Skip to main content
Log in

Antisense-mediated down-regulation of putrescine N-methyltransferase activity in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum L. can lead to elevated levels of anatabine at the expense of nicotine

  • Published:
Plant Molecular Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Nicotiana tabacum L. produces a number of pyridine alkaloids, with nicotine representing the major component and anatabine comprising most of the remainder of the alkaloid fraction. An antisense approach was used here to down-regulate activity of the important enzyme putrescine N-methyltransferase (PMT) in transformed roots of this species to determine effects upon alkaloid metabolism. Transformed root lines were produced that contained markedly reduced PMT activity, with a concomitant reduction in nicotine content compared to controls. No negative effects upon growth were observed. Several antisense-PMT transformed root lines, and also leaf tissues of regenerated transformed plants, showed a substantial increase in anatabine content relative to controls. Northern hybridization experiments indicated that the antisense-PMT manipulation had little or no effect upon the transcript levels of other genes encoding enzymes involved in alkaloid metabolism, including quinolinate acid phosphoribosyltransferase (QPT). The latter enzyme plays a key role in regulating the synthesis of nicotinic acid which supplies the pyridine ring necessary for both nicotine and anatabine synthesis. We suggest that elevated anatabine levels in antisense-PMT lines are a direct consequence of a relative oversupply of nicotinic acid which, in the absence of adequate levels of 1-methyl-Δ1-pyrrolinium cation (the ultimate product of PMT activity), is used to synthesise anatabine directly. As is discussed, no naturally occurring species or varieties of Nicotiana are known that typically produce high levels of anatabine in root or leaf tissues, meaning that the antisense PMT transgenics produced in this study have no natural counterpart. These experiments thus represent an example of metabolic engineering of plant pyridine metabolism, via antisense down-regulation of gene expression in a contributing pathway leading to secondary metabolite biosynthesis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bachem, C.W.B., Speckmann, G., van der Linde, P.C.G., Verheggen, F. T. M., Hunt, M.D., Steffens, J.C. and Zabeau, M. 1994. Antisense expression of polyphenol oxidase genes inhibits enzymatic browning in potato tubers. Bio/technology 12: 1101–1105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, I.T. 1988. Short-term damage-induced increases in tobacco alkaloids protects plants. Oecologia 75: 367–370.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, I.T 1989. Mechanism of damage-induced alkaloid production in wild tobacco. J. Chem. Ecol. 15: 1661–680.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin I.T., Schmelz E.A. and Ohnmeiss T.E. 1994. Woundinduced root and shoot jasmonic acid pools correlate with induced nicotine synthesis in Nicotiana sylvestris Spegazzini and Comes. J. Chem. Ecol. 20: 2139–2157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin I.T., Zhang Z.-P., Diab, N., Ohnmeiss, T.E., McCloud, E.S., Lynds, G.Y. and Schmelz E.A. 1997. Quantification, correlations and manipulations of wound-induced changes in jasmonic acid and nicotine in N. sylvestris. Planta 201: 397–404.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boswell H.D., Drager B., Eagles J., McClintock C., Parr A., Portsteffen A., Robins D.J., Robins R.J., Walton N.J. and Wong C. 1999.. Metabolism of N-alkyldiamines and N- alkylnortropinones by transformed root cultures of Nicotiana and Brugsmania. Phytochemistry 52: 855–869.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourque, J.E. 1995. Antisense strategies for genetic manipulations in plants. Plant Sci. 105: 125–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradford, M.M. 1976. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal. Biochem. 72: 248–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Budavari, S., O'Neil, M.J., Smith, A., Heckelman, P.E. and Kinneary, J.F. (Eds.). 1996. The Merck Index, 12th ed. Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carron, T.R., Robbins, M.P. and Morris, P. 1994. Genetic modi-fication of condensed tannin biosynthesis in Lotus corniculatus. 1. Heterologous antisense dihydroflavonol reductase downregulates tannin accumulation in ‘hairy root’ cultures. Theor. Appl. Genet. 87: 1006–1015.