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Optimization of Hairy Root Induction in the Medicinal Plant garden Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) Using Agrobacterium Rhizogenes
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Mahdi Mahmoudi   , Ahmad Sadat Noori * , Zahra Heidary |
| University of Tehran , noori@ut.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (61 Views) |
The medicinal plant garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is of great importance due to its valuable secondary metabolites such as thymol. In this study, hairy root induction was performed using two strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes (ATCC15834, A4) and three types of explants (cotyledon, stem, and leaf). The infected explants were transferred to MS medium containing antibiotics after co-cultivation. The transformation of the produced roots was confirmed using the PCR technique and specific primers for the rolB gene. The traits of induction percentage, fresh weight, and dry weight of the hairy roots were evaluated in a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replications. The PCR results, by amplifying the 780 bp fragment of the rolB gene, confirmed the transgenic nature of the induced roots. Data analysis showed that the interaction effect of bacterial strain and explant type was significant on all measured traits. The highest hairy root induction percentage (73%), fresh weight (2.90 g), and dry weight (1.91 g) were obtained in the combined treatment of stem explant and strain ATCC15834. Strain A4 was less efficient compared to strain ATCC15834. In general, this study reports for the first time the successful induction of hairy roots in the medicinal plant garden thyme. The findings indicate that the optimal selection of explant and bacterial strain plays a decisive role in the efficiency of hairy root production. The hairy roots induced in this research can be used as a stable and efficient system for the large-scale production of valuable thyme secondary metabolites under in vitro conditions and at the bioreactor scale.
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Article number: 9 |
| Keywords: Agrobacterium rhizogenes, Garden thyme, Hairy roots, Secondary metabolites. |
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Plant
Received: 2025/10/26
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