Molecular analysis of alkaloid metabolism in AABB v. aabb genotype Nicotiana tabacum in response to wounding of aerial tissues and methyl jasmonate treatment of cultured roots

Abstract

Synthesis of the wound-inducible alkaloid, nicotine, in roots of the allotetraploid species Nicotiana tabacum L. is strongly influenced by the presence of two non-allelic genes, A and B. Together, these loci affect baseline transcript levels of genes dedicated to secondary metabolism (e.g. PMT and A622) as well as genes with roles in separate areas of primary metabolism (e.g. ODC, ADC, SAMS - polyamines; QPT - pyridine nucleotide cycle). Experiments comparing high alkaloid variety NC 95 (AABB genotype) and near-isogenic low alkaloid N. tabacum variety LAFC 53 (aabb genotype) indicate that together, mutations in the A and B loci diminish, but do not ablate, the propensity of roots to increase transcript levels of genes involved in alkaloid metabolism after damage to aerial tissues or direct treatment with the wound hormone, methyl jasmonate. Accordingly, roots of aabb genotype can increase their nicotine content somewhat in response to these treatments.