Metabolic flux analysis of the phenylpropanoid pathway in elicitor-treated potato tuber tissue

The effects of beta-1,3-oligosaccharide elicitor on the metabolism of phenylpropanoids in potato tuber were analyzed quantitatively, by monitoring the time-dependent changes in the levels of seven compounds. The elicitor treatment caused an increase in the pool size of octopamine and tyramine amides (N-p-coumaroyloctopamine, N-feruloyloctopamine, N-p-coumaroyltyramine and N-feruloyltyramine), as well as a decrease in that of chlorogenic acid and putrescine amides (caffeoylputrescine and feruloylputrescine). An analysis of metabolic flux using stable isotope labeling and liquid chromatography-spectrometry (LC-MS) detection clearly demonstrated that the changes in the pool size of these compounds were correlated with the changes in their flux for biosynthesis (Jin) upon elicitor treatment. The increase in Jin in the cases of octopamine and tyramine amides was accompanied by an increase in flux for the transformation (Jout), indicating a rapid turnover of these compounds in the elicitor-treated tuber tissue. The result of the flux analysis indicated that the actual activation of the biosynthesis of octopamine and tyramine amides after the elicitor treatment was greater than that estimated from the changes in their levels in the potato tissue. These findings suggest that these amide compounds and their metabolic derivatives play an important role in the defense-related metabolism of phenylpropanoids in potato.