Chromium-induced tropane alkaloid production and H6H gene expression in Atropa belladonna L. (Solanaceae) in vitro-propagated plantlets

Hyoscyamine and scopolamine tropane alkaloids found in several solanaceous plants are anticholinergic drugs. Hyoscyamine 6β-hydroxylase (H6H) catalyzes two consecutive oxidation reactions. The first reaction is the hydroxylation of hyoscyamine to 6β-hydroxyhyoscyamine and the second is epoxidation of 6β-hydroxyhyoscyamine yielding scopolamine that is the final metabolite in the tropane alkaloid biosynthetic pathway. The effects of trivalent chromium as KCr (SO4)2 on the production of tropane alkaloids and the expression of hyoscyamine 6β-hydroxylase gene (h6h) were studied in micro-propagated Atropa belladonna L. plantlets. The results showed that chromium treatment decreased the growth parameters (weights and lengths of the plantlets) and chlorophyll contents and increased proline contents. Moreover, semiquantitave RT-PCR analysis showed that the transcript level of H6H increased under chromium treatment. This treatment also increased hyoscyamine and scopolamine contents as shown by HPLC analysis. Changes of scopolamine contents correlate with the expression levels of h6h gene under different concentrations of chromium.

► A heavy metal is used as an elicitor for tropane alkaloid production.
► Elicitation by Chromium affects the expression of h6h gene.
► Expression profile of h6h was identical to production pattern of scopolamine.
► Against some earlier findings h6h transcript presented in both roots and shoots.