Taxol-induced apoptotic cell death in suspension cultures of Taxus cuspidata

Taxol caused apoptotic cell death of Taxus cuspidata in suspension cultures. Typical morphological and biochemical changes of apoptosis were observed by microscopy and total DNA agarose gel electrophoresis. Taxus cuspidata responded to the added Taxol by increasing the biosynthesis of Taxol. The percentage of apoptotic cells in total cells increased with the concentration of added Taxol. With Taxol added at 10 mg l^–1, the maximum concentration of Taxol produced was 23 mg l^–1, 3 times higher than that of the control culture.     

Apoptotic cell death in suspension cultures of Taxus chinensis var. mairei

Apoptotic cell death was observed in suspension cultures of Taxus chinensis var. mairei under normal cultivation conditions by using microscopy, total DNA agarose gel electrophoresis and in situ end-labeling of fragmented DNA. The morphological and biochemical changes of cells occurred mainly in the non-dividing cell clusters, indicating that the T. chinensis cells died mainly by apoptosis. There exists a close relationship between cell apoptosis and Taxol formation. Taxol concentration increased with the increase in content of apoptotic cells and reached a maximum (14.2 mg l^–1) after 23 days of culture, corresponding to a maximum ratio of apoptotic to total cells of about 13%.     

Paclitaxel production in suspension cell cultures of Taxus

Five separate cell lines, three of Taxus canadensis Marsh. and two of Taxus cuspidata Sieb. et Zucc., were used to test the effect of carbohydrates and plant growth regulators on the growth of cells and production of paclitaxel in culture. There was no significant correlation between growth of cells and paclitaxel production. While no single medium was developed that was optimal for all cell lines, it was possible to develop a medium for each species that represented a superior combination of growth and paclitaxel production. A combination of NAA and thidiazuron produced the best combination of growth and paclitaxel production in cell lines of T. canadensis, while IAA and BA produced the best results in cell lines of T. cuspidata. A mixture of sucrose and fructose gave the best combination of growth and paclitaxel production. The addition of carbohydrates midway through the growth cycle increased the rate at which paclitaxel accumulated in the culture medium. The highest paclitaxel concentration obtained was 14.78±0.86 mg 1^–1 (n=3).Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - 2ip 6-(,-dimethylamino)-purine - BA 6-benzyladenine - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - IBA indole-3-butyric acid - kinetin 6-furfurylaminopurine - NAA -napthaleneacetic acid - picloram 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid - thidiazuron 1-phenyl-3 (1,2,3-thiadiazol-5-yl)urea     

Isolation of differential genes in suspension cultures of Taxus cuspidata induced by additional taxol

Addition of taxol into suspension cultures of Taxus cuspidata induced cell apoptosis, which was confirmed by gel electrophoresis of the DNA ladders indicating the progressive delineation of fragmented nuclear DNA (nDNA) into distinct bodies. The additional taxol not only changed the microtubule assembly of cells, but also affected the gene expression. Fourteen cDNA fragments, named as TIGT9-22, were isolated after addition of taxol and their GenBank accession numbers were given as BF704560-BF704573, respectively. Among them, TIGT13 and TIGT21 were apparently homogeneous with apbE and carbamoylphosphate synthetase, respectively. Other cDNA fragments showed no significant analogy with the known sequences in GenBank.     

Differentiation of apoptotic and necrotic cells in suspension cultures of Taxus cuspidata by the combined use of fluorescent dying and histochemical staining methods

A method to differentiate apoptotic and necrotic cells in suspension cultures of Taxus cuspidata was developed by the combined use of the double-fluorescence dying and histochemical staining methods. The cultured cells were directly detected without the operations such as the removal of cell wall, fixing and section of cells as required by other conventional methods. Besides, the living cells, apoptotic and necrotic cells were simultaneously differentiated under a fluorescence microscope and the typical apoptotic morphological features could be observed throughout the whole process. The advantages of this method include simple operation, quick response and high accuracy.     

