Effect of salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, ethephon and cantharidin on anthraquinone production by Rubia cordifolia callus cultures transformed with the rolB and rolC genes

It has been suggested that the rol genes of Agrobacterium rhizogenes could play an essential role in the activation of secondary metabolite production in plant transformed cultures. This study investigated whether the content of anthraquinone phytoalexins was changed in callus cultures of Rubia cordifolia transgenic for the 35S-rolB and 35S-rolC genes in comparison with a non-transformed callus culture. The anthraquinone content was shown to be significantly increased in transgenic cultures, thus providing further evidence that the rol-gene transformation can be used for the activation of secondary metabolism in plant cells. Methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid strongly increased anthraquinone accumulation in both transgenic and non-transgenic R. cordifolia calluses, whereas ethephon did not. A treatment of the cultures by cantharidin, the protein phosphatase 2A inhibitor, resulted in massive induction of anthraquinone accumulation in the transgenic cultures only. We suggest the involvement of a cantharidin-sensitive protein phosphorylation mechanism in anthraquinone biosynthesis in transgenic cultures. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.