We acknowledge Ji&#345;&#237; Macas (Biology Centre CAS, &#268;esk&#233; Bud&#283;jovice, Czech Republic) for providing the agrobacterial strain. The Core Facility Plants Sciences of CEITEC MU is acknowledged for its technical support. This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic with the European Regional Development Fund-Project &#34;SINGING PLANT&#34; (no. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_026/0008446) and the INTER-COST project LTC20004.

Agrobacterium-Mediated Hairy Root Induction and Regeneration in Plants

<ol>
	<li>Lee, L. Y., Gelvin, S. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=T-DNA+binary+vectors+and+systems.">T-DNA binary vectors and systems.</a> Plant Physiology. 146 (2), 325-332 (2008).</li><li>Christey, M. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Use+of+Ri-mediated+transformation+for+production+of+transgenic+plants.">Use of Ri-mediated transformation for production of transgenic plants.</a> In Vitro Cellular &amp; Developmental Biology - Plant. 37 (6), 687-700 (2001).</li><li>Gelvin, S. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Agrobacterium-Mediated+Plant+Transformation:+the+Biology+behind+the+&#8220;Gene-Jockeying&#8221;+Tool.">Agrobacterium-Mediated Plant Transformation: the Biology behind the &#8220;Gene-Jockeying&#8221; Tool.</a> Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews. 67 (1), 16-37 (2003).</li><li>Georgiev, M. I., Agostini, E., Ludwig-M&#252;ller, J., Xu, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genetically+transformed+roots:+from+plant+disease+to+biotechnological+resource.">Genetically transformed roots: from plant disease to biotechnological resource.</a> Trends in Biotechnology. 30 (10), 528-537 (2012).</li><li>Gutierrez-Valdes, N., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hairy+root+cultures&#8212;a+versatile+tool+with+multiple+applications.">Hairy root cultures&#8212;a versatile tool with multiple applications.</a> Frontiers in Plant Science. 11, 33 (2020).</li><li>Niazian, M., Belzile, F., Torkamaneh, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=CRISPR/Cas9+in+planta+hairy+root+transformation:+a+powerful+platform+for+functional+analysis+of+root+traits+in+Soybean.">CRISPR/Cas9 in planta hairy root transformation: a powerful platform for functional analysis of root traits in Soybean.</a> Plants. 11 (8), 1044 (2022).</li><li>Petit, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Further+extension+of+the+opine+concept:+plasmids+in+Agrobacterium+rhizogenes+cooperate+for+opine+degradation.">Further extension of the opine concept: plasmids in Agrobacterium rhizogenes cooperate for opine degradation.</a> Molecular and General Genetics MGG. 190 (2), 204-214 (1983).</li><li>Ozyigit, I. I., Dogan, I., Tarhan, E. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Agrobacterium+rhizogenes-mediated+transformation+and+its+biotechnological+applications+in+crops.">Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation and its biotechnological applications in crops.</a> Crop improvement. , (2013).</li><li>Jedli&#269;kov&#225;, V., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hairy+root+transformation+system+as+a+tool+for+CRISPR/Cas9-directed+genome+editing+in+oilseed+rape+(Brassica+napus).">Hairy root transformation system as a tool for CRISPR/Cas9-directed genome editing in oilseed rape (Brassica napus).</a> Frontiers in Plant Science. 13, 919290 (2022).</li><li>Steinbauerov&#225;, V., Neumann, P., Macas, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Experimental+evidence+for+splicing+of+intron-containing+transcripts+of+plant+LTR+retrotransposon+Ogre.">Experimental evidence for splicing of intron-containing transcripts of plant LTR retrotransposon Ogre.</a> Molecular Genetics and Genomics. 280 (5), 427-436 (2008).</li><li>Neumann, P., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Centromeres+off+the+hook:+massive+changes+in+centromere+size+and+structure+following+duplication+of+CenH3+gene+in+Fabeae+species.">Centromeres off the hook: massive changes in centromere size and structure following duplication of CenH3 gene in Fabeae species.</a> Molecular Biology and Evolution. 32 (7), 1862-1879 (2015).</li><li>Montazeri, M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+Comparative+analysis+of+the+hairy+root+induction+methods+in+Hypericum+perforatum.">A Comparative analysis of the hairy root induction methods in Hypericum perforatum.</a> Journal of Plant Molecular Breeding. 7 (1), 67-76 (2019).</li><li>Zhang, X., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Peat-based+hairy+root+transformation+using+Rhizobium+rhizogenes+as+a+rapid+and+efficient+tool+for+easily+exploring+potential+genes+related+to+root-knot+nematode+parasitism+and+host+response.">Peat-based hairy root transformation using Rhizobium rhizogenes as a rapid and efficient tool for easily exploring potential genes related to root-knot nematode parasitism and host response.</a> Plant Methods. 19 (1), 22 (2023).</li><li>Christey, M. C., Sinclair, B. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Regeneration+of+transgenic+kale+(Brassica+oleracea+var.+acephala),+rape+(B.+napus)+and+turnip+(B.+campestris+var.+rapifera)+plants+via+Agrobacterium+rhizogenes+mediated+transformation.">Regeneration of transgenic kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala), rape (B. napus) and turnip (B. campestris var. rapifera) plants via Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated transformation.</a> Plant Science. 87 (2), 161-169 (1992).</li><li>Christey, M. C., Sinclair, B. K., Braun, R. H., Wyke, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Regeneration+of+transgenic+vegetable+brassicas+(Brassica+oleracea+and+B.+campestris)+via+Ri-mediated+transformation.">Regeneration of transgenic vegetable brassicas (Brassica oleracea and B. campestris) via Ri-mediated transformation.</a> Plant Cell Reports. 16 (9), 587-593 (1997).</li></ol>

