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Genetic variation in alkaloid accumulation in leaves of Nicotiana

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Abstract

Alkaloids are plant secondary metabolites that are widely distributed in Nicotiana species and contribute greatly to the quality of tobacco leaves. Some alkaloids, such as nornicotine and myosmine, have adverse effects on human health. To reduce the content of harmful alkaloids in tobacco leaves through conventional breeding, a genetic study of the alkaloid variation among different genotypes is required. In this study, alkaloid profiles in leaves of five Nicotiana tabacum cultivars and Nicotiana tomentosiformis were investigated. Six alkaloids were identified from all six genotypes via gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Significant differences in alkaloid content were observed both among different leaf positions and among cultivars. The contents of nornicotine and myosmine were positively and significantly correlated (R 2=0.881), and were also separated from those of other alkaloids by clustering. Thus, the genotype plays a major role in alkaloid accumulation, indicating a high potential for manipulation of alkaloid content through traditional breeding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute, Zhengzhou, 450001, China

    Bo Sun, Fen Zhang, Li-feng Jin, Fu-cheng Lin & Jun Yang

  2. Technology Center, China Tobacco Zhejiang Industrial Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, 310024, China

    Bo Sun, Guo-jun Zhou, Guo-hai Chu & Fang-fang Huang

  3. College of Agriculture & Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    Bo Sun, Qiao-mei Wang & Fu-cheng Lin

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  1. Bo Sun
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  2. Fen Zhang
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  3. Guo-jun Zhou
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  4. Guo-hai Chu
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  5. Fang-fang Huang
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  6. Qiao-mei Wang
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  7. Li-feng Jin
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  8. Fu-cheng Lin
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  9. Jun Yang
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Correspondence to Jun Yang.

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Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31000137), the China National Tobacco Company and Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute Science and Technology Project (No. 122009CZ0410), and the PhD Programs Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (No. 2012M510149)

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Sun, B., Zhang, F., Zhou, Gj. et al. Genetic variation in alkaloid accumulation in leaves of Nicotiana . J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. B 14, 1100–1109 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1300130

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1300130

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