Chapter 17 The Formation of Secondary Metabolites in Plant Tissue and Cell Cultures

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the cell cultures capable of synthesizing secondary metabolites. The several principles and mechanisms in regulating metabolic processes include different phenomena, such as the substrate specificity of enzymes and the existence of isoenzymes, as well as compartmentation by cellular structures. The change of specific enzyme activity, a very important kind of regulation, is also discussed in the chapter. This phenomenon may be caused by the formation, activation, degradation, and inhibition of enzyme molecules. Light and auxins are well-known factors triggering the formation of flavonoids and other pigments in plant cell cultures. Cell cultures derived from various plant organs are generally identical in their spectra of a certain group of secondary metabolites. A phenomenon concerning the spectra of secondary metabolites in cell cultures is the occurrence of components unknown in the original plant. Some examples are 19- epi -ajmalicine in Catharanthus roseus suspension cultures and aromorine in callus cultures of Stephanis cepharantha.