The effect of the elicitors on the steviol glycosides biosynthesis pathway in Stevia rebaudiana

Abstract

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni has been promoted for having sweet leaves as well as pharmaceutical and industrial properties. The sweet taste of Stevia leaves is due to the presence of steviol glycosides (a group of diterpene glycosides) found in a small number of plants. In the biosynthetic pathway of steviol glycosides (SGs), 15 enzymes that express the genes are associated with these enzymes under the influence of the elicitors. Due to the individuality of the stevia and few studies on the biosynthesis pathway of SGs, this paper attempted to investigate the effects of some of the elicitors, including methyl jasmonate (MeJA), salicylic acid (SA), auxins (Aux), cytokinins (CKs), gibberellins (GAs) and its inhibitors including paclobutrazol (BPZ) and chloroquate (CCC)), on the responsible genes for the biosynthesis of SGs. Some of these elicitors, including MeJA, SA and GA have great potential in increasing secondary metabolites. Moreover, the biosynthetic pathway of GAs and SGs are shared till ent-kaurenoic acid (ent-KA) biosynthesis, which raises the question of whether this hormone and its inhibitors are effective in the SGs biosynthesis.