Correlation between Polyamines and Pyrrolidine Alkaloids in Developing Tobacco Callus

Since the diamine putrescine can be metabolized into the pyrrolidine ring of tobacco alkaloids as well as into the higher polyamines, we have investigated the quantitative relationship between putrescine and these metabolites in tobacco callus cultured in vitro. We measured levels of free and conjugated putrescine and spermidine, and pyrrolidine alkaloids, as well as activities of the putrescine-biosynthetic enzymes arginine and ornithine decarboxylase. In callus grown on high (11.5 micromolar) α-naphthalene acetic acid, suboptimal for alkaloid biosynthesis, putrescine and spermidine conjugates were the main putrescine derivatives, while in callus grown on low (1.5 micromolar) α-naphthalene acetic acid, optimal for alkaloid formation, nornicotine and nicotine were the main putrescine derivatives. During callus development, a significant negative correlation was found between levels of perchloric acid-soluble putrescine conjugates and pyrrolidine alkaloids. The results suggest that bound putrescine can act as a pool for pyrrolidine alkaloid formation in systems where alkaloid biosynthesis is active. In addition, changes in arginine decarboxylase activity corresponding to increased alkaloid levels suggest a role for this enzyme in the overall biosynthesis of pyrrolidine alkaloids.     

RNA interference (RNAi)-induced suppression of nicotine demethylase activity reduces levels of a key carcinogen in cured tobacco leaves

Technologies for reducing the levels of tobacco product constituents that may contribute to unwanted health effects are desired. Target compounds include tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), a class of compounds generated through the nitrosation of pyridine alkaloids during the curing and processing of tobacco. Studies have reported the TSNA N '-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) to be carcinogenic in laboratory animals. NNN is formed via the nitrosation of nornicotine, a secondary alkaloid produced through enzymatic N -demethylation of nicotine. Strategies to lower nornicotine levels in tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) could lead to a corresponding decrease in NNN accumulation in cured leaves. The major nicotine demethylase gene of tobacco has recently been isolated. In this study, a large-scale field trial was conducted to evaluate transgenic lines of burley tobacco carrying an RNA interference (RNAi) construct designed to inhibit the expression of this gene. Selected transgenic lines exhibited a six-fold decrease in nornicotine content relative to untransformed controls. Analysis of cured leaves revealed a commensurate decrease in NNN and total TSNAs. The inhibition of nicotine demethylase activity is an effective means of decreasing significantly the level of a key defined animal carcinogen present in tobacco products.     

The Only African Wild Tobacco,Nicotiana africana: Alkaloid Content and the Effect of Herbivory

Herbivory in some Nicotiana species is known to induce alkaloid production. This study examined herbivore-induced defenses in the nornicotine-rich African tobacco N. africana, the only Nicotiana species indigenous to Africa. We tested the predictions that: 1) N. africana will have high constitutive levels of leaf, flower and nectar alkaloids; 2) leaf herbivory by the African bollworm Helicoverpa armigera will induce increased alkaloid levels in leaves, flowers and nectar; and 3) increased alkaloid concentrations in herbivore-damaged plants will negatively affect larval growth. We grew N. africana in large pots in a greenhouse and exposed flowering plants to densities of one, three and six fourth-instar larvae of H. armigera, for four days. Leaves, flowers and nectar were analyzed for nicotine, nornicotine and anabasine. The principal leaf alkaloid was nornicotine (mean: 28 µg/g dry mass) followed by anabasine (4.9 µg/g) and nicotine (0.6 µg/g). Nornicotine was found in low quantities in the flowers, but no nicotine or anabasine were recorded. The nectar contained none of the alkaloids measured. Larval growth was reduced when leaves of flowering plants were exposed to six larvae. As predicted by the optimal defense theory, herbivory had a localized effect and caused an increase in nornicotine concentrations in both undamaged top leaves of herbivore damaged plants and herbivore damaged leaves exposed to one and three larvae. The nicotine concentration increased in damaged compared to undamaged middle leaves. The nornicotine concentration was lower in damaged leaves of plants exposed to six compared to three larvae, suggesting that N. africana rather invests in new growth as opposed to protecting older leaves under severe attack. The results indicate that the nornicotine-rich N. africana will be unattractive to herbivores and more so when damaged, but that potential pollinators will be unaffected because the nectar remains alkaloid-free even after herbivory.     

