Accumulation and Excretion of Alkaloids by Macleaya microcarpa Cell Cultures II. Experiments in Liquid Medium

Abstract

A static Macleaya microcarpa cell culture shows at most one third of its alkaloid amount in the medium (Böhm and Franke 1982). In contrast, the medium of a M. microcarpa suspension culture can contain nearly the total alkaloid quantity detectable in the culture flask. In this case most cell aggregates are very small. Their portion in the cell mass is reached under the influence of a high auxin concentration. The number of alkaloid rich cells in small cell aggregates is relatively low. Nevertheless, fine M. microcarpa suspension cultures which are poor in alkaloid accumulating cells can form substantial amounts of alkaloids. Their synthetic activity is nearly unchanged. Only their accumulating capacity is redueed. This finding decisively supports the view that in M. microcarpa cell cultures biosynthesis and accumulation of alkaloids are distributed to two types of differentiated cells. It appears not reasonable to assums that a cell specialized in both alkaloid biosynthesis and accumulation performs only the first function if the cell aggregate size decreases.