Browsing by Author "Uzuegbu, Perpetua"

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    Identification and characterization of an adenosine triphosphate binding cassette (ABC) transporter EcABCB1 involved in the transport of alkaloids in Eschscholzia californica
    (2014-09-29) Uzuegbu, Perpetua; Bird, David; Facchini, Peter
    California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) roots and suspension cultures accumulate an assortment of structurally and functionally diverse benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, notably the antimicrobial sanguinarine in the cell and the media. In E. californica cell suspension cultures, alkaloid biosynthesis is induced by treatment with certain biotic and abiotic elicitors, which activates plant defense responses. Sanguinarine accumulated in the media is taken up into the cell through a potential active transport process. A large and widely distributed superfamily of proteins found in bacteria, fungi, plants and animals called adenosine triphosphate binding cassette (ABC) transporters have been implicated in the influx of alkaloids in plants. We report the isolation and characterization of a full-length cDNA encoding a homologous ABC transporter EcABCB1 from California poppy. The gene encoding EcABCB1 transcripts were detected in all California poppy plant organs. Evidence has shown that EcABCB1 is an inducible, plasma membrane localized, multi-specific ABC transporter sensitive to vanadate.