Effect of polyamine biosynthetic inhibitors on alkaloids and organogenesis in tobacco callus cultures

We studied the effects of inhibitors of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and spermidine synthase (Spd synthase) on organogenesis and the titers of polyamines (PA) and alkaloids in tobacco calli. DL--difluoromethylarginine (DFMA) and D-arginine (D-Arg), both inhibitors of ADC activity, were more effective than DL--difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an inhibitor of ODC, in reducing titers of PA and the putrescine (Put)-derived alkaloids (nornicotine and nicotine). Dicyclohexylammonium sulfate (DCHA), an inhibitor of Spd synthase, was also more efficient than DFMO in reducing PA and alkaloid levels. Root organogenesis is inversely related to the titers of Put and alkaloids. Thus, DFMA and D-Arg, which strongly inhibit Put and alkaloid biosynthesis, markedly promote root organogenesis, while control callus with high Put and alkaloid content showed poor root organization. These results suggest that morphological differentiation is not required for activation of secondary metabolic pathways and support the view that ADC has a major role in the generation of Put going to the pyrrolidine ring of tobacco alkaloids.     

Three nicotine demethylase genes mediate nornicotine biosynthesis in Nicotiana tabacum L.: functional characterization of the CYP82E10 gene

In most tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants, nornicotine is a relatively minor alkaloid, comprising about 2-5% of the total pyridine alkaloid pool in the mature leaf. Changes in gene expression at an unstable locus, however, can give rise to plants that produce high levels of nornicotine, specifically during leaf senescence and curing. Minimizing the nornicotine content in tobacco is highly desirable, because this compound serves as the direct precursor in the synthesis of N'-nitrosonornicotine, a potent carcinogen in laboratory animals. Nornicotine is likely produced almost entirely via the N-demethylation of nicotine, in a process called nicotine conversion that is catalyzed by the enzyme nicotine N-demethylase (NND). Previous studies have identified CYP82E4 as the specific NND gene responsible for the unstable conversion phenomenon, and CYP82E5v2 as a putative minor NND gene. Here, by discovery and characterization of CYP82E10, a tobacco NND gene, is reported. PCR amplification studies showed that CYP82E10 originated from the N. sylvestris ancestral parent of modern tobacco. Using a chemical mutagenesis strategy, knockout mutations were induced and identified in all three tobacco NND genes. By generating a series of mutant NND genotypes, the relative contribution of each NND gene toward the nornicotine content of the plant was assessed. Plants possessing knockout mutations in all three genes displayed nornicotine phenotypes that were much lower (～0.5% of total alkaloid content) than that found in conventional tobacco cultivars. The introduction of these mutations into commercial breeding lines promises to be a viable strategy for reducing the levels of one of the best characterized animal carcinogens found in tobacco products.     

Enantioselective Demethylation of Nicotine as a Mechanism for Variable Nornicotine Composition in Tobacco Leaf

Nicotine and its N-demethylation product nornicotine are two important alkaloids in Nicotiana tabacum L. (tobacco). Both nicotine and nornicotine have two stereoisomers that differ from each other at 2′-C position on the pyrrolidine ring. (S)-Nicotine is the predominant form in the tobacco leaf, whereas the (R)-enantiomer only accounts for ∼0.2% of the total nicotine pool. Despite considerable past efforts, a comprehensive understanding of the factors responsible for generating an elevated and variable enantiomer fraction of nornicotine (EF_nnic of 0.04 to 0.75) from the consistently low EF observed for nicotine has been lacking. The objective of this study was to determine potential roles of enantioselective demethylation in the formation of the nornicotine EF. Recombinant CYP82E4, CYP82E5v2, and CYP82E10, three known tobacco nicotine demethylases, were expressed in yeast and assayed for their enantioselectivities in vitro. Recombinant CYP82E4, CYP82E5v2, and CYP82E10 demethylated (R)-nicotine 3-, 10-, and 10-fold faster than (S)-nicotine, respectively. The combined enantioselective properties of the three nicotine demethylases can reasonably account for the nornicotine composition observed in tobacco leaves, which was confirmed in planta. Collectively, our studies suggest that an enantioselective mechanism facilitates the maintenance of a reduced (R)-nicotine pool and, depending on the relative abundances of the three nicotine demethylase enzymes, can confer a high (R)-enantiomer percentage within the nornicotine fraction of the leaf.     

