Method of producing a taxane-type diterpene and a method of obtaining cultured cells which produce the taxane-type diterpene at a high rate

摘要

PCT No. PCT/JP94/01880 Sec. 371 Date Jul. 14, 1995 Sec. 102(e) Date Jul. 14, 1995 PCT Filed Nov. 9, 1994 PCT Pub. No. WO95/14103 PCT Pub. Date May 26, 1995This invention relates to a method of producing a taxane-type diterpene(s) wherein tissues or cells of a plant which produces taxane-type diterpene(s) are cultured in the presence of at least one member selected from the group consisting of jasmonic acids, wherein the tissues or the cells of the plant are cultured by controlling the oxygen concentration in a gas phase in a culture vessel to less than the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere from the initial stage of the culture, or by controlling the dissolved oxygen concentration in a fluid medium which is in contact with the tissue or the cell to less than the saturated dissolved oxygen concentration at that temperature from the initial stage of the culture, while oxygenic gas containing 0.03-10% of carbon dioxide is used as aeration gas to be introduced to the vessel, and a method of obtaining highly productive cultured cells for the taxane-type diterpene wherein cultured cells of the plant which produces the taxane-type diterpene are separated into a plurality of layers according to the difference in their specific gravities, and the cells contained in at least one layer are cultured, then highly productive cultured cells for the taxane-type diterpene are selected from among those cultured cells. The present invention allows industrial production of a taxane-type diterpene such as taxol which is useful as a therapeutic agent for cancer.