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Triterpenoid biosynthesis in tissue cultures of Glycyrrhiza glabra var. glandulifera

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Abstract

The incorporation of [1-14C]acetate and [214 C]mevalonate into free and esterified triterpen-3-ols was examined in original plant organs and tissue cultures of Glycyrrhiza glabra var. glandulifera. Both substrates labeled β-amyrin, an oleanane-type triterpene, and cycloartenol and 24-methylenecycloartanol, both of which are intermediates of phytosterol biosynthesis. The label in esterified triterpenes was distributed mainly in phytosterol intermediates, but not in β-amyrin. The ratio of βamyrin formation among the three triterpenes from [2-14C]mevalonate was relatively high in stolon segments and in root cultures, but negligible in callus cultures. Administration of a specific inhibitor of squalene-2, 3-epoxide:cycloartenol (lanosterol) cyclase caused a marked increase of β-amyrin synthesis in root suspension cultures, and of 24-methylenecycloartanol synthesis in cell suspension cultures, from [2-14C]mevalonate.

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Abbreviations

GL:

glycyrrhizin

GLA:

glycyrrhetic acid

MVA:

mevalonic acid

CCI:

squalene-2, 3-epoxide:cycloartenol cyclase inhibitor

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Communicated by M. Tabata

This paper is Part 72 in the series “Studies on Plant Tissue Cultures” from the laboratory at Kitasato University. For Part 71, see Furuya T, Koge K, Orihara Y (submitted for publication).

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Ayabe, S., Takano, H., Fujita, T. et al. Triterpenoid biosynthesis in tissue cultures of Glycyrrhiza glabra var. glandulifera . Plant Cell Reports 9, 181–184 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00232175

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00232175

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