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Pravastatin: A tool for investigating the availability of mevalonate metabolites for primary and secondary metabolism in Catharanthus roseus cell suspensions
Author(s) -
Imbault Nadine,
Thiersault Martine,
Dupéron Paulette,
Benabdelmouna Abdellah,
Doireau Pierre
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1996.tb06688.x
Subject(s) - catharanthus roseus , pravastatin , mevalonate pathway , sterol , secondary metabolism , alkaloid , biochemistry , metabolism , reductase , terpenoid , hydroxymethylglutaryl coa reductase , mevalonic acid , biology , hmg coa reductase , chemistry , biosynthesis , enzyme , botany , cholesterol
In the C20 strain of Catharanthus roseus , 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4‐D) reduces alkaloid accumulation by inhibiting the synthesis of precursors of alkaloid terpenoids. However, the presence of this growth regulator is necessary to promote growth, as measured in terms of dry weight and sterol content. The terpenoid metabolism implicated in the accumulation of alkaloids would therefore be the target of 2,4‐D inhibition and not the metabolism leading to sterol biosynthesis. The specific inhibition by pravastatin of 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl CoA reductase (EC 1.1.1.34), the enzyme that catalyses mevalonate synthesis, enables the limitation of mevalonate on sterol content and on alkaloid accumulation to be studied. In presence of pravastatin cells are supplied with labelled mevalonate. Under these conditions the mevalonate is incorporated into sterols but not into alkaloids accumulated in the absence of 2,4‐D. The inhibition of sterol biosynthesis induced by pravastatin is not overcome by zeatin or a cytokinin‐like compound, whereas the inhibition of alkaloid accumulation can be partially overcome. The use of pravastatin shows that the availability of mevalonate for primary and secondary metabolism is differently regulated in Catharanthus roseus cells.