<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: HI" lang="EN-GB">Hairy root cultures of <i>Chonemorpha fragrans</i> (Moon) Alston.: A potential plant for camptothecin production</span>

Abstract

An efficient transformation system has been developed in <i>Chonemorpha fragrans</i> (Moon) Alston., an important medicinal plant. It has been reported from our laboratory that this rare and endangered liana contains camptothecin (CPT), a well known anticancer drug used in the treatments of various types of cancer after derivatization. <i>In vitro</i> leaf and callus explants were used for infection with three strains of <i>Agrobacterium rhizogenes</i>. Explants infected with <i>A.</i> <i>rhizogenes</i> strain A4 showed root initials with an optimal transformation frequency (up to 45%). The confirmation of transformation was done by PCR using <i>rol</i>B specific primers. This is the first report regarding hairy root induction in the genus <i>Chonemorpha</i>.