteristics remains to be explained.     

Effects of a Carcinogen, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine on Blastema Cells and Blastema Formation in Newt Limb Regeneration

The effects of a potent, carcinogen, N -methyl- N' -nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) on blastema formation and blastema cells were studied in the adult newt by means of scanning electron microscopy. By administration of MNNG to the blastema of the limbs the formation of the basement lamella, which lies between the epithelium and the mesenchyme, was effectively inhibited at least for a month. Basement lamella in treated limbs is formed 30 or 40 days after carcinogen administration. MNNG altered significantly cell surface morphology and cell motility of blastema cells isolated in vitro. Membrane's specializations such as the formation of filopodia were inhibited. Motility of the treated cells was much reduced compared to the control. The role of these alterations in the carcinogen-induced abnormal regeneration is discussed.     

An interchangeable system of hairy root and cell suspension cultures ofCatharanthus roseus for indole alkaloid production

Hairy roots ofCatharanthus roseus obtained by co-cultivation of hypocotyl segments withAgrobacterium rhizogenes, and cultured in SH (Schenk and Hildebrandt) basal medium, formed two types of calli when subcultured in SH medium with 1 mg/1 -naphthaleneacetic acid and 0.1 mg/l kinetin. One of them, a compact callus, when re-subcultured in SH basal medium gave rise to hairy roots again. A rhizogenic cell suspension culture was established from this type of callus. When cultured in SH medium with growth regulators, the rhizogenic callus produced catharanthine at a level of 41% of the level in the initial hairy roots. Upon transfer to SH basal medium, regenerated hairy roots produced this alkaloid at the original level of 1.5 mg/g dry wt. Using this cell/hairy root interchange system a new management system for hairy root culture in bioreactors has been devised and examined involving production of biomass in the form of a cell suspension in medium supplemented with growth regulators, and catharanthine production by hairy roots regenerated from these cells in medium without growth regulators.Abbreviations NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid - SH Schenk and Hildebrandt - SHNK SH medium + 1 mg 1^–1 NAA + 0.1 mg 1^–1 kinetin     

Effect of differentiation on the regulation of indole alkaloid production in Catharanthus roseus hairy roots

In vitro cultures of hairy root derived from Catharanthus roseus accumulate higher levels of indole alkaloids than cell suspension cultures. Hairy roots were interconverted to undifferentiated cells by manipulation of the culture medium. When the concentration of micronutrients in the culture medium was five times that of Phillips and Collins (1979) medium, cell suspensions formed from the hairy roots. The alkaloid content was five times lower in the cell suspensions than in the control, but upon regeneration of the roots the alkaloid content regained its original level. The formation of cell suspensions from hairy roots was also accompanied by a reduction in tryptophan decarboxylase and the strictosidine synthase activity to less than 5% and 30%, respectively. 3-Hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity was the same in the cell suspension and in the regenerated line. Received: 12 February 1998 / Revision received: 21 May 1998 / Accepted: 5 June 1998     

Population balance approach to modeling hairy root growth

Though numerous models have been developed to describe the growth of microbial cell cultures, far fewer models are available to describe the growth of hairy root cultures. Here a population balance model is proposed to simulate the growth of hairy roots. The model accounts for the increase in biomass due to elongation of a branch by cell division as well as the formation of new branches. The model incorporates the fact that although the likelihood of the formation of a new lateral branch is a maximum at a specific age of the parent branch, lateral branches can form over a distribution of ages of the parent branch. Model parameters are estimated using the genetic algorithm based on experimental data for batch and continuous bioreactors. The model proposed here may provide a better understanding of the increase in biomass of hairy root cultures.     

Changes in the surface layer (sheath) of the cell wall of streptomycetes during sporulation

Fine structural changes of the sheath, occurring during spore formation in strains Streptomyces finlayi ATCC 23 340 and Streptomyces coeruleorubidus FBUA 328 were investigated by means of electron microscopy of air-dried whole mounts and thin sections. The results suggest that in the strains the process of sporulation is not strictly synchronized spatially with the molecular arrangements and re-arrangements (formation of hairy or spiny surface ornaments) occurring outside the wall of the sporulation hyphae, in the sheath. On the contrary, the intensity of transformation induction in the sheath may show a gradually decreasing tendency from the tip of the sporulating hypha towards its sterile basal part, resulting in the formation of both ornamented and smooth spores in the same chain. This suggests that the morphogenetic changes occurring in the sheath during spore formation are probably controlled by a "functional centre", located near the tip of the sporulating hypha, and this centre is perhaps indentical with the cell unit at the tip.     

