STEROIDAL GLYCOALKALOIDS IN CELL AND SHOOT TERATOMA CULTURES OF SOLANUM-DULCAMARA

Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara L., Solanaceae) is of interest as a sou rce of steroidal alkaloids for the commercial production of hormones. Since glycoalkaloid production is positively correlated to differentia tion, tumor and teratoma cultures of the soladulcidine chemotype were established by transformation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A newly developed HPLC-system, which allowed separation and sensitive quantita tion of the glycoalkaloids soladulcidine-tetraoside, solamargine and s olasonine, was used to analyse glycoalkaloid profiles in plants and cu ltures. Tumors and teratoma were characterized by a shift in their alk aloid pattern from soladulcidine tetraoside to the solasodine glycosid es solamargine and solasonine. Shoot teratoma showed a total glycoalka loid content of 1% dw, which is about fivefold higher than in the sour ce plant. A regenerated plant retained the altered alkaloid spectrum; the levels, however, equalled those of the source plant. From the alte ration of alkaloid pattern in the transformed cultures suggestions can be made concerning the biosynthetic pathway. Completion of the biosyn thesis of the aglycone is likely to be complete before glycosylation o ccurs.