Transformation of Nasturtium officinale, Barbarea verna and Arabis caucasica for hairy roots and glucosinolate-myrosinase system production.

Hairy roots of Nasturtium officinale, Barbarea verna and Arabis caucasica with active glucosinolate-myrosinase system were obtained after transformation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Hairy roots of N. officinale produced phenylalanine-derived gluconasturtiin and glucotropaeolin (max. 24 and 7 mg g(-1) DW). B. verna and A. caucasica hairy roots produced gluconasturtiin (max. 41 mg g(-1) DW) and methionine-derived glucoiberverin (max. 32 mg g(-1) DW), respectively. Treatment of the roots with amino acid precursors of glucosinolate or/and cysteine biosynthesis increased levels of glucosinolate production, combinations of phenylalanine with cysteine (for gluconasturtiin and glucotropaeolin) and methionine with o-acetylserine (for glucoiberverin) were the most effective.