Responses of transformed root culture of Atropa belladonna to salicylic acid stress

The effect of salicylic acid (SA) on tropane alkaloid production and the re sponses to SA stress of transformed root cultures of Atropa belladonna (bel ladonna) were investigated. Treatment of A. belladonna transformed roots wi th 0.2 mM SA did not have any effect on tropane alkaloid production, but tw o compounds were produced in the medium. These were identified as the SA de rivatives methylsalicylate and methyl-o-methoxybenzoate by high-resolution mass spectrometry and UV spectrometry. In contrast, treatment with 2 mM sal icylic acid stimulated tropane alkaloid release from the transformed roots into the medium by up to 35% of the total alkaloids after 24 h, and the SA derivatives were not observed in the medium. These results revealed that tr ansformed root of A. belladonna exhibits distinct by different responses to SA stress depending on the SA concentration.