Elicitor-inducible 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme a reductase activity is required for sesquiterpene accumulation in tobacco cell suspension cultures.

Addition of cell wall fragments from Phytophthora species or cellulase from Trichoderma viride, but not pectolyase from Aspergillus japonicus, to tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cell suspension cultures induced the accumulation of the extracellular sesquiterpenoid capsidiol. Pulse-labeling experiments with [(14)C]acetate and [(3)H]mevalonate suggested that enzymatic steps preceding mevalonate were limiting capsidiol biosynthesis in the pectolyase-treated cell cultures. Treatment of the cell cultures with either Phytophthora cell wall fragments or cellulase induced 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) and sesquiterpene cyclase activities, enzymes of the sesquiterpene biosynthetic pathway, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity, an enzyme of the general phenylpropanoid pathway. Pectolyase treatment induced sesquiterpene cyclase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase activities, but not HMGR activity. These results corroborate the importance of inducible HMGR enzyme activity for sesquiterpene accumulation.