Hairy Root Composite Plants
Hairy Root Composite Plants - Related Videos
13:37
Generation of Composite Plants in Medicago truncatula used for Nodulation Assays
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Cited by 7 •
2011
We demonstrate how hairy root composite plants can be used to study plant-rhizobium interactions and nodulation in the difficult-to-transform species Medicago truncatula.
12:59
High-throughput CRISPR Vector Construction and Characterization of DNA Modifications by Generation of Tomato Hairy Roots
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Cited by 37 •
2016
Using DNA assembly, multiple CRISPR vectors can be constructed in parallel in a single cloning reaction, making the construction of large numbers of CRISPR vectors a simple task. Tomato hairy roots are an excellent model system to validate CRISPR vectors and generate mutant materials.
04:09
An Efficient and Reproducible Method for Producing Composite Plants by Agrobacterium rhizogenes-Based Hairy Root Transformation
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Cited by 1 •
2023
Here, we provide the detailed protocol of a one-step transformation method mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens to produce composite plants.
10:58
Plant Promoter Analysis: Identification and Characterization of Root Nodule Specific Promoter in the Common Bean
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Cited by 15 •
2017
Promoter expression analyses are crucial to improving the understanding of gene regulation and the spatiotemporal expression of target genes. Herein we present a protocol to identify, isolate, and clone a plant promoter. Further, we describe the characterization of the nodule-specific promoter in the common bean hairy roots.
06:41
Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy of Plant Roots Growing on the Surface of a Gel
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Cited by 24 •
2017
This protocol shows a plant sample preparation method for light-sheet microscopy. The setup is characterized by mounting the plant vertically on the surface of a gel and letting it grow in controlled bright conditions. This allows long-term observation of plant organ development in standardized conditions.
FAQs
Agrobacterium rhizogenes transfers root-inducing DNA into plant tissue, which stimulates the formation of prolific, highly branched roots. This biological mechanism creates a root system that carries the transformation while the shoot remains otherwise nontransformed. The resulting contrast allows researchers to examine root-specific genetic effects without requiring genetic modification throughout the entire plant.
A nontransformed shoot provides a comparatively normal aboveground context while the roots carry the introduced genetic change. Researchers can therefore assess root traits in vivo while reducing the need to interpret effects from whole-plant transformation. This separation is especially useful when the research question concerns root development, nutrient uptake, or interactions occurring primarily below ground.
The rapid production of numerous, highly branched roots provides substantial root tissue for observation and analysis. Their extensive structure supports investigations of processes distributed across the root system, including development and nutrient uptake. Because the roots form quickly after infection, this approach can accelerate experiments compared with approaches that depend on generating a fully transformed plant.
Researchers introduce a gene or other genetic construct into the roots generated through Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation. The construct can then be studied in root tissue while the shoot remains nontransformed. This tissue-specific arrangement helps connect a genetic change with root-level phenotypes and avoids attributing the result to transformation effects in aboveground tissues.
The general workflow begins by infecting plant tissue with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Transferred root-inducing DNA then stimulates prolific, branched root growth, and researchers obtain roots carrying the desired gene or genetic construct. The plant retains an otherwise nontransformed shoot, creating a composite experimental system suitable for studying root function in vivo.
This system is useful when investigators need genetically modified roots but do not need, or do not want, to transform the entire plant. Its tissue-specific manipulation and rapid root formation can simplify studies focused on belowground biology. The approach is therefore valuable for functional genomics and crop research where root traits must be examined in an intact plant context.
Researchers can apply the system to root development, nutrient uptake, plant-microbe interactions, symbiosis, and root-associated pathogens. It supports testing how genetically altered roots behave in relation to microbes or disease-associated organisms while the shoot remains nontransformed. These applications make the platform relevant to both fundamental biology and investigations of agriculturally important root functions.
By enabling rapid, root-specific genetic manipulation, the approach helps researchers evaluate candidate genes and root traits without waiting for whole-plant transformation. In crop research, it can focus experiments on belowground functions such as nutrient acquisition or interactions with microbes and pathogens. The resulting observations can clarify gene roles and guide studies of agriculturally relevant root biology.