Induction of shikonin biosynthesis by endogenous polysaccharides inLithospermum erythrorhizoncell suspension cultures

✍ Scribed by Hiroshi Fukui; Masato Tani; Mamoru Tabata

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 464 KB
• Volume: 9
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0721-7714
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00231552

✦ Synopsis

Endogenous polysaccharides capable of inducing shikonin biosynthesis in a growth medium were isolated from shikonin-producing Lithospermum cells cultured in a production medium. Chemical analysis showed that these active polysaccharides consist of galacturonic acid, galactose, arabinose and glucose. Their activity, however, was lost by a treatment with pectinlyase. Addition of a small amount of pectinase to cell cultures in the growth medium induced shikonin formation. This is the first report that endogenous polysaccharides participate in inducing normal secondary metabolism of higher plants.