The authors declare that the research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

We developed a simple protocol for hairy root transformation and subsequent regeneration in B. napus and A. thaliana. This process includes injection-based hairy root induction in the hypocotyl (B. napus) or primary inflorescence stem (A. thaliana). The method of injecting the hypocotyl with agrobacterial strain C58C1 carrying a Ri plasmid was also effective in the Fabaceae family10,11, besides the members of Brassicaceae presented in this study.
An alternative to the injection-based method is the immersion-based transformation consisting of explant immersion in a bacterial suspension, followed by co-cultivation of the explant with agrobacteria. The advantage of the injection-based method over the immersion method is the time saved by the absence of some protocol steps: explant preparation, a test of the co-cultivation time, and culture on a medium containing hormone for induction of hairy roots. Although both approaches are effective for hairy root induction, higher transformation efficiency was observed in some species with the injection-based method compared to the explant immersion one12,13. Moreover, injection-based transformation is also useful for generating composite plants (transgenic hairy roots and wild-type shoots). After cutting off the original roots of the transformed plant, hairy roots support the plant growth, and the transgene can be studied in the context of the whole plant.
The critical step of hairy root induction is injecting the inoculum into the hypocotyl, or primary inflorescence stem. The hypocotyls of B. napus are breakable, and cutting the whole hypocotyl can easily happen. The same can be observed with A. thaliana because of the inflorescence stem thinness. If a comparison of the transformation efficiency of different species/cultivars is required, we recommend that one person perform all experiments to avoid the error caused by manipulation and skill in injecting the plants.
We developed an effective protocol for hairy root regeneration in B. napus DH12075 and A. thaliana Col-0. As regeneration is a highly variable process, some protocol modifications may be applied to a species or cultivar of choice. For instance, the hairy root-derived shoots can be elicited by a different auxin/cytokinin ratio (1:1) in B. oleracea14. Alternatively, cytokinin thidiazuron can be used instead of BAP, such as in the case of B. campestris hairy roots15.
Multiple insertions of the Ri plasmid T-DNA into the plant genome represent a potential limitation of the hairy root transformation and regeneration system. In such cases, no plants free of TL/TR from the Ri plasmid are uncovered after a segregation analysis of T1 seedlings. Thus, we recommend generating several independent hairy root lines for each transgene.
Hairy root cultures are an extremely powerful tool for gene functional studies mainly because of their rapid establishment and cheap maintenance (no hormones needed in cultivation media). This protocol covers the methods for hairy root induction and regeneration in B. napus and A. thaliana, which can be used to study the transgene of interest directly in hairy root cultures, in the context of the whole plant using composite plants, or after the regeneration of the transgenic plants.