Arginine decarboxylase as the source of putrescine for tobacco alkaloids

The putrescine which forms a part of nicotine and other pyrrolidine alkaloids is generally assumed to arise through the action of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). However, we have previously noted that changes in the activity of arginine decarboxylase (ADC), an alternate source ofputrescine, parallel changes in tissue alkaloids, while changes in ODC activity do not. This led us to undertake experiments to permit discrimination between ADC and ODC as enzymatic sources of putrescine destined for alkaloids. Two kinds of evidence presented here support a major role for ADC in the generation ofputrescine going into alkaloids: (a) A specific ‘suicide inhibitor’ of ADC effectively inhibits the biosynthesis of nicotine and nornicotine in tobacco callus, while the analogous inhibitor of ODC is less effective, and (b) the flow of ¹⁴C from uniformly labelled arginine into nicotine is much more efficient than that from ornithine.     

Arginine decarboxylase as the source of putrescine for tobacco alkaloids

The putrescine which forms a part of nicotine and other pyrrolidine alkaloids is generally assumed to arise through the action of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). However, we have previously noted that changes in the activity of arginine decarboxylase (ADC), an alternate source of putrescine, parallel changes in tissue alkaloids, while changes in ODC activity do not. This led us to undertake experiments to permit discrimination between ADC and ODC as enzymatic sources of putrescine destined for alkaloids. Two kinds of evidence presented here support a major role for ADC in the generation of putrescine going into alkaloids: (a) A specific 'suicide inhibitor' of ADC effectively inhibits the biosynthesis of nicotine and nornicotine in tobacco callus, while the analogous inhibitor of ODC is less effective, and (b) the flow of 14C from uniformly labelled arginine into nicotine is much more efficient than that from ornithine.     

The alkaloid contents of sixty Nicotiana species

The alkaloid content (nicotine, nornicotine, anabasine, and anatabine) in leaves and roots of 60 Nicotiana species were analyzed by GC. All species contained alkaloids, the amounts varying with the species. There was no clearcut correlation between alkaloid amounts and subgeneric or sectional classification. The alkaloid content in the floral parts and immature and mature fruits of Nicotiana tabacum were also analyzed.     

Inhibition of mutagenicity of N-nitrosamines by tobacco smoke and its constituents

Tobacco smoke is a complex chemical mixture including pyridine alkaloids and N-nitrosamines, with the concentration of the former several orders of magnitude higher than that of the N-nitrosamines. The major biologically important N-nitrosamines present in tobacco smoke are N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), and N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN). These nitrosamines require metabolic activation by cytochrome P-450s for the expression of mutagenicity. Although nicotine, the major pyridine alkaloid in tobacco, has been shown to inhibit the metabolic activation of NNK, its effect on the mutagenicity of NNK and other N-nitrosamines has not been reported. In the present study, the ability of three pyridine alkaloids (nicotine, cotinine, nornicotine) and aqueous cigarette smoke condensate extract (ACE) to inhibit the mutagenicity of tobacco-related N-nitrosamines was tested on Salmonella typhimurium strain TA1535 in the presence of a metabolic activation system (S9). All three of the pyridine alkaloids tested, as well as ACE, inhibited the mutagenicity of NDMA and NNK, but not NNN, in a concentration-dependent manner. The induction of SCEs in mammalian cells (CHO) by NNK in the presence of metabolic activation was also significantly reduced by nicotine and cotinine. None of the observed reductions in mutagenicity could be explained by cytotoxicity. These results demonstrate that tobacco smoke contains chemicals, pyridine alkaloids and other unidentified constituent(s), which inhibit the mutagenicity of N-nitrosamines.     

Transgenic and Mutation-Based Suppression of a Berberine Bridge Enzyme-Like (BBL) Gene Family Reduces Alkaloid Content in Field-Grown Tobacco

