Photomixotrophic cultures of blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) accumulate or release phenylpropanoids via inductive treatments

Abstract

The in vitro production of phenylpropanoids has been studied in temporary immersion bioreactors (TIBs) cultures of blueberries (Vaccinum corymbosum) supplemented with 0.4 MPa CO2, light intensity of 150 μM/m2/s, and induced with ABA (4 mM) and H2O2 (5 mM). Results demonstrated differences in the accumulation and/or the release of patterns of metabolites. In TIBs plus ABA, a reddish-maroon color was consistent with the accumulation of phenolics, where shoots formed clusters without internodal segments. While in TIBs plus H2O2, the phenylpropanoids were released into the culture medium. In both cases, experimental treatments with sucrose-reduced medium displayed the highest phenylpropanoids values, in contrast with the controls (conventional culture). Altogether, differential expressions of genes, linked to key pathways as photosynthesis, phenylpropanoids, and oxidative burst, could corroborate for the increase in the phenolics production in parallel with an improvement of photosynthesis in photomixotrophic culture.