The protein extract from the biomass was loaded on to a 15%
SDS–PAGE gel for preliminary analysis. A significant difference in
the protein expression profile was observed (with presumable
up-regulation of certain proteins as evident from varying intensity
of certain protein bands seen on 15% SDS–PAGE gel) in the samples
obtained from the culture grown in the presence (2%, 3% and 5% (v/
v) ethanol) and absence of ethanol (Fig. 4). This further substantiated
the presumable role of ethanol as an elicitor, as also indicated
by an increase in the total protein content observed when the culture
was grown in the presence of ethanol. However, to confirm
the elicitation mechanism, studies on activity and expression of
key enzymes involved in the CPT biosynthetic pathway are
required to be done in the presence and absence of ethanol.