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The effect of alginate as an elicitor on transcription of steviol glycosides biosynthesis pathway related key genes and sweeteners content in in vitro cultured Stevia rebaudiana

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Abstract

Background

Stevia rebaudiana is a medicinal herb that accumulates non-caloric sweeteners called steviol glycosides (SGs) which are approximately 300 times sweeter than sucrose. This study used alginate (ALG) as an elicitor to increase steviol glycosides accumulation and elucidate gene transcription in the steviol glycosides biosynthesis pathway.

Methods and Results

To minimize the grassy taste associated with stevia sweeteners, plantlets were grown in complete darkness. ALG was applied to stevia plants grown in suspension culture with a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium to determine its effect on SGs’ content and the transcription profile of SG-related genes using the HPLC and RT-qPCR methods, respectively. Treatment with alginate did not significantly affect plantlet growth parameters such as shoot number, dry and fresh weight. Rebaudioside A (Reb A) content increased approximately sixfold in the presence of 1g L-1 alginate and KS, KAH, and UGT74G1 genes showed significant up-regulation. When the concentration was increased to 2g L-1, the transcription of KO and UGT76G1, responsible for the conversion of stevioside to Reb A, was increased about twofold.

Conclusions

The current study proposes that adding alginate to the MS suspension medium can increase Reb A levels by altering the SG biosynthesize pathway’s transcription profile. The present experiment provides new insights into the biochemical and transcriptional response mechanisms of suspension-cultured stevia plants to alginate.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the phytochemistry department of Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute of Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, IRAN, for staff collaboration.

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This research has not received any financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology Faculty of Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983969411, Tehran, Iran

    Alireza S. Tehranian & Hossein Askari

  2. Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

    Hassan Rezadoost

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  1. Alireza S. Tehranian
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  2. Hossein Askari
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Contributions

Alireza S. Tehranian carried out the experiment, laboratory analyses, statistical analysis and wrote the manuscript. Hossein Askari conceived the original idea and supervised the project. Hassan Rezadoost performed the HPLC analysis.

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Correspondence to Hossein Askari.

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Tehranian, A.S., Askari, H. & Rezadoost, H. The effect of alginate as an elicitor on transcription of steviol glycosides biosynthesis pathway related key genes and sweeteners content in in vitro cultured Stevia rebaudiana. Mol Biol Rep 50, 2283–2291 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-022-07906-z

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