Paper Title
Pantoeastewartiisubsp.Indologenes Induced Squalenecyclase Activity in Scopariadulcis

Abstract
Squalene-hopenecyclases (SHCs) and oxidosqualenecyclases (OSCs) are the major enzymes in triterpenoid biosynthesis that convert the acyclic precursor’ssqualene and 2, 3-oxidosqualene to polycyclic products. The present work focuses on establishing the presence of this enzyme in a common medicinal plant Scopariadulcis and the possible role of its endophyte in the synthesis of the enzyme.TLC analysis of the extract of reaction mixture with plant leaf extract showed the presence of a differentiating spot with aRf value 0.5869 characteristic to that of cycloartenol, the product of the enzymatic action of squalenecyclase on oxidosqualene. This was further supported by analysing the organic extract using HPLC, FT/IR and LC-MS-MS. A unique peak at 10 min in the HPLC profile strongly indicated the presence of the novel product. The peaks at 1045.14cm-1 and 1085.44cm-1 in the FT/IR analysis clearly indicated the presence of a cyclic compound, cycloartenol and this was further proved by the data obtained from LC-MS-MS. The molecular basis of analysis revealed the presence of the oxidosqualenecyclase gene in the chromosomal DNA of Scopariadulcis. The probable role of Pantoeastewartiisubsp. indologenes, an endophyte isolated from the plant in the synthesis ofsqualenecyclasewasalso looked into. Index Terms- Squalenecyclase, 2, 3-Oxidosqualene Cyclase (OSC), Pantoeastewartiisubsp. Indologenes. , Scopariadulcis