Tailoring tropane alkaloid accumulation in transgenic hairy roots of Atropa baetica by over-expressing the gene encoding hyoscyamine 6beta-hydroxylase.

Abstract

Atropa baetica hairy roots, over-expressing cDNA from Hyoscyamus niger encoding the gene for hyoscyamine 6beta-hydroxylase (H6H), were produced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes infection. The transgenic roots over-expressing h6h had an altered alkaloid profile in which hyoscyamine was entirely converted into scopolamine. In the best h6h clone, scopolamine accumulation increased 9-fold compared to plants, amounting to 5.6 mg g dry wt(-1), some of which was released into the liquid medium. Only negligible amounts of hyoscyamine were detected. In contrast, the gus control culture contained a much higher amount of hyoscyamine than scopolamine, mimicking the situation in the plant. At the molecular level, a higher conversion of hyoscyamine into scopolamine was related to a higher level of h6h mRNA; in some instances this was 5 - 10-fold higher.

• Authors: Rafael Zárate, Nabil el Jaber-Vazdekis, Braulio Medina, Angel G Ravelo
• Journal: Biotechnology letters (Biotechnol Lett) Vol. 28 Issue 16 Pg. 1271-7 (Aug 2006) ISSN: 0141-5492 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 16802099 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Alkaloids
• Culture Media
• DNA, Complementary
• Plant Proteins
• RNA
• Mixed Function Oxygenases
• hyoscyamine (6S)-dioxygenase

Topics

• Alkaloids (chemistry)
• Atropa
• Biotechnology (methods)
• Culture Media
• DNA, Complementary (metabolism)
• Genes, Plant
• Genetic Engineering
• Mixed Function Oxygenases (genetics, metabolism)
• Plant Proteins (metabolism)
• Plant Roots
• Plants, Genetically Modified
• Plasmids (metabolism)
• RNA (metabolism)