A functional genomics approach to the study of alkaloid biosynthesis and metabolism in Nicotiana tabacum and Hyoscyamus muticus cell cultures

The aim of this work was to improve understanding of the regulation of alkaloid biosynthesis in two Solanaceae plants, Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) and Hyoscyamus muticus (Egyptian henbane). In order to map the biosynthetic genes involved in the tobacco alkaloid pathway, a functional genomics-based technology was established by combining genome-based transcript profiling (cDNA-AFLP) with targeted metabolite analysis. Altogether 459 genes were found to be differentially expressed in methyl jasmonate-elicited N. tabacum BY-2 cells. Homology searches performed with these genes revealed that 58 % of the genes displayed similarity with genes having known functions, whereas no sequence similarity was found with 26 % of the genes, suggesting that some of them may take part in unknown steps in tobacco alkaloid biosynthesis. Alkaloids accumulated 12 hours after methyl jasmonate application, with varying kinetic patterns. For the first time the alkaloid anatalline was shown to accumulate in Nicotiana cell cultures, and together with anatabine they formed the main alkaloid pool. Anatalline was further characterized structurally as being present in two isomeric forms, anatalline and trans-2,4-di(3-pyridyl)piperidine. Contrary to the case in whole tobacco plants, nicotine was only a minor alkaloid accumulating in elicited cells, whereas the production of a precursor methylputrescine was highly induced. Based on these results, it was suggested that the limiting step in nicotine biosynthesis occurred between methylputrescine and nicotine. Altogether 34 methyl jasmonate-modulated genes were selected for further functional testing in BY-2 cell cultures using Agrobacterium-mediated gene transformation. Six genes caused a lower alkaloid accumulation compared to the control when assayed in cell cultures, whereas three genes elevated the production of one or several alkaloids. One of the genes causing enhanced