Research on the function of CsMYB36 based on an effective hair root transformation system

ABSTRACT

The hairy root induction system was used to efficiently investigate gene expression and function in plant root. Cucumber is a significant vegetable crop worldwide, with shallow roots, few lateral roots, and weak root systems, resulting in low nutrient absorption and utilization efficiency. Identifying essential genes related to root development and nutrient absorption is an effective way to improve the growth and development of cucumbers. However, genetic mechanisms underlying cucumber root development have not been explored. Here, we report a novel, rapid, effective hairy root transformation system. Compared to the in vitro cotyledon transformation method, this method shortened the time needed to obtain transgenic roots by 13 days. Furthermore, we combined this root transformation method with CRISPR/Cas9 technology and validated our system by exploring the expression and function of CsMYB36, a pivotal gene associated with root development and nutrient uptake. The hairy root transformation system established in this study provides a powerful method for rapidly identifying essential genes related to root development in cucumber and other horticultural crop species. This advancement holds promise for expediting research on root biology and molecular breeding strategies, contributing to the broader understanding and improvements crop growth and development.

KEYWORDS:

• Cucumber
• Agrobacterium rhizogenes
• hair roots system
• CsMYB36
• Casparian strip

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contributions

CW and TW designed the research. SX, YT, YD, NH, and JC carried out the experiments. SX, YT and YD analyzed the data; SX and CW wrote the manuscript. CW and TW provided critical comments and supervision.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15592324.2024.2345983

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by the grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [U23A20209, 32372679] and Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Hunan [2022RC1143].