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaplin, J.F. 1975. Registration of LAFC 53 tobacco germplasm (reg. no. GP 13). Crop Sci. 15: 282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chintapakorn Y. 2002. An Antisense Approach to Study the Role of Arginine Decarboxylase and Putrescine N-Methyltransferase in Alkaloid Metabolism in Nicotiana tabacum L. PhD thesis, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, R.F. 1941. The localisation of the nicotine synthetic mechanism in the tobacco plant. Science 94: 396–397.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, R.F. 1942. Accumulation of nicotine in reciprocal grafts of tomato and tobacco. Am. J. Bot. 29: 66–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, R.F. 1962. Biosynthesis of the Nicotiana alkaloids. In: W.R. Brode (Ed.) Science in Progress, vol. 12, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, pp. 117–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, R.F. and Solt M.L. 1959. Estimated contributions of root and shoot to the nicotine content of the tobacco plant. Plant Physiol. 34: 656–661.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fecker, L.F., Rugenhagen, C. and Berlin, J. 1993. Increased production of cadaverine and anabasine in hairy root cultures of Nicotiana tabacum expressing a bacterial lysine decarboxylase gene. Plant Mol. Biol. 23: 11–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feth, F. and Wagner, K.G. 1989. Determination of ornithine, putrescine, N-methylputrescine and N-methylpyrroline pools in tobacco tissue by high-performance liquid chromatography. Physiol. Plant. 75: 71–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feth, F., Wagner, R. and Wagner, K.G. 1986. Regulation in tobacco callus of enzyme activities of the nicotine pathway. I. The route ornithine to methylpyrroline. Planta 168: 402–407.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friesen, J.B. and Leete, E. 1990. Nicotine synthase: an enzyme from Nicotiana species which catalyzes the formation of (S)-nicotine from nicotinic acid and 1-methyl-Δ′-pyrrolinium chloride. Tetahedron Lett. 131: 6295–6298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friesen, J.B., Burkhouse, P.C., Biesboer, D.D. and Leete, E. 1992. Influence of alkaloid precursors on the alkaloid content of Nicotiana alata root cultures. Phytochemistry 31: 3059–3063.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gamborg, O.L., Miller, R.A. and Ojima, K. 1968. Nutrient requirements of suspension cultures of soybean root cells. Exp. Cell Res. 50: 151–158.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamill, J.D. and Lidgett, A.J. 1997. Hairy root cultures: opportunities and key protocols for studies in metabolic engineering. In: P.M. Doran (Ed.) Hairy Roots: Culture and Application, Harwood academic publishers, Overseas Publishers Association, Amsterdam, pp. 1–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamill, J.D., Parr, A.J., Robins, R.J. and Rhodes, M.J.C. 1986. Secondary product formation by cultures of Beta vulgaris and Nicotiana rustica transformed with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Plant Cell Rep. 5: 111–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamill, J.D., Evans, D.M., Robins, R.J., Rhodes, M.J.C., Martin, C. and Prescott, A. 1987a. Foreign gene insertion into transformed roots with binary vectors and Agrobacterium rhizogenes: potential for genetic manipulation of plant secondary metabolism. In: R.J. Robins and M.J.C. Rhodes (Eds.) Manipulating Secondary Metabolism in Culture, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 145–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamill, J.D., Prescott, A. and Martin, C. 1987b. Assessment of the efficiency of co-transformation by the T-DNA of disarmed binary vectors derived from Agrobacterium tumefaciens and the T-DNA from A. rhizogenes. Plant Mol. Biol. 9: 573–584.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamill, J.D., Robins R.J., Parr, A.J., Evans, D.M., Furze, J.M. and Rhodes M.J.C. 1990. Expressing a yeast ornithine decarboxylase gene in transgenic roots of Nicotiana rustica can lead to enhanced nicotine accumulation. Plant Mol. Biol. 15: 27–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hashimoto, T. and Yamada, Y. 1994. Alkaloid biogenesis: molecular aspects. