Comparison between Biosynthesis of ent-Kaurene in Germinating Tomato Seeds and Cell Suspension Cultures of Tomato and Tobacco

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Abstract
Biosynthesis of ent-kaurene was investigated in extracts of cell suspension cultures derived from tobacco callus (Nicotiana tabacum L.), tomato callus (Solanum lycopersicum L.), and in germinating tomato seeds. Incubation of extracts derived from the two cell cultures with either isopentenyl pyrophosphate-14C or with 14C-labeled mevalonate, followed by alkaline phosphatase hydrolysis, resulted in the formation of trans-geranylgeraniol-14C and trans-farnesol-14C. The corresponding pyrophosphates of trans-geranyl-geraniol-14C and trans-farnesol-14C were also detected. No detectable amount of ent-kaurene-14C was produced by these enzymatic preparations when trans-geranylgeranyl-14C pyrophosphate served as substrate. However, copalyl-14C pyrophosphate served as a substrate for the production of ent-kaurene. Cell-free extracts derived from germinating tomato seeds catalyzed the formation of ent-kaurene-14C from mevalonate-14C, isopentenyl-14C pyrophosphate, trans-geranylgeranyl-14C pyrophosphate, and copalyl-14C pyrophosphate.