Polyprenols in hairy roots of Coluria geoides

Long-chain polyisoprenoid alcohols built from several up to more than 100 i soprenoid units are common constituents of all living organisms. They were found mostly in plants, bacteria, yeasts and mammalian cells. In vitro hair y root culture of Coluria geoides was obtained from plants transformed with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Growth was optimal at 0.75 % (w/v) glucose and a t 22 degreesC. Dry samples of roots were extracted and lipid content was an alysed by HPLC. According to our estimation, polyprenols are accumulated in roots of C. geoides cultivated in vitro as a mixture of several prenologue s with the dominating prenol composed of 16 isoprenoid units. The content o f polyprenols in tissue was approx. 300 mug/g of dry weight.