Involvement of NADPH oxidase in hydrogen peroxide accumulation by Aspergillus niger elicitor-induced Taxus chinensis cell cultures

After determining that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation induced by a fungal elicitor from Aspergillus niger was from the superoxide dismutase-catalyzed dismutation of superoxide radical, the site of H2O2 generation in cell suspension cultures of Taxus chinensis was studied. The results showed that 90% and 10% of the elicitor-induced H2O2 accumulation respectively appeared in intracellular and extracellular fractions of cells, and that the elicitor-induced H2O2 accumulation in protoplasts and plasma membranes was similar to that in intact cells, indicating that the site of H2O2 accumulation was plasma membranes but not in extracellular fraction of Taxus cells. The H2O2 forming enzyme was also investigated. The elicitor-induced H2O2 accumulation in intact cells was not changed by loss of apoplastic peroxidase (POD) by the washing, and the H2O2 accumulation in plasma membranes was inhibited by the mammalian neutrophil NAD(P)H oxidase inhibitor diphenylene iodonium (DPI), but was slightly affected by exogenous POD and its inhibitor. Furthermore, in plasma membranes, the H2O2 accumulation was more significantly enhanced by NADPH than by NADH, and the former was more obviously decreased by DPI than the latter. The present results show that NADPH oxidase in plasma membranes is involved in H2O2 accumulation in fungal elicitor-induced Taxus chinensis cell cultures.     

Enhancement of paclitaxel production by abscisic acid in cell suspension cultures of Taxus chinensis

Addition of 5 mg abscisic acid l^–1 after 12 days' growth of Taxus chinensis suspension culture gave the greatest paclitaxel accumulation at 11 mg l^–1, which was almost 5 times that of the control culture. The highest paclitaxel production, 18 mg l^–1, was obtained using 5 mg abscisic acid l^–1 and 20 mg methyl jasmonate l^–1.     

水杨酸对真菌诱导子诱导红豆杉悬浮细胞膜脂过氧化和紫杉醇生物合成的影响

研究了 5 0 mg· L- 1真菌诱导子 (F5) ,5 0 mg· L- 1水杨酸 (SA) ,5 0 mg· L- 1F5+5 0 mg· L- 1SA3种处理 ,对红豆杉悬浮细胞膜脂过氧化和紫杉醇合成的影响。结果表明 :F5和 SA单独处理红豆杉细胞均引起细胞膜脂过氧化。SA+F5联合处理可以减轻 F5单独处理细胞所引起的膜脂过氧化程度 ,SA+F5联合处理与真菌诱导子处理相比 ,较大地提高了过氧化物酶的活性 ,得到较多的生物量。3种处理方法均可提高红豆杉细胞紫杉醇产量 ,特别以 F5+SA处理得到产量最高 ,达到 1 1 .5 mg· L- 1,分别为 F5,SA和对照组的 1 .5倍、2 .0倍和7.5倍。结果显示 :在真菌诱导子诱导与水杨酸的联合作用下提高紫杉醇产量 ,可能与水杨酸减轻真菌诱导子所引起的细胞膜脂过氧化程度有关     

H2O2参与水杨酸诱导丹参培养细胞中丹酚酸B合成的信号转导

过氧化氢(Hydrogen peroxide,H2O2)为活性氧(Reactive oxygen species,ROS)的一种,存在于许多生物体系中并介导植物中多种生理和生化过程。为了探讨H2O2作为信号分子在水杨酸(Salicylic acid,SA)诱导丹参培养细胞合成丹酚酸B(Salvianolic acid B,Sal B)过程中的作用,分别考察了SA和H2O2、过氧化氢酶(Catalase,CAT)、二甲基硫脲(2-(4-carboxy-2-phenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide,DMTU)及咪唑(Imidazole,IMD)对苯丙氨酸解氨酶(Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase,PAL)和酪氨酸氨基转移酶(Tyrosine aminotransferase,TAT)的活性及Sal B含量的影响。结果表明,SA处理可有效地诱导丹参培养细胞中H2O2产生、PAL和TAT活性升高以及Sal B合成积累量的增加;外源施加10～30 mmol/L H2O2也可以有效促进PAL、TAT活性升高和Sal B合成积累量的增加;用H2O2的清除剂CAT处理发现,CAT对SA或外源H2O2诱导的Sal B合成积累具有消除作用,说明H2O2可能作为SA诱导Sal B积累过程中的上游信号分子起作用;用H2O2淬灭剂DMTU处理,可以有效抑制SA对Sal B合成的促进作用;用质膜烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸(Nicotinamide vadenine dinucleotide phosphate,NADPH)氧化酶(H2O2来源的主要酶)抑制剂IMD处理,可以抑制Sal B的合成,但这种抑制效果可以部分被外源施加的SA削弱,说明通过HADPH氧化酶产生的H2O2受阻时,SA诱导的Sal B合成积累也会受到抑制。表明H2O2是介导SA诱导丹参培养细胞中Sal B合成积累的信号分子。     