Phorbol ester induction of plasmacytoid and hairy cell leukemia features in B-type lymphocytic leukemias: the relation to B-cell differentiation and maturation

Mononuclear cells concentrated from 11 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 7 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in leukemic phase (NHL), 5 with hairy cell leukemia (HCL), 1 with prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL), and 1 with plasma cell leukemia (PCL) were induced to differentiate with various doses of TPA. The degree of induction was followed for up to 6 days by measuring the expression of surface membrane markers (SmIg and GP-70) and Ig secretion, the induction of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and by recording ultrastructural changes as seen by electronmicroscopy. The results show a dose and time dependency of the TPA effect and a great heterogeneity in the cellular response, particularly in cells obtained from B-CLL patients. TPA induced two main features, namely the development of "plasmacytoid" or "hairy cell" leukemia features that clearly depended on the dose and duration of treatment with the phorbol ester. The plasmacytoid features were more frequently encountered with lower doses (1 ng/ml) of TPA and were more evident after shorter exposures to TPA (1-2 days). Nevertheless, the hairy cell features were more striking after incubation with higher concentrations of TPA (10-100 ng/ml) after longer periods of incubation (up to 6 days) with lower doses of TPA. The various features of differentiation measured including cell morphology, surface membrane markers, Ig secretion, and TRAP staining, were frequently independent of each other, suggesting an autonomous pathway of differentiation for some of these features. Furthermore, in most of the cases, hairy cell leukemia features were obtained more frequently following TPA exposure than plasmacytic changes.     

Effect of selenium on the system of superoxide anion radical formation and detoxication in hepatocarcinogenesis

It is established that the introduction of selenium in combination with diethylnitrosamine into rat organisms has a preventive influence on the tumour formation. The intensity of superoxide radicals formation by the liver cell microsomes in this case decreases, while the activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase I, glutathione reductase and concentration of selenium in microsomes increases. The anticarcinogenic action of selenium is considered as a result of an increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase I and glutathione reductase. This increase induces detoxication of superoxide radicals forming in considerable amounts in rat liver cells under the effect of carcinogen.     

Heterologous rhizobial lipochitin oligosaccharides and chitin oligomers induce cortical cell divisions in red clover roots, transformed with the pea lectin gene

Division of cortical cells in roots of leguminous plants is triggered by lipochitin oligosaccharides (LCOs) secreted by the rhizobial microsymbiont. Previously, we have shown that presence of pea lectin in transgenic white clover hairy roots renders these roots susceptible to induction of root nodule formation by pea-specific rhizobia (C. L. Díaz, L. S. Melchers, P. J. J. Hooykaas, B. J. J. Lugtenberg, and J. W. Kijne, Nature 338:579-581, 1989). Here, we report that pea lectin-transformed red clover hairy roots form nodule primordium-like structures after inoculation with pea-, alfalfa-, and Lotus-specific rhizobia, which normally do not nodulate red clover. External application of a broad range of purified LCOs showed all of them to be active in induction of cortical cell divisions and cell expansion in a radial direction, resulting in formation of structures that resemble nodule primordia induced by clover-specific rhizobia. This activity was obvious in about 50% of the red clover plants carrying hairy roots transformed with the pea lectin gene. Also, chitopentaose, chitotetraose, chitotriose, and chitobiose were able to induce cortical cell divisions and cell expansion in a radial direction in transgenic roots, but not in control roots. Sugar-binding activity of pea lectin was essential for its effect. These results show that transformation of red clover roots with pea lectin results in a broadened response of legume root cortical cells to externally applied potentially mitogenic oligochitin signals.     

Transformation of meristematic cells in the shoot apex of cultured pea shoots byAgrobacterium tumefaciens andA. rhizogenes

Summary Different tissues in cultured pea shoots were inoculated withAgrobacterium tumefaciens wild types C 58 and ACH 5 andA. rhizogenes wild type 9402. The C 58 and 9402 bacteria induced the formation of tumours and hairy roots respectively while the ACH 5 was inactive. The younger the tissue the more rapidly it responded to the active bacteria. The shoot apex was the most reactive organ and developed into a tumour, theA. rhizogenes tumours subsequently giving rise to transformed hairy roots. Histological examination showed that transformed cells (including those within the apical dome) initially became highly vacuolate before dividing rapidly to form a tumour. These changes were accompanied by cell division in surrounding tissues.     

The Transference of Ri-Plasmid from Agrobacterium rhizogenes to Scopolia lurida Revealed by the Hairy Root Cultivation and the Alkaloids Production

The steriled plants of Scopolia lurida after being infected by A. rhizogenes were induced to produce hairy roots. They grew well in medium either of hormone free MS agar or of roots suspension culture. As the result, the cultivated hairy root was shown to yield alkaloids such as hyosciamine and scopolamine. Since agropine and mannopine were also detected in the hairy root cultures, the transference of the T-DNA of A. rhizogenes Ri-plasmid into the cell genomic DNA of S. lurida is clearly demonstrated.     

Oxytetracycline inactivation by putative reactive oxygen species released to nutrient medium of Helianthus annuus hairy root cultures

When subjected to stress, plants produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a part of the defense response. The oxidative response is also used to degrade organic pollutants. Hairy roots of Helianthus annuus (sunflower) are shown to oxidize oxytetracycline (OTC) through the action of the ROS released to the nutrient medium by the hairy root cultures. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) elicits ROS formation in the hairy root cultures. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes, ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), are reported for hairy root cultures treated with increasing concentrations of MeJA. A bioassay using Enterococcus hirae as the test microorganism demonstrates the root-catalyzed oxidation process results in conversion of OTC into product(s) devoid of antibiotic activity. Direct evidence for putative ROS oxidation of OTC is obtained by mass spectrometry (MS) and HPLC/MS showing first quinone formation followed possibly by ring cleavage, which disrupts UV absorption and destroys antibiotic activity.