Ali Eskandari-Samet - Department of Biotechnology - Faculty of Agriculture - Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamadan, Iran
Khosro Piri - Department of Biotechnology - Faculty of Agriculture - Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamadan, Iran
Mehrnaz Kayhanfar - Department of Biotechnology - Faculty of Agriculture - Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamadan, Iran
Tahereh Hasanloo - Agricultural BiotechnologyResearch Institute, Karaj, Iran

Agrobacterium rhizogenes (pRi), a causative agent of hairy root disease, effectively induces hairy root formation in a variety of plant species. In our study four bacterial strains AR۱۵۸۳۴, A۴, ۹۴۳۵ and C۳۱۸ and three explants types leaf, stems and roots, were examined. Hairy roots were induced from roots, stems and leaf explants. The highest transformation efficiency of ۷۷% was achieved by using strain AR۱۵۸۳۴. The transgenic status of hairy roots was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction using rolB specific primers for the presence of rolB gene in the genomes of transformed roots. Six clones of hairy roots were established that differed in their morphology. The results indicated that ۴–۱۱ fold increasing in root biomass after ۲۸ days compared with non-transformed seedling roots. The concentration of tropane alkaloids hyoscyamine and scopolamine obtained in transformed roots (۴ mg/g dry weight) was ۳-۱۱ folds more than in non-transformed cultured roots (۰.۳۶ mg/g dry weight).

hairy root, Bacterial strain, Explants type, Tropane alkaloid