Plant transformation is the bottleneck of any genetic study in plant biology. A soil-borne bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, is widely used as a means for gene delivery by floral dip or tissue culture to generate transformants. A. tumefaciens infects plants at a wounding site and causes tumors due to the transfer and integration of T-DNA from a Tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid into the host plant genome. Engineered A. tumefaciens strains with modified Ti plasmid without the wild-type T-DNA and a binary vector with artificial T-DNA and cloning sites for inserting a gene of interest are commonly used as an efficient plant transformation system1. However, many model species and crops are recalcitrant to floral dip or in vitro plant regeneration or have long growth cycles, impacting the efficiency of this transformation system.
Agrobacterium rhizogenes induces the formation of adventitious roots, or hairy roots, at the wounding site after infecting a host plant. Similar to A. tumefaciens, A. rhizogenes transfers a T-DNA from a Root-inducing (Ri) plasmid to the host plant genome, causing the development of transgenic hairy roots. This process is controlled mainly by the root oncogenic loci (rol) genes2,3. Using agrobacterial strains carrying both the Ri plasmid and an artificial binary vector encoding a gene of interest, hairy root cultures have been used to produce recombinant proteins, analyze the function of promoters or genes, or edit genomes using Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPRs)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)4,5,6.
Our protocol uses the transconjugant strain Ti-less A. tumefaciens C58C1 carrying the Ri plasmid pRiA4b7. The T-DNA of the Ri plasmid consists of two regions, right and left T-DNA (TR-DNA and TL-DNA, respectively), that can independently integrate into the plant genome8. Exploiting this system, the lengthy explant transformation process in Brassica napus DH12075 cultivar was optimized9. The protocol detailed below allows for the regeneration of selected hairy root lines and obtaining T1 plants carrying the transgene of interest and free of rol genes in roughly 1 year. The injection-based hairy root transformation can be used in other Brassicaceae species, as shown by transforming Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0. While hypocotyl is used to transform B. napus, A. thaliana is injected into the primary inflorescence stem.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>1.50 mL tubes</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>125.215</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>10% solution of commercial bleach&#160;</td>
			<td>SAVO</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA)&#160;</td>
			<td>Duchefa</td>
			<td>N0903</td>
			<td>Callus regeneration medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2.0 mL tubes</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>108.132/108.078</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>3M micropore tape</td>
			<td>Micropore</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP)&#160;</td>
			<td>Duchefa</td>
			<td>B0904</td>
			<td>Callus regeneration medium, Shoot elongation medium&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>70% ethanol</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>bacteriological agar</td>
			<td>HiMedia</td>
			<td>RM201</td>
			<td>LB medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bacteriological peptone</td>
			<td>Oxoid</td>
			<td>LP0037</td>
			<td>LB and YEB media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Beef extract</td>
			<td>Roth</td>
			<td>X975.1</td>
			<td>YEB medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bottles</td>
			<td>DURAN</td>
			<td>L300025</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cefotaxime sodium</td>
			<td>Duchefa</td>
			<td>C0111</td>
			<td>Hairy root growing medium, Callus regeneration medium, Shoot elongation medium, Root induction medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>chloroform</td>
			<td>Serva</td>
			<td>3955301</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CTAB Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>52365</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>dNTP mix</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>R0193</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EDTA - Titriplex III, (Ethylenendinitrilo)tetraacetic Acid, Disodium Salt, Dihydrate</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>ES134-250G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>elctroporation cuvette</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>electrophesis agar, peqGOLD universal</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>732-2789</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>electrophoresis chamber</td>
