The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula J. Ellis) is a carnivorous plant able to synthesize large amounts of phenolic compounds, such as phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and 1,4-naphtoquinones. In this study, the first genetic transformation of D. muscipula tissues is presented. Two wild-type Rhizobium rhizogenes strains (LBA 9402 and ATCC 15834) were suitable vector organisms in the transformation process. Transformation led to the formation of teratoma (transformed shoot) cultures with the bacterial rolB gene incorporated into the plant genome in a single copy. Using high-pressure liquid chromatography, we demonstrated that transgenic plants were characterized by an increased quantity of phenolic compounds, including 1,4-naphtoquinone derivative, plumbagin (up to 106.63 mg × g-1 DW), and phenolic acids (including salicylic, caffeic, and ellagic acid), in comparison to non-transformed plants. Moreover, Rhizobium-mediated transformation highly increased the bactericidal properties of teratoma-derived extracts. The antibacterial properties of transformed plants were increased up to 33% against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Escherichia coli and up to 7% against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For the first time, we prove the possibility of D. muscipula transformation. Moreover, we propose that transformation may be a valuable tool for enhancing secondary metabolite production in D. muscipula tissue and to increase bactericidal properties against human antibiotic-resistant bacteria. KEY POINTS: • Rhizobium-mediated transformation created Dionaea muscipula teratomas. • Transformed plants had highly increased synthesis of phenolic compounds. • The MBC value was connected with plumbagin and phenolic acid concentrations.

Department of Botany Physiology and Plant Protection Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture University of Agriculture in Krakow Krakow Poland

Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine Gdansk Poland

Institute of Experimental Botany Czech Acad Sci Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research Olomouc Czech Republic

Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG Laboratory of Biologically Active Compounds University of Gdansk Gdansk Poland

The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology The Polish Academy of Sciences Krakow Poland

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