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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2026, Vol. 62 ›› Issue (8): 120-128.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.LYKX20250763

• Research papers • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Construction of Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated Genetic Transformation System for Xanthoceras sorbifolium Hairy Roots

Wei Zhang1,2,Xin Zhang1,Quanxin Bi2,Xiaojuan Liu2,Guowei Jiang1,Chulong Ning1,Haiyan Zhao1,Libing Wang1,2,*()   

  1. 1. Key Comprehensive Laboratory of Forestry of Shaanxi Province Shaanxi Laboratory of Dryland Agriculture College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University Yangling 712100
    2. State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry Beijing 100091
  • Received:2025-12-21 Revised:2026-06-14 Online:2026-08-10 Published:2026-08-20
  • Contact: Libing Wang E-mail:wlibing@nwsuaf.edu.cn

Abstract:

Objective: Xanthoceras sorbifolium is a woody oilseed species endemic to China. Investigating the potential applications of Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated hairy root genetic transformation system in X. sorbifolium fills a current gap in its genetic transformation research and provides a foundation for genetic improvement and gene function validation in X. sorbifolium. Method: The high-yield and stress-tolerant cultivar 'zhongshi 4' seedlings of X. sorbifolium were used as materials. Transformation was mediated by A. rhizogenes strains carrying the 35S::Ruby and 35S::eYFP reporter plasmids, respectively, to establish a hairy root transformation system for X. sorbifolium. The root development-promoting gene XsXTH32 was transformed to validate the effectiveness of this system for functional gene verification in X. sorbifolium. Result: A. rhizogenes successfully induced positive hairy roots in X. sorbifolium seedlings. Results showed that distinct callus was formed at the root base of seedlings in two weeks post-infection. The callus was further developed into hairy roots between the third and fourth weeks. The hairy root induction efficiency by different strains reached 68.67% to 78.67%. Specifically, the hairy root induction rate of strain K599 was 78.67%, with a positive rate of 50.39%. Conventional PCR and RT-qPCR analyses confirmed the integration of the foreign gene Ruby into the hairy root genome of X. sorbifolium, which exhibited a visually red phenotype. Transformation with A. rhizogenes carrying the eYFP fluorescent marker gene produced transgenic hairy roots exhibiting distinct yellow fluorescence. RT-qPCR analysis was performed on positive hairy roots transformed with 35S::XsXTH32-eYFP. The expression level was significantly increased compared with that in wild-type hairy roots, reaching 9.04-fold. Conclusion: An A.rhizogenes-mediated hairy root transformation system was established for X.sorbifolium. Among the strains tested, K599 exhibited the highest hairy root and transgene-positive root induction rates. The system enabled the stable integration and high-level expression of exogenous genes, thereby facilitating rapid gene function validation.

Key words: Xanthoceras sorbifolium, Agrobacterium rhizogenes, hairy roots, genetic transformation system

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