			<td>BIO-RAD</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>electrophoresis gel reader</td>
			<td>BIO-RAD</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>electroporator GenePulser Xcell</td>
			<td>BIO-RAD</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ethidium bromide</td>
			<td>AppliChem</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gene Pulser/MicroPulser electroporation cuvettes, 0.2 cm gap</td>
			<td>BIO-RAD</td>
			<td>1652082</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gene Ruler DNA ladder mix</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>SM0331</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gibberellic acid (GA3)</td>
			<td>Duchefa</td>
			<td>G0907</td>
			<td>Shoot elongation medium&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>glycerol</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>G5516-1L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HEPES (2-(4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-pirerazinyl)-ethansulfonique</td>
			<td>Merck</td>
			<td>1101100250</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)</td>
			<td>Duchefa</td>
			<td>I0902</td>
			<td>Root induction medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>kanamycin monosulfate</td>
			<td>Duchefa</td>
			<td>K0126</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Magenta GA-7 Plant Culture Box w/ Lid</td>
			<td>Plant Media</td>
			<td>V8505-100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Measuring cylinder</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MES monohydrate</td>
			<td>Duchefa</td>
			<td>M1503</td>
			<td>Hairy root growing medium, Callus regeneration medium, Shoot elongation medium, Root induction medium, Medium for germination, Plant growing medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Murashige and Skoog medium (MS)</td>
			<td>Duchefa</td>
			<td>M0237</td>
			<td>Medium for germination, Plant growing medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) + B5 vitamins&#160;</td>
			<td>Duchefa</td>
			<td>M0231</td>
			<td>Hairy root growing medium, Callus regeneration medium, Shoot elongation medium, Root induction medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>needle Agani 26G x 1/2 - 0.45 x 13mm</td>
			<td>Terumo</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pH meter</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phytagel</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>P8169</td>
			<td>Callus regeneration medium, Root induction medium, Medium for germination</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PVP 40 (polyvinylpyrolidone Mr 40000)</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>9003-39-8</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Redtaq DNA Polymerase,Taq for routine PCR with inert dye, 10X buffer included</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>D4309-250UN</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Retsh mill</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sodium chloride</td>
			<td>Lachner</td>
			<td>30093-APO</td>
			<td>LB medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>square Petri Dishes</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>GOSSBP124-05</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sucrose</td>
			<td>Penta</td>
			<td>24970-31000</td>
			<td>Hairy root growing medium, Callus regeneration medium, Shoot elongation medium, Root induction medium, Medium for germination, Plant growing medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe filter</td>
			<td>Carl Roth</td>
			<td>P666.1</td>
			<td>Rotylabo syringe filters 0.22 &#181;m pore size</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>thermomixer</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ticarcillin disodium</td>
			<td>Duchefa</td>
			<td>T0180</td>
			<td>Hairy root growing medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethan</td>
			<td>Serva</td>
			<td>3719003</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ultrapure water</td>
			<td>Millipore Milli-Q purified water&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Yeast extract</td>
			<td>Duchefa</td>
			<td>Y1333</td>
			<td>LB medium</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

