The commercially used cell suspension culture of COPTIS JAPONICA Makino (Ranunculaceae) incorporates [beta- (13)C]tyrosine into both halves of the berberine molecule (isoquinoline and benzyl portion) while L-[3'- (18)O]DOPA only labels the isoquinoline portion of this molecule. This labelling pattern indicates that different C (6)-C (2) units derived from tyrosine form this molecule. This result and the incorporation of ( S)-[1- (13)C] norcoclaurine into berberine demonstrates that the biosynthesis of protoberberine alkaloids in COPTIS involves the norcoclaurine but not the norlaudanosoline pathway.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Müller et al. (1992) studied this question.