Occurrence and non-detectability of maytansinoids in individual plants of the genera Maytenus and Putterlickia.
Individual plants belonging to different species of the family Celastraceae collected from their natural habitats in South Africa (Putterlickia verrucosa (E. Meyer ex Sonder) Szyszyl., Putterlickia pyracantha (L.) Szyszyl., Putterlickia retrospinosa van Wyk and Mostert) and Brazil (Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reiss., Maytenus evonymoides Reiss., Maytenus aquifolia Mart.) were investigated for the presence of maytansinoids and of maytansine, an ansamycin of high cytotoxic activity. Maytansinoids were not detectable in plants grown in Brazil. Analysis of plants growing in South Africa, however, showed clearly that maytansinoids were present in some individual plants but were not detectable in others. Molecular biological analysis of a Putterlickia verrucosa cell culture gave no evidence for the presence of the aminohydroxybenzoate synthase gene which is unique to the biosynthesis of aminohydroxybenzoate, a precursor of the ansamycins including maytansinoids. Moreover, this gene was not detectable in DNA extracted from the aerial parts of Putterlickia plants. In contrast, observations indicate that this gene may be present in microbes of the rhizosphere of Putterlickia plants. Our observations are discussed with respect to the possibility that the roots of Putterlickia plants may be associated with microorganisms which are responsible for the biosynthesis of maytansine or maytansinoids.
Pullen
Christian B
CB
Institut für Pharmazeutische Biologie der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Nussallee 6, D-53115 Bonn, Germany.
Schmitz
Petra
P
Hoffmann
Dietmar
D
Meurer
Kristina
K
Boettcher
Theresa
T
von Bamberg
Daniel
D
Pereira
Ana Maria
AM
de Castro França
Suzelei
S
Hauser
Manfred
M
Geertsema
Henk
H
van Wyk
Abraam
A
Mahmud
Taifo
T
Floss
Heinz G
HG
Leistner
Eckhard
E
D010723:3-Deoxy-7-Phosphoheptulonate Synthase / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D029753:Celastraceae / Q000737:chemistry; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D004777:Environment; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000187:drug effects; D006836:Hydro-Lyases / Q000235:genetics; D008453:Maytansine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D029755:Maytenus / Q000737:chemistry*; D010407:Penicillium / Q000187:drug effects; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D018744:DNA, Plant; D008453:Maytansine; D010723:3-Deoxy-7-Phosphoheptulonate Synthase; C111160:3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid synthase; D006836:Hydro-Lyases