Quinic acids from Aster caucasicus and from transgenic callus expressing a beta-amyrin synthase.
Several different classes of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, triterpenoid saponins and quinic acid derivatives, are found in Aster spp. (Fam. Asteraceae). Several Aster compounds revealed biological as well as pharmacological activities. In this work, a phytochemical investigation of A. caucasicus evidenced the presence of quinic acid derivatives, as well as the absence of triterpene saponins. To combine in one species the production of different phytochemicals, including triterpenes, an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of A. caucasicus was set up to introduce A. sedifolius beta-amyrin synthase (AsOXA1)-encoding gene under the control of the constitutive promoter CaMV35S. The quali-quantitative analysis of transgenic calli with ectopic expression of AsOXA1 showed, in one sample, a negligible amount of triterpene saponins combined with higher amount of quinic acid derivatives as compared with the wild type callus.
CNR-IGV, Research Institute of Plant Genetics, Research Division Portici, Via Università 133, 80055 Portici, Italy.
Paola
P
Pecchia
Maria
M
Cammareri
Nicola
N
Malafronte
M Federica
MF
Consiglio
Maria Josefina
MJ
Gualtieri
Clara
C
Conicella
D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens; D031173:Aster Plant / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D019751:Intramolecular Transferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000201:enzymology; D011801:Quinic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D010940:Plant Proteins; D011801:Quinic Acid; D019751:Intramolecular Transferases; C039924:2,3-oxidosqualene-beta-amyrin-cyclase