Vindoline, the major alkaloid in cultures of Catharanthus roseus shoots, reached 2 mg g(-1) dry wt after 27 d in culture. Maximal vindoline accumulation coincided with maximum activities of deacetoxyvindoline 4-hydroxylase, deacetylvindoline acetyl-CoA acetyl transferase and tryptophan decarboxylase. Shoot exposure to jasmonate shortened the time required for the maximal vindoline accumulation to 14 d.
A protocol for the establishment of in vitro shoot cultures of Catharanthus roseus is described. Shoots can be maintained for more than 1 yr without evidence of tissue vitrification, disaggregation, or callus formation. Vindoline was the main alkaloid accumulated, reaching values similar to those found in leaves from field-grown plants, after a long period of culture. An induction methodology to reduce such waiting time is also presented.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.