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The expression of Terpenoid Indole Alkaloid (TIAs) pathway genes in Catharanthus roseus in response to salicylic acid treatment

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Abstract

Vinblastine and vincristine are two important anti-cancer drugs that are synthesized by the Terpenoid Indole Alkaloids (TIAs) pathway in periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus). The major challenge in the pharmaceutical industry is the low production rate of these Alkaloids. TIA pathway is affected by elicitors, such as salicylic acid (SA). This study aimed to investigate the expression pattern of some key genes in TIAs pathway under SA treatment. Foliar application of SA (0.01 and 0.1 mM) was used and leaves samples were taken at 0, 12, 18, 24 and 48 h after the treatment. qRT-PCR was used to investigate the expression pattern of Chorismate mutase (Cm), tryptophan decarboxylase (Tdc), Geraniol-10-hydroxylase (G10h), Secologanin synthase (Sls), Strictosidine synthase (Str), Desacetoxyvindoline-4-hydroxylase (D4h) and Deacetylvindoline-4-O-acetyltransferase (Dat) genes, following the SA treatment. The results of this experiment showed that transcript levels of Tdc, G10h, Sls, Str, D4h and Dat genes were significantly up-regulated in both SA concentration treatments. Furthermore, the highest transcript levels of Dat was observed after 48 h of the SA treatments. qRT-PCR results suggests that SA induces transcription of major genes involved in Alkaloids biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus. It can be concluded that up-regulation of Tdc, G10h, Sls, Str, D4h and Dat genes can result in a higher production rate of Vinblastine and vincristine Alkaloids.

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Abbreviations

AS:

Anthranilate synthase

CM:

Chorismate mutase

DAT:

Deacetylvindoline-4-O-acetyltransferase

D4H:

Desacetoxyvindoline-4-hydroxylase

G10H:

Geraniol-10-hydroxylase

RSP9:

40 s ribosomal protein S9

SA:

Salicylic acid

SLS:

Secologanin synthase

STR:

Strictosidine synthase

TDC:

tryptophan decarboxylase

TIAs:

Terpenoid Indole Alkaloids

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Production Engineering and Plant Genetics Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, P.O. Box 465, Khorramabad, Iran

    Narges Soltani & Farhad Nazarian-Firouzabadi

  2. Production Engineering and Plant Genetics Department, Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resource University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, Iran

    Alireza Shafeinia

  3. Aquaculture Research Center-South of Iran, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Ahvaz, Iran

    Ayeh Sadat Sadr

  4. Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, BT26 6DR, UK

    Masoud Shirali

  5. School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 5AJ, UK

    Masoud Shirali

Authors
  1. Narges Soltani
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  2. Farhad Nazarian-Firouzabadi
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  3. Alireza Shafeinia
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  4. Ayeh Sadat Sadr
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  5. Masoud Shirali
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Contributions

NS conducted the experiments; FN-F conceived the idea and wrote the manuscript; AS, ASS helped in designing some experiments; MS edited the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Farhad Nazarian-Firouzabadi.

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Soltani, N., Nazarian-Firouzabadi, F., Shafeinia, A. et al. The expression of Terpenoid Indole Alkaloid (TIAs) pathway genes in Catharanthus roseus in response to salicylic acid treatment. Mol Biol Rep 47, 7009–7016 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-020-05759-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-020-05759-y

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