This work has been digitalized and published in 2013 by Verlag Zeitschrift für Naturforschung in cooperation with the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Dieses Werk wurde im Jahr 2013 vom Verlag Zeitschrift für Naturforschung in Zusammenarbeit mit der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. digitalisiert und unter folgender Lizenz veröffentlicht: Creative Commons Namensnennung 4.0 Lizenz. Quinolizidine Alkaloids as Nitrogen Source for Lupin Seedlings and Cell Cultures M. Wink Institut für Pharmazeutische Biologie der Technischen Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstraße 1, D-3300 Braunschweig, Bundesrepublik Deutschland L. Witte Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Forschung, D-3300 Braunschweig-Stöckheim Z. Naturforsch. 40c, 767—775 (1985); received August 19/September 4, 1985 Alkaloid Turnover, Quinolizidine Alkaloids, Lupinus, Germination, Nitrogen Source The alkaloid patterns during germination and seedling development of Lupinus polyphyllus, L. angustifolius, L. albus, L. pubescens, Cytisus scoparius, Baptisia australis, Spartium junceum and Laburnum anagyroides were studied by capillary glc and EI-MS and CI-MS. The alkaloid contents were relatively high in the seeds and decreased by 20—100% during germination and the early developmental stages. The plants with fully developed leaves were able to synthesize new alkaloids. The decrease of alkaloid concentrations during germination was interpreted in terms of alkaloid turnover and use of the alkaloidal nitrogen for seedling development. The ability of plants to rely on the alkaloidal nitrogen as a nitrogen source could also be shown in lupin cell cultures which could survive and even grow on media which contained sparteine as the sole nitrogen source. Introduction Quinolizidine alkaloids (QA) are common natural products of the Fabaceae, but are also present in a few unrelated families [1—4], QA are produced in the aerial green parts of lupins [1,5], especially in the leaf chloroplast [6, 7]. The alkaloids, which are synthesized in a light-dependent diurnal rhythm [8, 9], are translocated via the phloem [9, 10] to the other plant organs. In consequence all plant parts contain alkaloids [1, 3, 5] which are preferentially stored in epidermal tissue [11, 12]. Alkaloids are especially abundant in the fruits, and the ripe seeds contain up to 5% alkaloid (dry weight) [3, 4]. Q A like other nitrogen-containing natural pro ducts [13, 14] are not inert end products of metabo lism but dynamic compounds with a high degree of turnover [8, 9], The turnover is especially evident in cell suspension cultures of lupins which are capable to degrade endogenously produced or added al kaloids [8, 15, 16]. In this communication we provide Abbreviations: Cl, Chemical ionization; CI-MS, chemical ionization — mass spectrometry; EI-MS, electron impact - mass spectrometry; glc gasliquid chromatography; QA, quinolizidine alkaloids; M +, molecular ion; RI, Kovats retention index. Reprint requests to Priv.-Doz. Dr. M. Wink. Verlag der Zeitschrift für Naturforschung, D-7400 Tübingen 0341 - 0382/85/1100 - 0767 $01.30/0 evidence that plants can use the nitrogen stored in the alkaloid molecule: We report on the alkaloid metabolism of developing seedlings from 9 species of the genus Lupinus, Baptisia, Laburnum, Spartium and Cytisus and on the survival of lupin callus cul tures on media with the lupin alkaloid sparteine as sole nitrogen source. Material and Methods Plants Seeds of Laburnum anagyroides (Medicus), Cy tisus scoparius (L.) Link, Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl. were collected from plants growing in gardens near Braunschweig. Spartium junceum L. seeds were from Crete, Lupinus albus L. seeds from Syria. Seeds of Lupinus hartwegii Lindl., L. pubescens Benth., and Baptisia australis (L.) R. Br. were obtained from the Zentralinstitut für Genetik und Kulturpflanzenfor schung, Gatersleben. L. angustifolius L. seeds were from the local market. Seeds were imbibed in water for 6—12 h and after wards sown in garden soil. The seedlings were grown in a greenhouse with 14 h light and approx. 20 °C and 60% relative humidity. Seedlings were harvested as indicated in the figures and were stored at -20 °C.