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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Enzymatic Formation of Raucaffricine, the Major Indole Alkaloid ofRauwolfia serpentinaCell-Suspension Cultures

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The major alkaloid from Rauwolfia serpentina cell-suspension cultures, the glucoalkaloid raucaffricine (2), was enzymatically formed from vomilenine (1) and UDPG in presence of microsomal-bound enzyme. This glucosyltransferase exhibits a relatively high substrate specificity with strong preference for 1 and UDPG. The apparent Km values for 1 and UDPG were 40 μM and 0.8 mM, respectively, for raucaffricine formation. Optimum transferase activity was observed at 50° and pH 6.3. The taxonomic distribution of this enzyme seems to be very limited because transferase can he exclusively detected in raucaffricine-producing plant cells.