Evaluation of Natural Pigments Production in Response to Various Stress Signals in Cell Lines of IStenocereus queretaroensis/I

Stenocereus queretaroensis (F.A.C. Weber ex Mathes.) Buxb is a cactus that has long been used as a source food in central and northern México. Its fruits, commonly called pitayas, biosynthesize high amounts of betalains. These molecules are water-soluble nitrogenous compounds; that compared to other...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plants (Basel) 2022-11, Vol.11 (21)
Main Authors: Ceja-López, Jaime Abelardo, Morales-Morales, Javier, Araujo-Sánchez, Jorge, Kantún, Wilma González, Ku, Angela, Miranda-Ham, María de Lourdes, Rodriguez-Zapata, Luis Carlos, Castaño, Enrique
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Biosynthesis
Cactus
Plant pigments
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Summary:Stenocereus queretaroensis (F.A.C. Weber ex Mathes.) Buxb is a cactus that has long been used as a source food in central and northern México. Its fruits, commonly called pitayas, biosynthesize high amounts of betalains. These molecules are water-soluble nitrogenous compounds; that compared to other pigments, such as anthocyanins or carotenoids, stand out for their physicochemical stability in industrial processes. Due to genetic and environmental factors involved in the biosynthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites in plants, we tested different stress-inducing agents (elicitor, osmotic, salt, and temperature) to induce betalains accumulation in cell culture from fruits of Stenocereus queretaroensis. This work aimed to understand stress conditions that induce the metabolic pathways required for the accumulation of betalains. The results show how betacyanin concentration increases under high sugar conditions, thus affecting the expression of L-DOPA 4, 5 dioxygenase resulting in a strong dark red coloration. This suggests this enzyme is part of a rate-limiting step in betalain production. In addition, we found that betalains accumulation occurs under particular stress conditions. Cells that have a high level of betacyanins show better resistance to stress in the cell culture, as well as an overall different behavior including cell aggregation and alterations in nuclear size. Together the results shown here may provide new strategies to manipulate and mass produce the pigments from Stenocereus queretaroensis in cell culture.
ISSN:2223-7747
2223-7747
DOI:10.3390/plants11212948