Nicotine accumulation in callus and small plants of tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) grown in media supplemented with nicotine

Abstract

Callus of Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Burley 21 was grown on Murashige-Skoog medium with 0.03 mg/l kinetin and 2.0 mg/l β-indoleacetic acid and nicotine levels of 0–32 mM. With increased nicotine concentrations in the medium, callus nicotine accumulation increased from nearly zero as fresh weight decreased. Nicotine accumulation was as great as 6.2% with 60% of the dry weight accumulation compared with the control to which no nicotine was added. Burley 21 callus accumulated only nornicotine if nornicotine was the sole supplemental alkaloid in the mediu. Callus of Robinson Medium Broadleaf accumulated only nicotine when grown on a medium supplemented only with nicotine, although both green and cured leaves of this cultivar demethylate nicotine to nornicotine. Burley 21 plants at the 6–8-leaf stage grown hydroponically with 8 mM nicotine accumulated 2.4% nicotine in 10 days compared with 0.3% in the controls.