On the Degradation of Nicotine in Nicotiana Cell Suspension Cultures

Abstract

Cell suspension cultures of Nicotiana tabacum, N. tabacum str. MMF_l5 N. tabacum str. TCKj and N. glauca were grown with varying 2,4 D concentrations (1–0,01 ppm) at constant levels (1 ppm) of kinetin. Nicotine formation could not be observed in these cultures. In all Nicotiana cultures (2'–¹⁴C)–nicotine was degraded to nornicotine to varying degrees depending on the auxin level. During N–demethylation of (methyl–¹⁴C)–nicotine to nornicotine most of the radioactivity became incorporated into insoluble polymeric cell structures and not into CO₂.