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Effect of Treatment with Gibberellin, Gibberellin Biosynthesis Inhibitor, and Auxin on Steviol Glycoside Content in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni

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Abstract

Steviol glycosides (SGs) are natural compounds present in Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni, which are approximately 200–400 times sweeter than sucrose. A biosynthetic pathway of SGs shares a biosynthetic pathway of gibberellin (GA) through a formation of ent-kaurenoic acid. Previous studies have demonstrated that SG-related genes are upregulated by exogenous GA treatment. However, the transcription level of UGT85C2, which is involved in a glycosylation step to steviol from steviolmonoside and suggests a rate-limiting step in the SGs biosynthesis, remains controversial in GA treatments. To have a detailed understanding of the relationship between SGs and GAs, a concentration gradient of exogenous GA3, GA inhibitor daminozide (DAM), and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) was used for treatment by the leaf infiltration method. Results showed that transcription level of UGT85C2 and the total number of stevioside and rebaudioside-A induced by GA3, DAM, or NAA treatment were significantly upregulated compared to an untreated group. These results suggest that the GA biosynthetic pathway affects the number of SGs and that hormonal crosstalk occurs between GA and auxin, which changes the number of SGs in S. rebaudiana. Controlling the GA biosynthesis could be considered to modulate the yield of SGs.

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Acknowledgements

S. rebaudiana was provided by Michiho Ito, Associate Professor, Graduate School and Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University. This work has been partly supported by the programs of the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B, 25292150) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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This work has been partly supported by the programs of the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Yuki Yoneda, Hiroshi Shimizu, Hiroshi Nakashima, Juro Miyasaka & Katsuaki Ohdoi

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  1. Yuki Yoneda
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  2. Hiroshi Shimizu
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  3. Hiroshi Nakashima
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  5. Katsuaki Ohdoi
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Correspondence to Hiroshi Shimizu.

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Hiroshi Shimizu has received research grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and has no conflict of interest. All remaining authors also have no conflict of interest.

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Yoneda, Y., Shimizu, H., Nakashima, H. et al. Effect of Treatment with Gibberellin, Gibberellin Biosynthesis Inhibitor, and Auxin on Steviol Glycoside Content in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. Sugar Tech 20, 482–491 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12355-017-0561-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12355-017-0561-3

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