title: Impact of ploidy change on secondary metabolites and photochemical efficiency in Solanum bulbocastanum.
abstract: Plants are well known for producing a wide diversity of natural compounds and several strategies have been proposed to enhance their production. Among them, somatic chromosome doubling may represent an effective and inexpensive method. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effect of polyploidization on the leaf metabolic profile and content of tetraploids produced from a wild diploid (2n=2x=24) potato species, Solanum bulbocastanum Dun. Photochemical efficiency of tetraploids was also analyzed. Results from HPLC-DAD and LC/MS analyses provided evidence that tetraploid genotypes displayed either a similar or a lower phenylpropanoids, tryptophan, tyrosine and a-chaconine content compared with the diploid parent. Similarly, no significant differences were found among genotypes both for measures of gas and for chlorophyll fluorescence, except for non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). Steroidal saponins content revealed superiority of some tetraploids with respect to the diploid parent, suggesting perturbations in the mechanism regulating the biosynthesis of such compounds following polyploidization. Lack of superiority may be attributed to the time required for adjustment, adaptation and evolution after the genomic shock induced by polyploidization, as well as the fact that an optimum ploidy level for each species may be crucial. Our results suggest that polyploidization as a strategy to enhance metabolite production cannot be generalized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Universiti 100, 80055 Portici, Italy.
authors.forename: Immacolata
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University ofSalerno, Via Ponte don Melillol, 84084 Fisciano, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dal Piaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University ofSalerno, Via Ponte don Melillol, 84084 Fisciano, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Malafronte
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University ofSalerno, Via Ponte don Melillol, 84084 Fisciano, Italy.
authors.forename: Nunziatina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Tommasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Universiti 100, 80055 Portici, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aversano
authors.affiliation: Departamento Biomidico, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Antofagasta, Avenida Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile.
authors.forename: Cristian Wulff
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Zottele
authors.affiliation: CNR-IGV, Institute of Plant Genetics, Research Division Portici, via Universitci 100, 1-80055 Portici, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria-Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Scarano
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Universiti 100, 80055 Portici, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carputo
mesh_terms: D010788:Photosynthesis; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D032322:Solanum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D057891:Tetraploidy