Cell death unlikely contributes to taxol production in fungal elicitor-induced cell suspension cultures of Taxus chinensis

Cell suspension cultures ofTaxus chinensis, with 20, 40 and 100 mg fungal elicitor l^–1 from Aspergillus niger, underwent rapid cell death after 24 h, which was about 2, 3.7 and 5-fold of that of the control. At the same time, Taxol production was increased, respectively, to about 5, 8 and 3-fold of that of the control. Inhibition of phenolics biosynthesis resulted in a 150% increase in cell death but a 54% decrease in Taxol production compared with 40 mg elicitor l^–1 alone. O₂-free N₂ inhibited cell death but had little effect on Taxol production as induced by 40 mg fungal elicitor l^–1.     

Spatio-Temporal Distributions of Metal Ions and Taxol of Taxus cuspidata Cells Immobilized on Polyurethane Foam

Distinct spatio-temporal variations of metal ions and Taxol production were observed for Taxus cuspidata cells immobilized on polyurethane foam. The Taxol content in the inner foam layer reached 215 μg g⁻¹ at day 30, which was 40-fold higher than that in the outer foam layer, and the Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ contents were 5.3 and 3.7 times higher, while the K⁺ content was 5.5 times lower. Thus higher intracellular Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ contents and lower intracellular K⁺ content may favor the Taxol biosynthesis in immobilized Taxus cuspidata.     

Improved paclitaxel accumulation in cell suspension cultures of Taxus chinensis by brassinolide

When brassinolide was added at 17 ng l^–1 to Taxus chinensis cell suspension cultures, the paclitaxel content was increased by over 100% to 580 g g^–1 dry weight. Brassinolide may therefore be a novel regulator of paclitaxel biosynthesis.     

Effect of salicylic acid on protein composition of Tatar buckwheat Fagopyrum tataricum calluses with different ability for morphogenesis

The effect of salicylic acid on the content of soluble proteins and individual polypeptides in Tatar buckwheat Fagopyrum tataricum calluses differing in ability for morphogenesis was studied. Changes in the protein composition of the calluses cultivated in the dark and in the light indicated the higher sensitivity of the non-morphogenic callus. Different response of callus cultures to salicylic acid and conditions of cultivation (light, darkness) is suggested to be associated with the antioxidant defense system, which is, in particular, characterized by the hydrogen peroxide content in the calluses. Salicylic acid increased the H₂O₂ content in non-morphogenic calluses more strongly than in morphogenic calluses, and the difference was more significant for the calluses cultivated in the light.Translated from Biokhimiya, Vol. 70, No. 3, 2005, pp. 390–396.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Maksyutova, Galeeva, Rumyantseva, Viktorova.     

Improved paclitaxel production in a two-phase suspension culture ofTaxus cuspidata using silicone cubes

Two-phase cultures ofTaxus cuspidata were performed using silicone cubes as a second phase in shake flasks for paclitaxel production. Among various taxanes, paclitaxel was selectively adsorbed on the silicon cubes. When silicone cubes were added to suspension culture ofTaxus cuspidata, paclitaxel production increased about 45 folds. The maximum paclitaxel production was 3.95 mg/L when 10% of silicone cubes were added to the culture at the 7th day from inoculation.     

