Skip to main content
Log in

Vindoline biosynthesis is transcriptionally blocked in Catharanthus roseus cell suspension cultures

  • Research
  • Published:
Molecular Biotechnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Catharanthus roseus cell cultures were exposed to different conditions in order to induce alkaloid metabolism. The exposure to jasmonate and fungal elicitors resulted in the transcriptional activation of tryptophan decarboxylase and in the accumulation of the monoterpenoid indole alkaloids ajmalicine and catharanthine, but not of vindoline. The inability of the cell cultures to produce vindoline was related to a lack of expression of the desacetoxyvindoline 4-hydroxylase (D4h) gene. Southern blot analysis revealed that D4h gene was not lost in the cell cultures.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Moreno, P. R. H., van der Heijden, R., and Verpoorte, R. (1995) Cell and tissue cultures of Catharanthus roseus. A literature survey II. Updating from 1988–1993. Plant Cell Tiss. Org. Cult. 42, 1–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. De Luca, V., Alvarez-Fernández, J., Campbell, D., and Kurz, W. G. W. (1988) Developmental regulation of enzymes of indole alkaloid biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus. Plant Physiol. 86, 447–450.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. De Carolis, E., Chan, F., Balsevich, J. and De Luca, V. (1990) Isolation and characterization of a 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase involved in the second-to-last step in vindoline biosynthesis. Plant Physiol. 94, 1323–1329.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. St-Pierre, B., Vázquez-Flota, F. A., and De Luca, V. (1999) Multicellular compartmentation of Catharanthus roseus alkaloid biosynthesis predicts intercellular translocation of a pathway intermediate. Plant Cell 11, 887–900.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Vázquez-Flota, F. A. and De Luca, V. (1998) Developmental and light regulation of desacetoxyvindoline 4-hydroxylase in Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. Plant Physiol. 117, 1351–1361.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Vázquez-Flota, F. A., St-Pierre, B., and De Luca, V. (2000) Light activation of vindoline biosynthesis does not require cytomorphogenesis in Catharanthus roseus seedlings. Phytochemistry 55, 531–536.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Constabel, F., Rambold, S., Chatson, K. B., Kurz, W. G. W., and Kutney, J. P. (1981) Alkaloid production in Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. VI. Variation in alkaloid spectra of cell lines derived from one single leaf. Plant Cell Rep. 1, 3–5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Knobloch, K. H., Hamen, B., and Berlin, J. (1981) Medium induced formation of indole alkaloids and concomitant changes of interrelated enzymes activities in cell suspension cultures of Catharanthus roseus. Z. Naturforsch. 36C, 40–43.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Eilert, U., De Luca, V., Constabel, F., and Kurz, W. G. W. (1987) Elicitor-mediated induction of tryptophan decarboxylase and strictosidine synthase activities in cell suspension cultures of Catharanthus roseus. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 254, 491–497.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Vázquez-Flota, F. A., De Carolis, E., Alarco, A. M., and De Luca, V. (1997) Molecular cloning and characterization of desacetoxyvindoline 4-hydroxylase: a 2-oxoglutarate dependent dioxygenase involved in the biosynthesis of vindoline in Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. Plant Mol. Biol. 34, 935–948.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. De Luca, V., Marineau, C., and Brisson, N. (1989) Molecular cloning and analysis of a cDNA encoding a plant tryptophan descarboxylase, comparison with animal dopa descarboxylases. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 2582–2586.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Monforte-González, M., Ayora-Talavera, T., Maldonado-Mendoza, I., and Loyola-Vargas, V. M. (1992) Quantitative analysis of serpentine and ajmalicine in plant tissues of Catharanthus roseus and hyoscyamine and scopolamine in root tissues of Datura stramonium by densitometry in layer chromatography. Phytochem. Anal. 3, 117–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Vázquez-Flota, F. A. and De Luca, V. (1998) Jasmonate modulates development- and light- regulated alkaloid biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus. Phytochemistry 49, 395#-3402.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Menke, F. L., Parchmann, S., Mueller, M. J., Kijne, J. W., and Memelink, J. (1999) Involvement of the octadecanoid pathway and protein phosphorylation in fungal elicitor-induced expression of terpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesic genes in Catharanthus roseus. Plant Physiol. 119, 1289–1296.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Roewer, I., Cloutier, N., Nessler, C. L., and De Luca, V. (1992) Transient induction of tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) and strictosidine synthase (SS) genes in cell suspension cultures of Catharanthus roseus. Plant Cell Rep. 11, 86–89.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Pasquali, G., Goddijn, O. J. M., De Waal, A., et al. (1992) Coordinated regulation of two indole alkaloid biosynthetic genes from Catharanthus roseus by auxins and elicitors. Plant Mol. Biol. 18, 1121–1131.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Constabel, F., Gaudet-LaPrairie, P., Kurz, W. G. W., and Kutney, J. P. (1982) Alkaloid production in Catharanthus roseus cell cultures XII. Biosynthetic capacity of callus from original explants and regenerated shoots. Plant Cell Rep. 1, 139–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Laflamme, P., St-Pierre, B., and De Luca, V. (2001) Molecular and biochemical analysis of a Madagascar periwinkle root-specific minovincinine-19-hydroxy-O-acetyltransferase. Plant Physiol. 125, 189–198.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. van der Fits, L., and Memelink, J. (2000) ORCA3, a jasmonate-responsive transcriptional regulator of plant primary and secondary metabolism. Science 289, 295–297.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Felipe Vázquez-Flota.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vázquez-Flota, F., De Luca, V., Carrillo-Pech, M. et al. Vindoline biosynthesis is transcriptionally blocked in Catharanthus roseus cell suspension cultures. Mol Biotechnol 22, 1–8 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1385/MB:22:1:001

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/MB:22:1:001

Index Entries

Navigation