Production of Taxol® and baccatin III by a selected Taxus baccata callus line and its derived cell suspension culture

Small callus pieces excised from a selected 1-year-old stable callus line of Taxus baccata were grown on B5 solid medium supplemented with either phenylalanine (1 mM) or the elicitor compound VSO4 (0.05 or 0.1 mM). Under these conditions, callus growth and the production of Taxol(R) and baccatin III were tested during 8 weeks of culture. Growth was enhanced by the presence of both phenylalanine and VSO4. The elicitor compound VSO4 (0.05 and 0.1 mM) moreover clearly increased Taxol(R) and baccatin III production, especially at the end of the culture. The specific activity of PAL in callus pieces cultured under the different conditions studied, is also considered. In addition, liquid cultures were prepared from the selected callus line in order to study the effect of the VSO4 addition to the culture medium on Taxol(R) and baccatin III production. The presence of this elicitor (VSO4; 0.05 mM), increased Taxol(R) and baccatin III production (by a factor of 2.5 and 3.6, respectively) from 5.2 mu g g(-1) DW to 13.1 mu g g(-1) DW for Taxol(R) and from 4.4 mu g g(-1) DW to 16.0 mu g g(-1) DW for baccatin III in the T. baccata cell suspension cultures. It also increased their release into the medium by a factor of 3.2 and 2.2, respectively (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.