AN INTERCHANGEABLE SYSTEM OF HAIRY ROOT AND CELL-SUSPENSION CULTURES OF CATHARANTHUS-ROSEUS FOR INDOLE ALKALOID PRODUCTION

Hairy roots of Catharanthus roseus obtained by cocultivation of hypoco tyl segments with Agrobacterium rhizogenes, and cultured in SH (Schenk and Hildebrandt) basal medium, formed two types of calli when subcult ured in SH medium with 1 mg/l alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid and 0.1 mg/ l kinetin. One of them, a compact callus, when re-subcultured in SH ba sal medium gave rise to hairy roots again. A rhizogenic cell suspensio n culture was established from this type of callus. When cultured in S H medium with growth regulators, the rhizogenic callus produced cathar anthine at a level of 41% of the level in the initial hairy roots. Upo n transfer to SH basal medium, regenerated hairy roots produced this a lkaloid at the original level of 1.5 mg/g dry wt. Using this cell/hair y root interchange system a new management system for hairy root cultu re in bioreactors has been devised and examined involving production o f biomass in the form of a cell suspension in medium with growth and r egulators, production by hairy roots regenerated from these cells in m edium without growth regulators.