Multiple shoot cultures of Ophiorrhiza rugosa var. decumbens Deb and Mondal--a viable renewable source for the continuous production of bioactive Camptotheca alkaloids apart from stems of the parent plant of Nothapodytes foetida (Wight) Sleumer.

Camptotheca alkaloids were isolated from multiple shoot cultures of O. decumbens (0.056% dry weight) and stems of N.

Production of camptothecin by hairy roots and regenerated transformed shoots of Ophiorrhiza rugosa var. decumbens.

Camptothecin (CPT), the derivatives of which are used clinically for the treatment of metastatic colon cancer, is isolated from intact plants that can be subjected to environmental fluctuations. In vitro cultures may be an alternate and continuous source for year-round production of CPT. Since CPT production by undifferentiated cell cultures is low, differentiated tissues such as root cultures may be a viable alternate source for CPT production.

Involvement of a protein kinase activity inducer in DNA double strand break repair and radioresistance of Deinococcus radiodurans.

Transgenic bacteria producing pyrroloquinoline quinone, a known cofactor for dehydrogenases and an inducer of a periplasmic protein kinase activity, show resistance to both oxidative stress and protection from nonoxidative effects of radiation and DNA-damaging agents. Deinococcus radiodurans R1 encodes an active pyrroloquinoline quinone synthase, and constitutive synthesis of pyrroloquinoline quinone occurred in wild-type bacteria. Disruption of a genomic copy of pqqE resulted in cells that lacked this cofactor.