聚乙二醇对东北红豆杉培养细胞的生长及紫杉醇生产的影响

在改良的B5培养基中加入不同浓度的聚乙二醇对东北红豆杉培养细胞进行摇瓶培养,通过不同时期取样并测定细胞鲜,干重及用HPLC测定紫杉醇的含量,发现聚乙二醇对东北红豆杉培养细胞的生长及紫杉醇生产均有明显的促进作用,聚乙二醇为10g/L时,对细胞生长最为有利,细胞培养16d可达到最大生物量,其平均鲜重为28．73g/瓶,增重3．8倍,平均干重为2．14g/瓶,增重3．1倍,聚乙二醇为20g/L,对紫杉醇的生产最有利;细胞培养25d时,培养基中紫杉醇的含量达到最高水平,其含量为2350ug/L,是不加聚乙二醇的11倍。     

Cerium elicitor-induced phosphatidic acid triggers apoptotic signaling development in Taxus cuspidata cell suspension cultures

Degradation of membrane phospholipids is associated with apoptotic responses, but the signaling development of this degradation is not well understood. Cerium (Ce⁴⁺), an important rare earth element, induces cellular apoptosis and taxol biosynthesis in Taxus cuspidata suspension cultures. Here, using mass spectrometry and biochemical technique, we demonstrated that the phospholipase D (PLD) was rapidly activated by Ce⁴⁺ and hydrolyzed structural phospholipids to generate lipid signal molecule, phosphatidic acid (PA). 1-Butanol, an antagonist of PLD-dependent PA production, blocked the biphasic burst of superoxide anions (O₂⁻) and thus mitigated cellular apoptosis. The time-course analysis of PA accumulation and ERK-like mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) regulation indicated PA generation preceded MAPK activation, suggesting that the rapid accumulation of PA might be required for the initial MAPK activity. After 2 h of Ce⁴⁺ elicitation, however, PA-induced O₂⁻ burst, forming a negative regulation to MAPK activity, which in turn led to apoptotic signaling development.     

Enhanced paclitaxel production induced by the combination of elicitors in cell suspension cultures of Taxus chinensis

Taxus chinensis suspension cells were cultured in the modified Gamborg's B5 medium. Addition of 50 mg chitosan l^–1, 60 M methyl jasmonate and 30 M Ag⁺ resulted in the greatest paclitaxel production, at 25 mg l^–1 in the cultures, being almost 40 times higher than that of the control culture, 10 times higher than that of the culture exposed to Ag⁺, 6 times higher than that of the culture elicited by chitosan and almost double that of the culture elicited by methyl jasmonate.     

Stimulation of adventitious rooting of Taxus species by thiamine

Summary Results obtained from using root inducing compounds on Taxus species cuttings suggested that rooting could be significantly enhanced by the presence of thiamine. This observation was verified using a root inducing solution containing a set concentration of IBA (0.2%), NAA (0.1%), and supplemented with various concentrations of thiamine. The best rooting response for Taxus cuspidata stem cuttings was found using this solution supplemented with 0.08% thiamine. Rooted cuttings were easily established and developed into vigorous plants. In addition, Taxus brevifolia shoots obtained from tissue cultures via in vitro organogenesis also responded favorably to this 0.08% thiamine supplemented rooting solution.     

5‐Aminolevulinic acid promotes callus growth and paclitaxel production in light‐grown Taxus cuspidata suspension cultures

Cultured plant cells generally produce low levels of secondary metabolites, and elicitors of secondary metabolites usually inhibit callus growth. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 5‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a chlorophyll precursor that promotes plant growth, on callus induction from leaves of Taxus cuspidata, and on callus growth on solid medium. ALA at 0.76, 7.6, and 76 μM had similar effects on callus induction and growth, while ALA at 760 μM had negative effects. Next, the effects of ALA concentrations on callus growth and paclitaxel production in suspension cultures in the dark were evaluated. The results showed that 0.76 and 7.6 μM ALA stimulated growth and paclitaxel production, while 76 μM ALA had negative effects. ALA is thought to promote cellular activity under light conditions. Therefore, the effects of light intensity on callus growth and paclitaxel production in the presence of ALA were evaluated. Our results showed that the best conditions for callus growth and paclitaxel production were 7.6 μM ALA under photosynthetically active radiation of 12 μmol photons m^?2 s^?1. Callus growth and paclitaxel production were inhibited under stronger light (24 μmol photons m^?2 s^?1). Together, these results show that ALA promoted callus growth and the production of paclitaxel by light‐grown cultured T. cuspidata cells.