Proteomic profiling of Stemona alkaloids production response to chitosan elicitor.

The study purposed to investigate the protein expression of Stemona alkaloids biosynthesis response to chitosan elicitor by 2D gel electrophoresis. The total proteins extraction of Stemona roots were performed for comparison with the control and chitosan treatments. It was found that 15 out of 150 protein spots exhibited different expression between control and chitosan culture treatment. The identified 15 protein spots were subjected to amino acid sequencing and two proteins appeared interesting for examining Stemona alkaloids biosynthesis. After treated with chitosan, glutathione S-transferase became down-regulated while heat shock protein up-regulated in relation to the control treatment. These proteins may play roles in alkaloids biosynthesis via plant defense metabolism from the presumptions that chitosan might weaken the detoxifying function of glutathione S-transferase, then, heat shock protein is probably produced to signal for tissue protection mechanism. Thus, Stemona alkaloids may be responsive to this stress.