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 45: 257–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hashimoto, T., Shoji, T., Mihara, T., Oguri, H., Tamaki, K., Suzuki, K-I. and Yamada, Y. 1998a. Intraspecific variability of the tandem repeats in Nicotiana putrescine N-methyltransferase. Plant Mol Biol. 37: 25–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hashimoto, T., Tamaki, K., Suzuki, K-I and Yamada, Y. 1998b. Molecular cloning of plant spermidine synthases. Plant Cell Physiol 39: 73–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herminghaus, S., Tholl, D., Rugenhagen, C., Fecker, L. F., Leuschner, C. and Berlin, J. 1996. Improved metabolic action of a bacterial lysine decarboxylase gene in tobacco hairy root cultures by its fusion to a rbcS transit peptide coding sequence. Transgen. Res. 5: 193–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hibi, N., Higashiguchi, S., Hashimoto, T. and Yamada, Y. 1994. Gene expression in tobacco low-nicotine mutants. Plant Cell 6: 723–735.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutvagner, H. and Zamore, P.D. 2002. RNAi: nature abhors a double strand. Curr. Opin. Genet. Devel. 12: 225–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Imanishi, S., Hashizume, K., Nakakita, M., Kojima, H., Matsubayashi, Y., Hashimoto, T., Sakagami, Y., Yamada, Y. and Nakamura, K. 1998. Differential induction by methyl jasmonate of genes encoding ornithine decarboxylase and other enzymes involved in nicotine biosynthesis in tobacco cell cultures. Plant Mol. Biol. 38: 1101–1111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jefferson, R.A., Kavanagh, T.A. and Bevan, M.A. 1987. β-glucuronidase as a sensitive and versatile marker in higher plants. EMBO J. 6: 3301–3307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kay, R., Chan, A., Daly, M. and McPherson, J. 1987. Duplication of CaMV35S promoter sequences creates a stronger enhancer for plant genes. Science 236: 1299–1302.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kloti, A., He, X., Potrykus, I., Hohn, T. and Futterer, J. 2002. Tissue-specific silencing of a transgene in rice. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99: 10881–10886.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leete, E. 1979. Alkaloids derived from ornithine, lysine, and nicotinic acid. In: E.A. Bell and B.V. Charlwood (Eds.) Secondary Plant Products (Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology; new series, vol. 8), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 65–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leete, E. 1983. Biosynthesis and metabolism of tobacco alkaloids. In S.W. Pelletier (Ed.) Alkaloids: Chemical and Biological Perspectives, John Wiley, New York, pp. 86–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leete, E. and Slattery, S.A. 1976. Incorporation of [2-14C]-and [6-14C] nicotinic acid into the tobacco alkaloids. Biosynthesis of anatabine and α,β-dipyridyl. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 98: 6326–6330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Legg, P. D. and Collins, G.B. 1971. Inheritance of percent total alkaloids in Nicotiana tabacum L. II. Genetic effects of two loci in Burley 21 × LA Burley 21 populations. Can. J. Gen. Cytol. 13: 287–291.

    Google Scholar 

  • Legg, P.D., Chaplin, J.F. and Collins, G.B. 1969. Inheritance of percent total alkaloids in Nicotiana tabacum L. Populations derived from crosses of low alkaloid lines with burley and flue-cured varieties. J. Hered. 60: 213–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lidgett, A.J., Moran, M., Wong, K.A.L., Furze, J., Rhodes, M.J.C. and Hamill J.D. 1995. Isolation and expression pattern of a cDNA encoding a cathepsin B-like protease from Nicotiana rustica. Plant Mol. Biol. 29: 379–384.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lidgett, A. 1997. Molecular Characterisation of Polyamine Biosynthetic Genes and Effects of Genetic Manipulation on Alkaloid Metabolism in Nicotiana tabacum L. PhD thesis, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luckner, M. 1990. Secondary Metabolism in Microorganisms, Plants, and Animals, 3rd ed. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mallory, A.C., Ely, L., Smith, T.H., Marathe, R., Anandalakshmi, R., Vaucheret, H., Pruss, G., Bowman, L. and Vance, V.B. 2001. HC-Pro transgene silencing eliminates the small RNAs but not trans methylation or the mobile signal. Plant Cell 13: 571–583.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mann, D.F. and Byerrum, R.U. 1974. Activation of the de novo pathway for pyridine nucleotide biosynthesis prior to ricinine biosynthesis in castor beans. Plant Physiol. 53: 603–609.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matzke, M.A., Primig, M., Trnovsky, J. and Matzke, A.J.M. 1989. Reversible methylation and inactivation of marker genes in sequentially transformed tobacco plants. EMBO J. 8: 643–649.