## 4 Conclusions  
Suspension cell cultures of _Artemisia annua_ have revealed to be a valuable system for evaluating the ability of DIMEB to enhance the intracellular and extracellular production of important isoprenoid molecules, such as carotenoids and quinones. In particular, the application of 50 mM DIMEB for three  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Gene**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Sequence**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Accession**} \\  & & & **Number** \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_HMGR_} & Forward & 5’CATGCTTGAACCTACTTGGAGTCA-3’ & \multirow{3}{*}{AF142473.1} \\  & Reverse & 3’CAACACCCAACCAGCCAACTATC-5’ & & \\  & Probe & 5’TGCGGTGCATAGAATCACCAGGCTCA-3’ & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_DXR_} & Forward & 5’CCCGTTGTACTTTTGCAAGTT-3’ & \multirow{3}{*}{AF182287.2} \\  & Reverse & 3’GCAGAACAGCCAAAATGATT-5’ & & \\  & Probe & 5’-AAGCACCGGACAACGTGAATACCCG-3’ & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_IDI *_} & Forward & 5’CAGACTTAGGTGAGGGTCTCA-3’ & \multirow{3}{*}{DQ666334.1} \\  & Reverse & 3’-CCCCACACTGAACAAGAATTG-5’ & & \\  & Probe & 5’-CTGTCCGGTGTTCAGGATGTTG-3’ & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_FDS_} & Forward & 5’TCACGCGCGAATTGTCA-3’ & \multirow{3}{*}{U36376.1} \\  & Reverse & 3’TGCTGTCAAGATCCCTCTCCAA-5’ & & \\  & Probe & 5’-ACTCATTTTACCTTCCAGTTGCCTGGCAC-3’ & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_GGDS_} & Forward & 5’-AGGTTTTTTGCGTAGGATTGTT-3’ & \multirow{3}{*}{EY076993.1} \\  & Reverse & 3’-CCACACCCCTTCTGATTCAA-5’ & & \\  & Probe & 5’-CCGAGGCAAGCAGCTGTGG-3’ & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_PS *_PS *_} & Forward & 5’GGGGCTATGTAAGCAAACCAA-3’ & \multirow{3}{*}{EY033375.1} \\  & Reverse & 3’-CTTGATGCTGGCTCAGAGTGT-5’ & & \\  & Probe & 5’-AAGATGTTGCTTTGCCTCGCATATGCA-3’ & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{_LCYB *_} & Forward & 5’-TTTTAGAAGGCTAGAGCCGTTTT-3’ & \multirow{3}{*}{EY092112.1} \\  & Reverse & 3’-AAAGTGAAAACTCAGGCAGAACAA-5’ & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Probe & 5’-ACCTCGTGTACTGGCTCTGTGTCATC-3’ & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{\(\beta\)-action} & Forward & 5’-CCATTGGGTGTCAGAGGTTCA-3’ & \multirow{3}{*}{EU531837.1} \\  & Reverse & 3’-GCAGCTTCCATTCCGATCA-5’ & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Probe & 5’-TGCCCTGAGGTCTTGTCCAACCTTC-3’ & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}  
* _A. annua IDI_, (DQ666334.1) PS (EY033375.1) and _LYC-B_ (EY092112.1) sequences were identified by searching in the _A. annua_ EST sequences database on the basis of _Helianthus annuus_ homologous genes.  
\end{table}
Table 1: Primers and probe sequences used for quantitative Real-Time PCR analysis in _A. annua_ cell cultures.  
days was useful to induce a considerable significant increase of intracellular lutein, Q9 and Q10 contents compared to untreated cell cultures. In addition, the release of carotenoids and quinones into the culture medium of DIMEB-treated cell cultures was significantly enhanced in comparison with control cultures. Real Time PCR analysis revealed an up-regulation of _DXR_ gene thus suggesting that the DIMEB induced increase of carotenoids and quinones could be due to the elicitation of the plastidial isoprenoid biosynthetic route.  
The authors thank [PERSON] for maintenance of _Artemisia annua_ cell cultures and [PERSON] for HPLC technical assistance. [PERSON] was supported by a CNR PhD fellowship. This work was partially supported by Regione Puglia, Progetto Strategico PS_070.  
[PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON] and [PERSON] designed the study; [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON] performed the experiments; [PERSON], [PERSON] wrote the article. All authors approved publication.  
The authors declare no conflict of interest.