Implementation of a protocol for the production of hairy roots of cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa) by Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated transformation

Abstract

The beneficial health proper ties registered of secondary metabolites produced by the plant cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa) had generated a strong market demand and intensive extraction of this species in the countries where distributed, with the deterioration of this genetic resource in its natural habitat.

Because of this, is necessary to implement protocols for cell and tissue culture of this species in order to achieve the synthesis of compounds in a controlled manner.The root bark is one of the tissues where the production of these compounds is concentrated. Because of this,the production of hairy roots becomes an alternative technique for scale production of the metabolites of interest.

In this research, a protocol was implemented using agroinfection of U. tomentosa shoot tips with wild strains of Agrobacterium rizhogenes (AR1500 and A4RS) and maintenance of hairy roots obtained. In collaboration with the Laboratory of Molecular Biology of the PIPRA program (UC Davis), we determined the efficacy of this agroinfection protocol and the use of other molecular tools which showed satisfactory results in testing agroinfection under the methodologies established.