EFFECTS OF NaCl AND CALCIUM ON THE PRODUCTION AND SECRETION OF PEROXIDASES BY TURNIP HAIRY ROOT CULTURES.

ELIZABETH AGOSTINI; SILVIA MILRAD DE FORCHETTI; HORACIO A. TIGIER

Plant peroxidases, biochemistry and physiology

Univ of Agric. of Viena and Univ. of Geneva.

Lugar: Ginebra, Suiza; Año: 1996; p. 269 - 274

The culture of roots isolated from the normal plant constitutes one of the landmarks in plant physiology and biotechnology. However, they grow rather slowly and this constitutes the major disadvantage of the technique. In recent years, root cultures were "redeveloped" as an experimental system making use of the natural genetic engineering ability of the bacterial plant pathogen Agrobacterium rhizogenes which induces transformation of different plant tissues to produce "hairy root" cultures. [2] These cultures are generally characterized by high biosynthetic capacity and genetic as well as biochemical stability [3, 8]. So they offer better prospects for the commercial production of secondary metabolites or enzymes than undifferentiated cell cultures, like calli and cell suspension cultures. The ease of handling and the possibility to manipulate the culture conditions to stimulate the production of metabolites or the secretion of a proportion of the enzymes to the media makes them attractive systems for large-scale production. Hairy root cultures may be used to produce Peroxidases (E.C. 1.11.1.7) which are commonly used as reagents for clinical diagnosis and microanalytical immunoassays. [5] We have studied alternative means to stimulate production and excretion of peroxidases from turnip (Brassica napus) hairy root cultures to develop an effective production system. Here we describe the effects of calcium and sodium supplementation to the hairy root culture medium on their growth and the peroxidase production and secretion.Agrobacterium rhizogenes which induces transformation of different plant tissues to produce "hairy root" cultures. [2] These cultures are generally characterized by high biosynthetic capacity and genetic as well as biochemical stability [3, 8]. So they offer better prospects for the commercial production of secondary metabolites or enzymes than undifferentiated cell cultures, like calli and cell suspension cultures. The ease of handling and the possibility to manipulate the culture conditions to stimulate the production of metabolites or the secretion of a proportion of the enzymes to the media makes them attractive systems for large-scale production. Hairy root cultures may be used to produce Peroxidases (E.C. 1.11.1.7) which are commonly used as reagents for clinical diagnosis and microanalytical immunoassays. [5] We have studied alternative means to stimulate production and excretion of peroxidases from turnip (Brassica napus) hairy root cultures to develop an effective production system. Here we describe the effects of calcium and sodium supplementation to the hairy root culture medium on their growth and the peroxidase production and secretion.