Microorganisms can be metabolically engineered to produce specialized plant metabolites. However, these methods are limited by low productivity and intracellular accumulation of We sought use transport engineering for producing reticuline, an important intermediate in the alkaloid biosynthetic pathway. In this study, we established a reticuline-producing Escherichia coli strain into which multi...

Secondary metabolites (idiolites) are structurally diverse and unusual, generally are produced in mixtures with other members of the same chemical family, and usually are formed at low specific growth rates. In batch cultures, processes leading to the production of idiolites are often sequential; the cultures exhibit a distinct growth phase (trophophase) followed by a production phase (idiophas...

The function of a Galpha protein in the elicitation of phytoalexin (benzophenanthridine) biosynthesis was characterized in cultured cells of California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). Both the decrease of Galpha content via antisense transformation and the expression of recombinant anti-Galpha single-chain antibodies strongly impaired the induction of alkaloid biosynthesis by low elicitor con...

The function of a Ga protein in the elicitation of phytoalexin (benzophenanthridine) biosynthesis was characterized in cultured cells of California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). Both the decrease of Ga content via antisense transformation and the expression of recombinant anti-Ga single-chain antibodies strongly impaired the induction of alkaloid biosynthesis by low elicitor concentrations....

Abstract: The presence of rather complicated alkaloids in Nitraria species as racemates suggests a non-enzymic biosynthesis of the skeletons, which implies that these reactions should be reproducible in the lab. In the case of Nitramine and Nitraramine the total synthesis was approached starting from highly symmemc glutarimide derivatives. Insight in the biosynthesis of Nitraria alkaloids led t...

1. Abstract 2. Introduction 3. Structure and properties of purine alkaloids found in nature 4. Distribution of purine alkaloids 4.1. Coffee and related Coffea plants 4.2. Tea and related Camellia plants 4.3. Cacao and related Theobroma and Herrania plants 4.4. Other plants 5. The “core pathway” of caffeine biosynthesis: conversion of xanthosine to caffeine 5.1. Production of 7-methylxanthosine ...

The biosynthesis of the azamacrolide epilachnene by the coccinellid beetle Epilachna varivestis has been studied with 2H-labeled oleic acid, 2H-labeled L-serine, and 13C,15N-labeled L-serine. The incorporation of these precursors into epilachnene defines the origin of the alkaloid's entire carbon/nitrogen skeleton. GC/MS and GC/IR studies of alkaloid produced by Epilachna fed with deuteriated o...

Khat (Catha edulis Forsk.) is a flowering perennial shrub cultivated for its neurostimulant properties resulting mainly from the occurrence of (S)-cathinone in young leaves. The biosynthesis of (S)-cathinone and the related phenylpropylamino alkaloids (1S,2S)-cathine and (1R,2S)-norephedrine is not well characterized in plants. We prepared a cDNA library from young khat leaves and sequenced 4,8...

The differential incorporation of doubly labelled strictosidine and vincoside into several indole alkaloids belonging to the Corynanthe (3a and 3p series), Aspidosperma, and lboga types in three plant families has been studied, and it has been demonstrated that only strictosidine is incorporated while vincoside is metabolically inert in these plants with regard to alkaloid formation. During the...

AIM The present study aimed to determine the antitumor efficacy of a new Phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid (PA) derivative, YPC-10157, and to elucidate its mechanism of action. MATERIALS AND METHODS The in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity of YPC-10157 was evaluated against several human cancer cell lines and mouse xenograft models, respectively. Cell apoptosis was determined by measuring ca...