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Effect of plant growth regulators on the biosynthesis of vinblastine, vindoline and catharanthine in Catharanthus roseus

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Abstract

Catharanthuse roseus is a well-known medicinal plant for its two valuable anticancer compounds: vinblastine and vincristine, which belongs to terpenoid indole alkaloids. Great efforts have been made to study the principles of its secondary metabolic pathways to regulate the alkaloids biosynthesis. In this article, different plant growth regulators were shortly applied to Catharanthus roseus plants during the blooming period to study their effects on the biosynthesis of vinblastine, vindoline and catharanthine. Salicylic acid and ethylene (ethephon) treatments resulted in a significant increase of vinblastine, vindoline and catharanthine while abscisic acid and gibberellic acid had a strongly negative influence on the accumulation of the three important alkaloids. Methyl jasmonate showed no great effect on the production of these valuable alkaloids. Chlormequat chloride highly enhanced the accumulation of vinblastine but greatly decreased the contents of vindoline and catharanthine.

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Abbreviations

C. roseus :

Catharanthus roseus

PGRs:

Plant growth regulators

TIA:

Terpenoid indole alkaloids

MeJA:

Methyljasmonate

SA:

Salicylic acid

GA3 :

Gibberellic acid

ABA:

Abscissic acid

CCC:

Chlormequat chloride

AVLBS:

3′, 4′-anhydrovinblastine synthase

DMRT:

Duncan’s multiple range test

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by China National High-Tech “863” Program (grant number 2007AA10Z189), China “973” Program (grant number 2007CB108805), Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (grant number 08391911800) and Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project (Project Number B209).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dongchuan Road 800, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Qifang Pan, Yu Chen, Quan Wang, Fang Yuan, Shihai Xing, Yuesheng Tian, Jingya Zhao, Xiaofen Sun & Kexuan Tang

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  1. Qifang Pan
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  2. Yu Chen
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  3. Quan Wang
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  4. Fang Yuan
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  5. Shihai Xing
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  6. Yuesheng Tian
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  7. Jingya Zhao
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  8. Xiaofen Sun
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  9. Kexuan Tang
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Correspondence to Kexuan Tang.

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Pan, Q., Chen, Y., Wang, Q. et al. Effect of plant growth regulators on the biosynthesis of vinblastine, vindoline and catharanthine in Catharanthus roseus . Plant Growth Regul 60, 133–141 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-009-9429-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-009-9429-1

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