Alkaloids of Anthocercis frondosa (Solanaceae) [proceedings]

Enhanced secretion of tropane alkaloids in Nicotiana tabacum hairy roots expressing heterologous hyoscyamine-6beta-hydroxylase

Hyoscyamine-6beta-hydroxylase (H6H; EC 1.14.11.11) catalyses oxidative reactions in the biosynthetic pathway leading from hyoscyamine to the more pharmaceutically valuable tropane alkaloid scopolamine. The h6h gene encoding H6H from Hyoscyamus niger was introduced, under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter, into non-hyoscyamine-producing Nicotiana tabacum and hyoscyamine-producing Hyoscyamus muticus. The transformation was performed using a binary vector system based on Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Production of scopolamine in hairy roots was clearly correlated with the 35S-h6h transcript expression. The engineered N. tabacum and H. muticus hairy roots were studied for the production of scopolamine and other tropane and nicotine alkaloids after feeding the cultures with exogenous hyoscyamine. N. tabacum hairy roots carrying the 35S-h6h transgene showed a more efficient uptake of hyoscyamine from the culture medium and a higher rate of bioconversion of hyoscyamine to scopolamine than those of H. muticus. In particular, the secretion of scopolamine in N. tabacum hairy roots was remarkably high, up to 85% of the total scopolamine being released to the culture medium. Exogenous hyoscyamine also caused changes in nicotine alkaloid accumulation in N. tabacum hairy roots.

Chemotaxonomy and geographical distribution of tropane alkaloids

This review illustrates the distribution of tropane alkaloids within the families Solanaceae, Erythroxylaceae, Proteaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Rhizophoraceae, Convolvulaceae and Cruciferae. Whereas tropane alkaloids are characteristic of the genera Datura, Brugmansia (tree datura) and Duboisia of the Solanaceae, the distribution is more widespread with novel tropane derivatives in families not traditionally associated with these bases. The chemical nature of more recently discovered water-soluble calystegines and the di- and trimeric forms from the Convolvulaceae (e.g. schizanthines from Schizanthus spp.), truxillines from Bolivian coca leaves and moonines of Erythroxylum moonii are highlighted. Where possible and appropriate, links between the phytochemistry and taxonomy are discussed.