Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32242247›Full record

ArticlePlanta2020

Genetic attenuation of alkaloids and nicotine content in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum).

Diego Hidalgo Martinez, Raja S Payyavula, Chengalrayan Kudithipudi, Yanxin Shen, Dongmei Xu, Ujwala Warek, James A Strickland, Anastasios Melis

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Planta, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Frontiers in microbiology · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Diego Hidalgo MartinezDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720‑3102, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8086-7469
Raja S PayyavulaEurofins Lancaster Laboratories, Professional Scientific Service Division, 2425 New Holland Pike, Lancaster, PA, 17605, USA.
Chengalrayan KudithipudiBiotechnology Division, Altria Client Services LLC, 601 East Jackson Street, Richmond, VA, 23219, USA.
Yanxin ShenBiotechnology Division, Altria Client Services LLC, 601 East Jackson Street, Richmond, VA, 23219, USA.
Dongmei XuBiotechnology Division, Altria Client Services LLC, 601 East Jackson Street, Richmond, VA, 23219, USA.
Ujwala WarekBiotechnology Division, Altria Client Services LLC, 601 East Jackson Street, Richmond, VA, 23219, USA.
James A StricklandBiotechnology Division, Altria Client Services LLC, 601 East Jackson Street, Richmond, VA, 23219, USA.
Anastasios MelisDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720‑3102, USA. melis@berkeley.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2581-4177
Altria (United States) · USUniversity of California, Berkeley · US

Funding

UCB Grant 85992-13618-44-ME1AM
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

MAIN

conclusionThe role of six alkaloid biosynthesis genes in the process of nicotine accumulation in tobacco was investigated. Downregulation of ornithine decarboxylase, arginine decarboxylase, and aspartate oxidase resulted in viable plants with a significantly lower nicotine content. Attenuation of nicotine accumulation in Nicotiana tabacum was addressed upon the application of RNAi technologies. The approach entailed a downregulation in the expression of six different alkaloid biosynthesis genes encoding upstream enzymes that are thought to function in the pathway of alkaloid and nicotine biosynthesis. Nine different RNAi constructs were designed to lower the expression level of the genes that encode the enzymes arginine decarboxylase, agmatine deiminase, aspartate oxidase, arginase, ornithine decarboxylase, and SAM synthase. Agrobacterium-based transformation of tobacco leaves was applied, and upon kanamycin selection, T0 and subsequently T1 generation seeds were produced. Mature T1 plants in the greenhouse were topped to prevent flowering and leaf nos. 3 and 4 below the topping point were tested for transcript levels and product accumulation. Down-regulation in arginine decarboxylase, aspartate oxidase, and ornithine decarboxylase consistently resulted in lower levels of nicotine in the leaves of the corresponding plants. Transformants with the aspartate oxidase RNAi construct showed the lowest nicotine level in the leaves, which varied from below the limit of quantification (20 μg per g dry leaf weight) to 1.3 mg per g dry leaf weight. The amount of putrescine, the main polyamine related to nicotine biosynthesis, showed a qualitative correlation with the nicotine content in the arginine decarboxylase and ornithine decarboxylase RNAi-expressing transformants. A putative early senescence phenotype and lower viability of the older leaves was observed in some of the transformant lines. The results are discussed in terms of the role of the above-mentioned genes in the alkaloid biosynthetic pathway and may serve to guide efforts to attenuate nicotine content in tobacco leaves.

Indexed as

AlkaloidsAmino Acid OxidoreductasesBiosynthetic PathwaysCarboxy-LyasesGene Expression Regulation, PlantNicotianaNicotineOrnithine DecarboxylasePlant LeavesPlants, Genetically ModifiedPolyaminesPutrescineSeedsAlkaloidsAmino Acid Oxidoreductasesarginine decarboxylaseCarboxy-LyasesNicotineOrnithine DecarboxylasePolyaminesPutrescineAlkaloidsGene expressionNicotiana tabacumNicotinePutrescineRNAi

Identifiers

PMID32242247
OpenAlexW3015176171

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.