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mizusaki, S., Tanabe, Y., Noguchi, M. and Tamaki, E. 1973. Changes in the activities of ornithine decarboxylase, putrescine N-methyltransferase and N-methylputrescine oxidase in tobacco roots in relation to nicotine biosynthesis. Plant Cell Physiol. 14: 103–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mizrachi, N., Levy, S. and Goren, Z. 2000. Fatal poisoning from Nicotiana glauca leaves: identification of anabasine by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. J. Forensic Sci. 45: 736–741.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, E.L., Powell, N.T., Jones, G.L. and Gwynn, G.R. 1962. Flue-cured tobacco variety NC95: resistant to root-knot, black shank and the wilt diseases. Agric. Exp. Stn. Bull. 41: 3–18. North Carolina State College, Raleigh, NC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murad, L., Lim K.Y., Christopodulou, V., Matyasek, R., Lichtenstein, C.P., Kovarik, A. and Leitch A.R. 2002. The origin of tobacco's T genome is traced to a particular lineage within Nicotiana tomentosiformis (Solanaceae). Am. J. Bot. 89: 921–928.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murashige, T. and Skoog, F. 1962. A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures. Physiol. Plant. 15: 473–479.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohta, S. and Yatazawa, M. 1980. Metabolic key step discriminating a nicotine producing tobacco callus strain from an ineffective one. Biochem. Physiol. Pflanzen 175: 382–385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, S.U., Yu, M. and Facchini, P.J. 2002. Antisense RNAmediated suppression of benzophenanthridine alkaloid biosynthesis in transgenic cell cultures of California poppy. Plant Physiol. 128: 696–706.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parr, A.J. and Hamill, J.D. 1987. Relationship between Agrobacterium rhizogenes transformed hairy roots and intact, uninfected Nicotiana plants. Phytochemistry 26: 3241–3245.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rhodes, M.J.C., Robins, R.J., Lindsay, E., Aird, H., Payne, A.J., Parr, A.J. and Walton, N.J. 1989. Regulation of secondary metabolism in transformed root cultures. In: W.G.W. Kurz (Ed.) Primary and Secondary Metabolism of Plant Cell Culture, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 58–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riechers, D.E. and Timko, M.P. 1999. Structure and expression of the gene family encoding putrescine N-methyltransferase in Nicotiana tabacum: new clues to the evolutionary origin of cultivated tobacco. Plant Mol. Biol. 41: 387–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robbins, M.P., Bavage, A.D., Strudwicke, C. and Morris, P. 1998. Genetic manipulation of condensed tannins in higher plants. Plant Physiol. 116: 1133–1144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robins, R.J., Hamill, J.D., Parr, A.J., Smith, K., Walton, N.J. and Rhodes, M.J.C. 1987. Potential for use of nicotinic acid as a selective agent for isolation of high nicotine-producing lines of Nicotiana rustica hairy root cultures. Plant Cell Rep. 6: 122–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robins, R.J., Parr, A.J., Payne, J., Walton, N.J. and Rhodes, M.J.C. 1990. Factors regulating tropane-alkaloid production in a transformed root culture of a Datura candida × Datura aurea hybrid. Planta 181: 414–422.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saitoh, F., Noma, M. and Kawashima, N. 1985. The alkaloid contents of sixty Nicotiana species. Phytochemistry 24: 477–480.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E.F. and Maniatis, T. 1989. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd ed. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Plainview, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sato, F., Hashimoto, T., Hachiya, A., Tamura, K., Choi, K., Morishige, T., Fujimoto, H. and Yamada, Y. 2001. Metabolic engineering of plant alkaloid biosynthesis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98: 367–372.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saunders J.A. and Blume, D. 1981. Quantitation of major tobacco alkaloids by high-performance liquid chromatography. J. Chromatog. 205: 147–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saunders J.W. and Bush, L.P. 1979. Nicotine biosynthetic enzyme activities in Nicotiana tabacum L. genotypes with different alkaloid levels. Plant Physiol. 64: 236–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shoji, T., Yamada, Y. and Hashimoto, T. 2000. Jasmonate induction of putrescine N-methyltransferase genes in root of Nicotiana sylvestris. Plant Cell Physiol. 41: 831–839.