Expression of arabinogalactan proteins involved in Taxol production by immobilized Taxus cuspidata cells

The expression of arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs), known as extracellular signal molecules, in immobilized T. cuspidata cells was investigated by immunofluorescence localization and Western blot analysis. It was found that the relative intensity of JIM13-reactive AGPs and Taxol production by T. cuspidata cells was increased 1.43-fold and 2.2-fold by immobilized cultures on day 25, respectively. Particularly, the expression levels of JIM13-reactive AGPs were much higher in the cells located in central and middle zones of the immobilized support matrices than these in the outer zone or in the suspension. Whether in immobilized T. cuspidata cells or in suspended T. cuspidata cells, the expression level of JIM13-reactive AGPs and Taxol production after two to three subcultures had no significant changes, but the immobilized cells always kept high-level expression of JIM13-reactive AGP and Taxol production during subcultures. Moreover, the enhancement of Taxol production was accompanied with a high-level expression of JIM13-reactive AGPs by T. cuspidata cells after treatment with 200 microM methyl jasmonate. Taken together, these results implicate that the AGPs in T. cuspidata cells may be taken as potential signal molecular involved in regulating the Taxol production by immobilized T. cuspidata cells.