Inhibition of caffeine biosynthesis in tea (Camellia sinensis) and coffee (Coffea arabica) plants by ribavirin

FEBS Letters

Keya, Chaman Ara¹  Crozier, Alan²  Ashihara, Hiroshi¹ 

[1] Department of Advanced Bioscience, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan;Plant Products and Human Nutrition Group, Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK

关键词: Coffee;    Caffeine;    Inosine;    Purine alkaloid;    Ribavirin;   

DOI  :  10.1016/S0014-5793(03)01213-4

学科分类：生物化学/生物物理

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

The effects of ribavirin, an inhibitor of inosine-5′-monophosphate (IMP) dehydrogenase, on [8-¹⁴C]inosine metabolism in tea leaves, coffee leaves and coffee fruits were investigated. Incorporation of radioactivity from [8-¹⁴C]inosine into purine alkaloids, such as theobromine and caffeine, guanine residues of RNA, and CO₂ was reduced by ribavirin, while incorporation into nucleotides, including IMP and adenine residues of RNA, was increased. The results indicate that inhibition of IMP dehydrogenase by ribavirin inhibits both caffeine and guanine nucleotide biosynthesis in caffeine-forming plants. The use of IMP dehydrogenase-deficient plants as a potential source of good quality caffeine-deficient tea and coffee plants is discussed.

【 授权许可】

Unknown