Abstract
The potential traits of photosynthetic and photoautotrophic growth of hairy root derived from co-cultures of Cucumis melo L. with Agrobacterium rhizogenes were investigated. Thirty-two different lines of hairy roots induced from leaf explants of the plant were used to determine the conditions which favor the induction of photoautotrophy. Although all of the hairy root lines remained white under dark condition, some of them turned yellow green to pale green when incubated in MS medium containing low concentration of sucrose and supplemented with a buffer releasing CO2. One of the initially heterotrophic hairy root cultures, KMH-18, turned green rapidly, produced chlorophyl, and grew well depending on CO2 fixation under these conditions.
