Agrobacterium rhizogenes-Mediated Transformation and Its Biotechnological Applications in Crops - Crop Improvement: New Approaches and Modern Techniques - page 25

cies of plants (Tepfer 1990 ). In 1997, Christey reported plant species that had been
genetically modified produced from hairy roots of 60 different taxa, representing
51 species from 41 genera and 23 families including Pinaceae Fabaceae, Brassica-
ceae and Solanaceae Araliaceae, Caricaceae and Rutaceae. In 2001, it was reported
that, transgenic plants have been derived via transgenesis using in 89 different taxa,
representing 79 species from 55 genera and 27 families (Christey 2001 ). Because
lack of susceptibility, monocotyledonous plants are not a host for A. rhizogenes for
and still there is no example for transgenic monocotyledonous plant except onion
(Dommisse et al. 1990 ) and asparagus (Hernalsteens et al. 1993 ; Christey 2001 ).
According to Web of Science, currently there are more than 500 studies conducted
on A. rhizogenes . Table 1.2 summarizes the studies conducted, the plants and the
genes transferred via A. rhizogenes in chronological order.
Conclusion and Future Perespective
This chapter deals with current research on A. rhizogenes -mediated transformation
and its applications in crops. A. rhizogenes is responsible for the development of
hairy root disease in a wide range of dicotyledonous plants and characterized by a
proliferation of excessively branching roots. Containing case studies demonstrating
the result of A. rhizogenes -mediated transformation includes biosynthesis pathways
in plants created a valuable platform in the last years. Furthermore, the plants trans-
formed with A. rhizogenes are become increasingly popular for offering approaches
to create cost-effective options in mass-producing desired plant metabolites and
expressing foreign proteins. The data from numerous proof-of-concept studies in-
cluding improved the nutritional quality, agronomical characteristics, production of
plant-derived products encourages for the realization of scaling up Agrobacterium
based practices. Recently, transgenic plants produced by Agrobacterium -mediated
transformation have also been shown to have immense potential for applications
in phytoremediation. This chapter highlights recent progresses in the field of A.
rhizogenes -mediated transformation and outlines future perspectives for the exploi-
tation of it.
Acknowledgement Authors are grateful to Professor Nermin Gözükırmızı, Professor Şule Ari,
Associate Professor Ercan Arican and Dr. Neslihan Turgut-Kara at Istanbul University, Depart-
ment of Molecular Biology and Genetics for providing hairy root pictures of their previous stud-
ies and Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains (8196 and R1000) which had been given by Associate
Professor Kemal Melik Taşkın (Çanakkale 18 Mart University, Biology Department) to Istanbul
University Data Collection. Then there were those people at Marmara University, School of Medi-
cine, Department of Histology and Embryology who helped with techniques for obtaining SEM
micrographs. We are grateful to all of them, in particular to: Professor Feriha Ercan, Research
Assistant Özlem T. Çilingir and Yücel Öztürk. We like to acknowledge Designer Recep Cenk
Tarhan and Biologist-Designer İlke Ertem who spent hours of their time helping with the figures
and diagrams, Research Assistants Sezen İğdelioğlu and Onur Zorluer for assistance with compil-
ing the references.