Motivation exists to develop tobacco cultivars with reduced nicotine content for the purpose of facilitating compliance with expected tobacco product regulations that could mandate the lowering of nicotine levels per se, or the reduction of carcinogenic alkaloid-derived tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNAs). A berberine bridge enzyme-like (BBL) gene family was recently characterized for N. tabacum and found to catalyze one of the final steps in pyridine alkaloid synthesis for this species. Because this gene family acts downstream in the nicotine biosynthetic pathway, it may represent an attractive target for genetic strategies with the objective of reducing alkaloid content in field-grown tobacco. In this research, we produced transgenic doubled haploid lines of tobacco cultivar K326 carrying an RNAi construct designed to reduce expression of the BBL gene family. Field-grown transgenic lines carrying functional RNAi constructs exhibited average cured leaf nicotine levels of 0.684%, in comparison to 2.454% for the untransformed control. Since numerous barriers would need to be overcome to commercialize transgenic tobacco cultivars, we subsequently pursued a mutation breeding approach to identify EMS-induced mutations in the three most highly expressed isoforms of the BBL gene family. Field evaluation of individuals possessing different homozygous combinations of truncation mutations in BBLa, BBLb, and BBLc indicated that a range of alkaloid phenotypes could be produced, with the triple homozygous knockout genotype exhibiting greater than a 13-fold reduction in percent total alkaloids. The novel source of genetic variability described here may be useful in future tobacco breeding for varied alkaloid levels.     

The pharmacological activity of nicotine and nornicotine on nAChRs subtypes: relevance to nicotine dependence and drug discovery

Cigarette smoking and other forms of tobacco use deliver an array of pharmacologically active alkaloids, including nicotine and ultimately various metabolites of these substances. While nornicotine is a significant component in tobacco as well as a minor systemic metabolite of nicotine, nornicotine appears to be N-demethylated locally in the brain where it accumulates at relatively high levels after chronic nicotine administration. We have now examined the effects of nornicotine on specific combinations of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits expressed in Xenopus oocytes and compared these responses to those evoked by acetylcholine and nicotine. Of the nAChR subtypes studied, we have found that alpha7 receptors are very responsive to nornicotine (EC50 approximately 17 micromol/L I(max) 50%, compared with acetylcholine (ACh)). nAChRs containing the ligand-binding domain of the alpha6 subunits (in the form of an alpha6/alpha3 chimera) are also strongly responsive to nornicotine (EC50 approximately 4 micromol/L I(max) 50%, compared with ACh). Alpha7-type nAChRs have been suggested to be potential therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and possibly other pathologies. nAChRs containing alpha6 subunits have been suggested to have a role in nicotine-evoked dopamine release. Thus, understanding the actions of nornicotine in the brain may have significance for both emerging therapeutics and the management of nicotine dependence.     

CHROMATOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATIONS ON THE ALKALOID CONTENT OF NICOTIANA SPECIES AND INTERSPECIFIC COMBINATIONS

Smith , H. H., and D. V. Abashian . (Brookhaven Natl. Lab., Upton, N. Y.) Chromatographic investigations on the alkaloid content of Nicotiana species and interspecific combinations . Amer. Jour. Bot. 50(5): 435–447. Illus. 1963.—Alkaloid content was analyzed by paper-partition chromatography in the following Nicotianas: (1) 52 species representing all taxonomic sections and centers of geographical distribution; (2) 35 two-species combinations including 1 species of hybrid origin, 5 F₁ interspecific hybrids, 24 amphiploids and 5 sesquiploids; (3) 14 three-species combinations including 6 hybrids between an amphiploid and a third species, and 4 different 3-species combinations with doubled chromosome number; (4) 2 four-species combinations. Most of the species contained predominantly 3 identified alkaloids: nicotine, nornicotine and anabasine. In addition, at least 6 other alkaloids, that are separable but which were not identified chemically, are characteristic of the genus and are present in varied but characteristic patterns in each species. In hybrid combinations the content with regard to the unidentified alkaloids was observed to be the same as both parents, the sum of the parental patterns, a new alkaloid appearing, or, most frequently, one or more of the parental alkaloids missing in the hybrid. Among the identified alkaloids, anabasine was most frequently dominant to the other 2 in hybrids, and nornicotine production was most frequently either dominant or partly dominant to nicotine production. No simple basis for the inheritance of alkaloidal contents was clearly evident, nor wore there clearly defined associations between phylogenetic position and the alkaloids observed. Studies on the 6 or more alkaloids, in addition to nicotine, nornicotine and anabasine, which are known to be characteristic of the genus, offer extensive materials for research on alkaloid biosynthesis.     

