Production of Secondary Metabolites by Hairy Root Cultures

Alma Angélica Del Villar Martínez, Edmundo Lozoya Gloria, Pablo Emilio Vanegas Espinoza

Te invitamos a leer el capítulo "Production of Secondary Metabolites by Hairy Root Cultures" publicado en  "Advances in Plant Biotechnology", en el que colaboró el Dr. Edmundo Lozoya Gloria  de Cinvestav Irapuato.

Autores:

Alma Angélica Del Villar Martínez, Edmundo Lozoya Gloria, Pablo Emilio Vanegas Espinoza

Resumen:
Plant secondary metabolites comprise diverse groups of chemical compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, alkaloids, plant steroids, and terpenes. However, the accumulation of secondary metabolites often occurs in response to different stimuli such as osmotic stress, temperature, humidity, drought, or infection by bacteria, yeast, or fungi. For this reason, biotechnological strategies have been implemented for the accumulation and stability of these compounds. Hairy roots are characterized by their genetic and biosynthetic stability, rapid, hormone-independent growth, lateral branching, absence of geotropism, and easy maintenance. Hairy roots are generated following infection with the bacterium Agrobacterium rhizogenes, which transfers T-DNA that contains not only genes that participate in the generation of hairy roots but also participate in the synthesis of new secondary metabolites that are not detected in non-transformed tissues. This chapter shows the achievements in the use of hairy roots generated by A. rhizogenes to produce secondary metabolites of pharmacological interest and high industrial potential, taking advantage of their genetic stability and fast growth.