hairy root transformation and regeneration in arabidopsis thaliana and brassica napus

Hairy root transformation represents a versatile tool for plant biotechnology in various species. Infection by an Agrobacterium strain carrying a Root-inducing (Ri) plasmid induces the formation of hairy roots at the wounding site after the transfer of T-DNA from the Ri plasmid into the plant genome. The protocol describes in detail the procedure of the injection-based hairy root induction in Brassica napus DH12075 and Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0. The hairy roots may be used to analyze a transgene of interest or processed for the generation of transgenic plants. Regeneration medium containing cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine (5 mg/L) and auxin 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (8 mg/L) successfully elicits shoot formation in both species. The protocol covers the genotyping and selection of regenerants and T1 plants to obtain plants carrying a transgene of interest and free of T-DNA from the Ri plasmid. An alternative process leading to the formation of a composite plant is also depicted. In this case, hairy roots are kept on the shoot (instead of the natural roots), which enables the study of a transgene in hairy root cultures in the context of the whole plant.

Author Spotlight: Optimizing Hairy Root-Based Transformation Protocols for Enhanced Efficiency in Brassicaceae

Hairy Root Transformation and Regeneration in Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus

Our research aimed at developing a protocol for an efficient transformation in Brassicaceae. Using a hair root-based transformation, we improved dramatically transformation efficiency in Brassica napus, which is crucial for our research. We also tested the protocol in model species Arabidopsis thaliana.We have optimized the protocol for spring cultivars DH12075 in Brassica napus. The next challenge is to optimize the protocol of transformation and regeneration of winter cultivars in Brassica napus, as well as for Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea. Hairy roots can be readily propagated, and their rapid growth enables the prompt analysis of the gene of interest shortly after the transformation.Consequently, it becomes feasible to selectively regenerate specific hairy root lines that exhibit the desired trait. For example, a gene mutation introduced by CRISPR-Cas.

We have previously optimized a protocol for injection-based hairy root induction in three cultivars of Brassica napus, namely DH12075, Topas DH4079, and Westar9. To apply this transformation protocol to the model species A. thaliana, the primary inflorescence stems of 1-month-old plantlets were injected with an agrobacterial inoculum. Hairy roots emerged at the site of injection after 2-4 weeks. Hairy roots were excised and cultivated on the solid medium. The comparison of the method in these two species is depicted in Figure 1.
Selected hairy root lines were transferred to the regeneration medium to induce shoot formation. In A. thaliana, yellow calli were induced within 14 days in all 10 tested hairy root lines. First shoot primordia visible as dark green spots emerged within 3 weeks after transfer to the regeneration medium (Figure 2). After 4 weeks of culture, shoots covered the hairy roots in 9 of 10 hairy root lines (90% regeneration efficiency). In some cases, adventitious roots were elicited from the callus (Figure 2H). One line did not regenerate even after 3 months on the Regeneration medium (every 4 weeks, the hairy roots were transferred to a fresh medium). Thus, the regeneration efficiency of A. thaliana hairy roots resembles the efficiency of B. napus DH120759.
Hairy root regenerants of B. napus and A. thaliana display a dwarf phenotype (Figure 3), a typical feature of the hairy root-derived plants2. We also observed dense root systems, wrinkled leaves, and changes in flowering time. This so-called hairy root (or Ri) phenotype is caused by the rol genes from the Ri plasmid inserted into the plant genome. The insertion of the Ri T-DNA and the transgene encoded on a binary vector may be independent or linked. Thus, a segregation analysis of T1 progeny created by self-pollination helps to identify rol-free plants expressing the transgene of interest. Genotyping of the T1 plants is performed by PCR primers specific for the ORFs of TL and TR and the transgene of interest. The absence of agrobacterial contamination is verified by the absence of PCR products of virC primers (Figure 1).
<img alt="Figure 1" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/66223/66223fig01.jpg" /> 
Figure 1: Summary of the procedure in A. thaliana and B. napus. The injection of the Agrobacterium inoculum in the hypocotyl or primary inflorescence stem induces the development of hairy roots. The hairy roots can replace the native roots to generate a composite plant that will be genotyped and analyzed (blue arrows). Cultured hairy roots can be regenerated into T0 plants, propagated in T1 plants, and genotyped (green arrows). The hairy roots can also be sub-cultured for functional analysis (black arrow). Examples of genotyping results are presented. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/66223/66223fig01large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 2" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/66223/66223fig02.jpg" /> 
Figure 2: Regeneration of hairy roots in A. thaliana. (A) Hairy root culture 1 day after its transfer to plates. (B, C) Calli developed within 2 weeks of culture on regeneration medium. (D, E) Shoot primordia emerged after 3 weeks of culture. (G, H) Shoots are formed after 4 weeks. (H) Adventitious roots developed from the callus. (C, F, I) Non-regenerating hairy root line. Scale bars represent 1 cm. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/66223/66223fig02large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 3" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/66223/66223fig03.jpg" /> 
Figure 3: Representative photos of B. napus and A. thaliana wild-type plants and hairy-root-derived regenerants (T0 plants). Note the Ri phenotype of the regenerants. Scale bars represent 2 cm. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/66223/66223fig03large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Hairy Root Transformation and Regeneration in Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus at JoVE.com

The protocol describes hairy root induction using Arabidopsis primary inflorescence stems and Brassica napus hypocotyls. The hairy roots can be cultured and used as explants to regenerate transgenic plants.