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair, S.J., Murphy, K.J., Birch, C.D. and Hamill, J.D. 2000. Molecular characterization of quinolinate phosphoribosyltransferase (QPRTase) in Nicotiana. Plant Mol. Biol. 44: 603–617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sisson, V.A. and Severson, R.F. 1990. Alkaloid composition of the Nicotiana species. Beitr. Tabakforsch. Int. 14: 327–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steenkamp, P.A., van Heerden, F.R. and van Wyke, B.E. 2002. Accidental fatal poisoning by Nicotiana glauca: identification of anabasine by high performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array/mass spectrometry. Forensic Sci. Int. 127: 208–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tepfer, D. 1984. Transformation of several species of higher plants by Agrobacterium rhizogenes: sexual transmission of the transformed genotype and phenotype. Cell 37: 959–968.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vance, V. and Vaucheret, H. 2001. RNA silencing in plants: defense and counter defense. Science 292: 2277–2280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voelckel, C., Krugel, T., Gase, K., Heidrich, N., van Dam, N.M., Winz, R. and Baldwin, I.T. 2001. Antisense expression of putrescine N-methyltransferase confirms defensive role of nicotine in Nicotiana sylvestris against Manduca sexta. Chemoecology 11: 121–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, R. and Wagner, K.G. 1985. The pyridine-nucleotide cycle in tobacco: enzyme activities for the de novo synthesis of NAD. Planta 165: 532–537.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, R., Feth, F. and Wagner, K.G. 1986a. The pyridinenucleotide cycle in tobacco: enzyme activities for the recycling of NAD. Planta 167: 226–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, R., Feth, F. and Wagner, K.G. 1986b. Regulation in tobacco callus of enzyme activities of the nicotine pathway. II. The pyridine-nucleotide cycle. Planta 168: 408–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, R., Feth, F. and Wagner, K.G. 1986c. The regulation of enzyme activities of the nicotine pathway in tobacco. Physiol. Plant. 68: 667–672.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walton, N.J. and Belshaw, N.J. 1988. The effect of cadaverine on the formation of anabasine from lysine in hairy root cultures of Nicotiana hesperis. Plant Cell Rep. 7: 115–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walton, N.J., Robins, R.J. and Rhodes, M.J.C. 1988. Perturbation of alkaloid production by cadaverine in hairy root cultures of Nicotiana rustica. Plant Sci. 54: 125–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walton, N.J., Peerless, A.C.J., Robins, R.J., Rhodes, M.J.C., Boswell, H.D. and Robins, D.J. 1994. Purification and properties of putrescine N-methyltransferase from transformed roots of Datura stramonium L. Planta 193: 9–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waterhouse, P.M., Graham, M.W. and Wang, M.B. 1998. Virus resistance and gene silencing in plants is induced by doublestranded RNA. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95: 13959–13964.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waterhouse, P.M., Wang M.B. and Lough, T. 2001. Gene silencing as an adaptive defence against viruses. Nature 411: 834–842.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wesley, S.V., Helliwell, C.A., Smith, N.A., Wang, M., Rouse, D.T., Liu, Q., Gooding, P.S., Singh, S.P., Abbott, D., Stoutjesdijk, P.A., Robinson, S.P., Gleave, A.P., Green, A.G. and Waterhouse, P.M. 2001. Construct design for efficient, effective and high-throughput gene silencing in plants. Plant J. 27: 581–590.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winz, R.A. and Baldwin, I.T. 2001. Molecular interactions between the specialist herbivore Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) and its natural host Nicotiana attenuata. IV. Insectinduced ethylene reduces jasmonate-induced nicotine accumulation by regulating putrescine N-methyltransferase transcripts. Plant Physiol. 125: 2189–2202.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John D. Hamill.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chintapakorn, Y., Hamill, J.D. Antisense-mediated down-regulation of putrescine N-methyltransferase activity in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum L. can lead to elevated levels of anatabine at the expense of nicotine. Plant Mol Biol 53, 87–105 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:PLAN.0000009268.45851.95

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:PLAN.0000009268.45851.95

Navigation