Enantiomeric analysis of anatabine, nornicotine and anabasine in commercial tobacco by multi-dimensional gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

A fully automated multi-dimensional gas chromatography (MDGC) system with a megabore precolumn and cyclodextrin-based analytical column was developed to analyze the enantiomeric compositions of anatabine, nornicotine and anabasine in commercial tobacco. The enantiomer abundances of anatabine and nornicotine varied among different tobacco. S-(-)-anatabine, as a proportion of total anatabine, was 86.6% for flue-cured, 86.0% for burley and 77.5% for oriental tobacco. S-(-)-nornicotine, as a proportion of total nornicotine, was 90.8% in oriental tobacco and higher than in burley (69.4%) and flue-cured (58.7%) tobacco. S-(-)-anabasine, as a proportion of total anabasine, was relatively constant for flue-cured (60.1%), burley (65.1%) and oriental (61.7%) tobacco. A simple solvent extraction with dichloromethane followed by derivatisation with trifluoroacetic anhydride gave relative standard deviations of less than 1.5% for the determination of the S-(-)-isomers of all three alkaloids. The study also indicated that, a higher proportion of S-(-)-nornicotine is related to the more active nicotine demethylation in the leaf.     

Biotransformation of nicotine alkaloids by tobacco shooty teratomas induced by a Ti plasmid mutant

Tobacco shooty or rooty teratomas and hairy roots were induced by Agrobacterium tumefaciens (pGV 3845), A. tumefaciens (pGV 3304) and A. rhizogenes (pRi 8196), respectively. The tobacco alkaloids, nicotine, nornicotine and anatabine, were produced in hairy roots and in rooty teratomas but not in shooty teratomas. However, the shooty teratomas have the ability to accumulate the alkaloids and to biotransform nicotine to nornicotine. These were established by co-culture experiments incubating hairy roots and shooty teratomas in a same dish and by biotransformation experiments with shooty teratomas.     

N′-isopropylnornicotine: Its formation from nicotine in aged leaves of Nicotiana tabacum

An aqueous solution of nicotine-[2′-¹⁴C] was painted on the leaves of 4-month-old tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum) which were harvested 3 weeks later. This tracer was similarly applied to excised tobacco leaves which were allowed to dry in air for 4 weeks. The alkaloids, were extracted with the addition of N′-isopropylnornicotine, a compound which has been previously isolated from air-cured tobacco. Radioactive nicotine and nornicotine were isolated from the intact plants with only minute activity in the N′-isopropylnornicotine. All three of these alkaloids were radioactive from the air-cured leaves, and degradation of the labelled N'-isopropylnornicotine indicated that all the activity was located at the C-2′ position. A higher level of activity was found in N′-isopropylnornicotine which was obtained from excised leaves which were fed the nicotine- [2′- ¹⁴C] in aqueous acetone, and were treated on subsequent days with aqueous acetone. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that N′-isopropylnornicotine is produced in the curing of tobacco leaves by reaction of nornicotine (formed by the demethylation of nicotine) with acetoacetate, followed by decarboxylation and reduction. The ¹³C NMR chemical shifts of the methyl groups of N′-isopropylnornicotine and related 1-isopropylpyrrolidines which have chirality at the α-position of the pyrrolidine ring, are significantly different (up to 7.5 ppm).     

Correlation between K+ content, activities of arginine and ornithine decarboxylase, and levels of putrescine and nicotine in cultured tobacco callus

In callus cultures of Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Burley 21 we have examined the effect of two auxin concentrations (1 and 11.5 μ M α-naphthaleneacetic acid) in the culture medium on K⁺, putrescine and nicotine levels and activities of putrescine-biosyn-thetic enzymes l -arginine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.19) and l -ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17). The calli grown on the low-auxin medium (with optimal auxin concentration for nicotine synthesis) had significantly lower concentrations of K⁺ and higher concentrations of nicotine than those grown on the high-auxin medium (with a supraoptimal auxin concentration). Furthermore, in the calli grown on both culture media, there was a positive correlation between the levels of HCIO₄-soluble free putrescine and nicotine, as well as a negative correlation between those of HCIO₄-soluble bound putrescine and the alkaloid. The results suggest that in tobacco callus K⁺ uptake, the accumulation of HCIO₄-soluble free putrescine and nicotine synthesis are related processes that depend upon the concentration of auxin in the culture medium; a concentration of 1 μ M NAA would increase HCIO₄-soluble free putrescine level to a greater degree than that of 11,5 μ M NAA, and consequently lead to a higher production of the alkaloid. Although both putrescine-biosynthetic enzymes are active in our callus cultures, ornithine decarboxylase activity was considerably greater. This interpretation is supported by the enhancement of the 35.5 kDa band and 38.9 kDa band (detected by SDS-PAGE) which showed ornithine and arginine decarboxylase activity, respectively.